Super important thread -- which unpacks the twaddle being pedalled by the @MasseyUni Vice Chancellor, and tracks it to its source. (By my oath, it's always lovely to watch someone whose good at their job in action) 1/n https://twitter.com/NikkiHessell/status/1264092583602470912

The actual twaddle is here, if you want to take a look -- it's the sort of nonsense that makes it appear that the writer has picked up a few books and read their back covers, but never actually cracked them open 2/n https://www.universitiesnz.ac.nz/latest-news-and-publications/vcs-perspective-universities-must-be-part-solution

Have already vented a bit on twitter about this, but @NikkiHessell offers much more value-add than me on this topic... https://twitter.com/REasther/status/1260687470355611649

This whole episode reveals that one of universities is run by someone who is not capable of thinking deeply and originally about the sector or the role of universities, and is not tapping the expertise of their own staff as we head into a period of unprecedented turmoil 4/N

My worry is that this will equally true of most university leaders worldwide. The irony that while we talk-up our unique selling points, most university profiles and strategies are interchangeable, and their managers can get by on a combination of inertia and herd instinct 5/N

Universities like to brag that we are storehouses of expertise, and we proved this is true through the last three months, providing modelling and analysis to decision makers and the public. 6/N

But our next challenge will be deploy those talents internally, and for university "leaders" to make the most of the talents and commitment of their staff as they chart a course into the future. Let's see if they can do it. 7/7