The Australian federal government aims to double the number of Indigenous students at universities in the next decade, from 5,000 to 10,000, as part of several reforms to the sector. Education Minister Jason Clare announced the changes along with the Interim Report of the Universities Accord, which outlined a vision for the future of Australia’s…

Australian universities have been likened to “a frog slowly boiling in water”, with most people fearing they focus on profit at the expense of quality education. Almost three-quarters of adults surveyed said they were worried about declining funding to the sector, according to a report from The Australia Institute’s Centre For Future Work. It found 83…

The peak body for Australia’s university sector has welcomed the government’s move to place new entry requirements on Chinese visitors.  Health Minister Mark Butler on Monday announced Chinese travellers would have to return a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of departure from Thursday as cases spiked after Beijing dismantled restrictions. Universities Australia Chief Executive…

Political interference in university research funding presents an “existential threat” to the tertiary sector, the head of the Australian National University (ANU) has warned. In his state of the university address on Jan. 7, ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt referenced acting Education Minister Stuart Robert’s decision on Christmas Eve to veto six research grants awarded by…

Commentary Recent reports suggest Australian universities are cash-strapped because government-mandated border closures due to the pandemic have contributed to a drop in foreign student numbers. Statistics confirm a marked reduction of students, especially those from China. Although this reduction may be due to the impact of Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions—notably the cancellation of international flights—some Chinese students may…

Commentary A visit to Western universities today will lead to one finding a high degree of groupthink in a number of faculties, with barely a conservative thinker insight. One can only conclude that for years universities have limited their hiring to three types of candidates: left-leaning liberals, socialists, and radical greens. An outcome of such…

As the international student cohort in Australian universities shrinks and border policy continues to turn prospective new students away, the sector may experience a heavier loss this year than last, a report says. An analysis by S&P Global, which forecasts the future of the higher education sector, has said that the impact of the decreasing …

Australia’s universities are warning further job losses are on the horizon after more than 17,000 people in the sector were left unemployed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector’s peak body, Universities Australia, estimates about $1.8 billion in revenue was lost in 2020 compared to the year before. Compared to pre-pandemic revenue for…