Embedded Files
The lecture is cosponsored by:
The Economic Society of South Australia
The Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand
4 February 2026
6 - 7 pm
Building & Room (TBA) at Adelaide University
Reception follows
Lecture Title:
The History of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme
and the Role of Academics and Economics in Public Policy
Professor Bruce Chapman
Australian National University
The plenary lecture will provide a history of higher education financing in Australia over the last 40 years with a particular focus on the political economy around accessibility and equity. Through reference to domestic and international experience, the talk will explore the role of academic experts and expertise in the policy making process.
Bruce Chapman Bio
Bruce Chapman is Emeritus Professor for Economics at the Australian National University. He has published over 300 articles and several books on a broad range of issues, including income-contingent loans, long-term unemployment, the meaning of job flows data, the economics of crime, the economics of cricket, fertility, marital separation and government as risk manager. His extensive experience in public policy includes the motivation and design of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme which was implemented in Australia 1989, and was the world's first national income-contingent student loan scheme. He has contributed extensively to higher education financing reform and debate in a large number of countries, including the UK, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the US, Colombia, Japan, Brazil and Chile. The plenary lecture in Adelaide is a return to the roots of his academic career which started as a lecturer at the University of Adelaide in 1980.
Page updated
Report abuse