ABSTRACT
As an Australian academic, the main intention of the author/researcher is to explore the current situation facing the academic profession in Australia seeking to identify significant related issues and contribute meaningfully to the current debate on the changing role of academics within the overall process of massification. This chapter seeks to identify possible solutions to some of the challenges faced by the Australian higher education sector by exploring approaches employed by other countries faced with similar situations. It focuses on the current situation and explores research reports and literature drawn mainly from the Australian milieu. There are many issues involved in training academics/Higher Degree by Research students. The chapter examines the overall question of professional education and the kinds of experiences that may be critical for providing the requisite professional education that the system will require to assure an adequate supply of appropriately trained academic staff to meet the presumptive shortfall.
