Events

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Melbourne Graduate School of Education launches the first Dean’s Lecture for 2022 presented by Professor Marcia Langton AO, The University of Melbourne.

“It is probable that the University of Melbourne leads the sector in Indigenous doctoral student enrolments in Australia.

It is estimated that in 2020 and 2021, Indigenous doctoral students enrolled at the University of Melbourne made up about 9.2% of all domestic doctoral students nationally. At the University of Melbourne, they made up 1.58% of all of our doctoral students. That suggests we are doing much better than other universities in attracting and retaining Indigenous doctoral students.

The growth rate of Indigenous doctoral student numbers at the University between 2015 and 2019 was almost three times (2.91 times) the national growth rate. That growth has only slowed marginally in 2020 and 2021 despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Most (>40%) Indigenous GR students are enrolled at Go8 universities and the University of Melbourne had more GR students in 2018 than any other Go8. These data reveal the progress we are making inClosing the Gap on an indicator that is rarely reported publicly yet is fundamental to the future of Indigenous Australia – building strong Indigenous leaders.”

In this lecture, Professor Marcia Langton AO will look at the factors that she believes have been critical to our success to date, and those that we should maintain and strengthen in creating an Indigenous cohort in higher degrees by research, and the implications of success in this endeavour.

Join us at 5.30pm for refreshments. Lecture commences at 6.00pm.

The Tax Group, Melbourne Law School, is proud to host its 16th Annual Tax Lecture delivered by Mr Mark Leibler AC (Senior Partner of Arnold Bloch Leibler).

The rule of law is a fundamental pillar of civil society. Wars have been fought, regimes toppled and monarchs put to death by citizens defending or rebelling against the rule of law and, in particular, the power to tax.

Without the rule of law, taxation amounts to little more than state-sanctioned theft on a grand scale.

In this year’s Annual Tax Lecture, tax lawyer Mr Mark Leibler AC will consider the extent to which the ever-more excruciating complexity and uncertainty of Australian tax law, along with the evolving sophistication of taxpayer affairs, requires the Commissioner of Taxation to interpret and apply the law without authoritative guidance.

Mr Leibler will explore what this means for taxpayers, who rely on the Commissioner acting fairly, and should be protected for operating within the framework of the Commissioner’s past guidance or practice.

He will explain that, by drawing on overseas models and building on existing legislation, the potential for legal but unjust application of taxation law could and should be alleviated.