Editor's letter

It seems everyone these days is required (or, at least, aspires), to be a leader.

But what is leadership, why do we need it and is it always demonstrated in the ways that we expect? How should the University of Melbourne, a ‘leading’ university embody and manifest leadership? How does the University encourage and support leadership in its students, alumni and staff? Are there areas in which the University has failed to take the lead where it arguably has an obligation to do so?

To find answers to these questions, the Melbourne University Magazine (MUM) working group adopted the theme of leadership for this year's edition.

While the question of leadership is tackled head-on in our article ‘Women and leadership: do we still need to talk about it?’ – and we’re delighted that alumna Prime Minister Julia Gillard has penned a letter that takes the form of a preamble – elsewhere the interrogation is more oblique.

Our feature article ‘The worth of water’ examines at how the University is engaging with the ‘wicked’ problem of food security. We also look at how alumni are meeting the challenges of this complex issue.

Speaking of women leaders, we are pleased to be able to introduce Sue Cunningham, our incoming Vice-Principal (Advancement) and to provide a forum to give her thoughts on philanthropy and the way she hopes to engage with the alumni community in her new role.

In ‘Brave new world’, Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis gives his perspective on the changing landscape of higher education and how the University is navigating this somewhat uncertain terrain.

‘Home is where the heart is’ explores the parlous state of student housing and asks whether the University could be doing more to ease the situation.

In ‘Putting our heads together’ we meet Dannielle Goodwin, a young woman benefitting from the world-class facilities and research being done at the Melbourne Brain Centre, and Professor Ingrid Scheffer, the researcher and clinician who diagnosed Dannielle’s potentially debilitating condition.

On a less serious note, ‘(Almost) the last word’ by alumnus Tony Wilson takes a look at the slings and arrows flung at our contemporary leaders by Twitter and the 24-hour media cycle. Napoleon, he concludes, had it easy by comparison.

Regular MUM sections ‘Postcards’ and ‘Alumni voices’ make an appearance as well as a  ‘Then and now’ look at Engineering and conversations with Australian of the Year, Simon McKeon and outgoing artistic director of the MTC, Simon Phillips.

We hope you enjoy reading MUM 2011 and we invite you to continue the conversations we have begun here. Go to the Melbourne Uni Alumni Facebook page to have your say on food security, leadership, student housing or whatever topic inspires, infuriates or engages you.

Maryrose Cuskelly (BA 1993)

Editor, MUM 2011 

Cover image: Canola seeds and water. Photo: Joe Vittorio.