This Month
Australia’s top university on global ranking revealed
The University of NSW has leapfrogged Melbourne and Sydney to take top Australian university on a global ranking.
May
Vice chancellors awarded six-figure pay rises despite salary pressure
The increases pushed the highest-paid university boss for 2024, Duncan Maskell from Melbourne University, past the $1.5 million mark.
Unis should focus on the education of Australians, says Jason Clare
The minister says Labor’s policies on cutting student debt helped return the party to office. He wants to use its second term to deal with “unfinished business”.
Unis to increase fees as international student numbers fall: S&P
Top-tier universities will be hit hardest by falling enrolments but can most easily increase fees for courses seen as “luxury goods”, the ratings agency says
Tech champion but with a dark side: Axed Husic speaks
Dumped Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic has said he will continue to advocate for Australia’s technology sector from the back benches, ahead of other cabinet changes.
April
The Trump slump and Dutton’s ‘ham-fisted’ backflip
This week, Phillip Coorey, Lidija Ivanovski and Paul Karp on how Trump’s tariff plan has upended the campaign and why betting markets are finally catching up.
Dutton pledges to lift game, Taylor to fast-track investment
The opposition leader has promised colleagues his campaign will improve after a slow start marked by a series of missteps and slippage in the polls.
March
Tony Burke labelled ‘racist’ in Western Sydney smear campaign
Burke’s record as immigration minister has led to him being targeted by unidentified pro-Gaza activists as the battle for Watson descends into dirty tricks.
Friendly fire hits Australian universities
Local universities are caught up in Donald Trump’s culture wars. But the threat is partly home-grown and self-inflicted.
After months of resistance, Qld signs on to $2.8b schools package
Australia’s schools will benefit from a $30 billion boost to funding over the next decade after Queensland was the final state to sign up to a national plan.
Unis can walk away from Trump’s demands on research: Varghese
Australia’s former chief diplomat says Donald Trump has the right to impose conditions on research funding, but equally universities must decide what is acceptable.
Unis urge EU pivot after Trump edict
Pressure is building on the federal government to respond to a Trump administration questionnaire that has been sent to Australian researchers.
Universities accuse Trump administration of foreign influence
Australian researchers who receive US federal government funding have been asked to confirm they comply with the president’s anti-DEI, America-first agenda.
This school may have the answer to improving kids’ maths
Teachers can now sign up for a new program from La Trobe University to teach them how to teach the subject – and not before time.
Albanese gets NSW over the line on school funding deal
It’s been over a year of negotiations but the federal government now has all states and territories signed on for a new school funding deal – except one.
February
Research funding body suspends grant to pro-Palestinian academic
Controversial academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has said Zionists “have no claim or right to cultural safety”, has had her $870,000 research grant suspended.
Vice chancellors back Coalition plan to put domestic students first
Education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson says a Coalition government would impose tougher caps on international students, have zero tolerance for antisemitism.
People are not stupid or bogans ... it’s us, Shorten tells unis
Bill Shorten and Catherine Livingstone have come to similar conclusions as to why universities are out of favour with the community.
Australia should punt on bold, unproven ideas: Shergold
The Australian Research Council chairman says this country needs to get behind young researchers whose work takes greater risks but offers larger rewards.
Clare to return as Labor’s campaign voice
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Education Minister Jason Clare have been tapped to sell Labor’s message when Anthony Albanese is unavailable or unwilling to front the media.