CQUniversity Professor in Regional Development Economics John Rolfe has disputed a Grattan Institute report which claims that regional universities do not boost rates of tertiary participation or graduate retention in their local area...

Professor John Rolfe

The Grattan Institute claim sparked Professor Rolfe's reply to The Conversation news site .

Professor Rolfe explains that he read the Grattan Institute report with some interest as an economist who has previously written about the economic benefits of regional universities.

"I also have some ‘skin in the game' because I have spent all my life in central Queensland, much of it as a cattle producer, and have worked for CQUniversity for more than 20 years.

"There are many parts of Daly and Lancy's analysis that I agree with, as I suspect most others do.  Who doesn't think that governments waste money, or that many regional development initiatives are really pork barrelling exercises disguised in glitzy economic wrapping paper? Who doesn't agree that there are more returns to be generated by investing in rapidly growing regions rather than the slowing ones?

"Where their analysis is most surprising, and most flawed, is in relation to their arguments that regional universities don't make economic contributions. There are at least three major issues that can be identified with the analysis they present."

A longer version of Professor Rolfe's reply is available via THIS LINK