2016-future Public Cognition, Concepts in Educationalist Thought Series, Concepts in Public History for Marketplace Dialogue, Important Public Statement, The Importance Of History In Our Own Lives?

The Irretractable Argument

May 10, 2025
  AI Overview: “Irretractable” means something that cannot be taken back, reversed, or retracted. It’s the opposite of “retractable”. Essentially, if something is irretractable, it’s final and cannot be undone.       In an email group discussion, on the barriers which has prevent me gaining paid work since the end of 2017, Professor Lisa […]

 

AI Overview: “Irretractable” means something that cannot be taken back, reversed, or retracted. It’s the opposite of “retractable”. Essentially, if something is irretractable, it’s final and cannot be undone.

 

 

 

In an email group discussion, on the barriers which has prevent me gaining paid work since the end of 2017, Professor Lisa Featherstone of the Historical and Philosophical School at The University of Queensland replied:

 

 

Thank you for your email, which outlines your many achievements.

I am unable to offer you paid work at UQ, as I do not have any jobs available. We are not hiring in History, as we are well staffed at the moment. Government funding is modelled on student enrolments, and we have a balanced staff-student ratio in History.

I am happy to email your Job Provider if you require, but I am unable to fund a position in the School.

With thanks,

 

 

 

Professor Featherstone has been very kind with me and I agree with her reply, for the very reason it has unstated inferences, one of which is the School is not being funded properly by the University for high-level global research.

 

 

The problem is 1) one of a demand model in blissful ignorance of its large failures. The economic decision-makers have to understand that there is uncontestable (for civil society) social value in having more supply of certain performances than there is actual demand; it is for the economic benefit of the society as a whole, which is more than the parts.

 

 

 

And the problem is also 2) a false teaching-research “synergy” (it is not) — as you know and have told me, in so many words of inference, the university teachers to have too little time to actually do the research which is being performed at the high-level, which underemployed and unemployed top-level researchers are doing without the money to make a living.

 

 

 

Is this the Australia we want?

 

 

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Neville Buch

Professional Historian at Professional Historians Association (Queensland) Inc.
Neville Buch (Pronounced Book) Ph.D. is a certified member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland). Since 2010 he has operated a sole trade business in history consultancy. He was a Q ANZAC 100 Fellow 2014-2015 at the State Library of Queensland. Dr Buch was the PHA (Qld) e-Bulletin, the monthly state association’s electronic publication, and was a member of its Management Committee. He is the Managing Director of the Brisbane Southside History Network.
Categories: 2016-future Public Cognition, Concepts in Educationalist Thought Series, Concepts in Public History for Marketplace Dialogue, Important Public Statement, The Importance Of History In Our Own Lives?
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