The incoming vice-chancellor at The Australian Catholic University, Zlatko Skrbiš, hopes a program he introduced two years ago as deputy vice-chancellor of innovation will get him through the effects of the pandemic, because "what we had up until COVID won't be reconstituted".

Professor Skrbiš takes over from vice-chancellor Greg Craven in January and, as with University of Queensland's new vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Terry, the timing is tough.