Podcast: New Zealand university administrative bloat

In this episode of The New Zealand Initiative's podcast, Oliver Hartwich interviews James Keirstead about his report on the employment of non-academics in New Zealand universities. Keirstead discusses the lack of debate and available figures on administrative bloat in New Zealand compared to the US and UK. Contrary to his initial hypothesis, Keirstead's research reveals that New Zealand leads the English-speaking world in the number of non-academics per academic, with 59% of university staff being non-academics. The discussion explores potential reasons for this, including the growth of universities, outsourcing trends, and the nature of bureaucracies. They also touch on the impact on students, vice-chancellor salaries, and the need for more transparency about how taxpayer money is being used in universities, aiming to spark a debate rather than push specific policy recommendations.