Business opposes bill for free TAFE
After previously welcoming government funding for free TAFE places, the BCA now says it is opposed to legislating it and it should instead be part of the ‘normal budget and policy setting process’.
Higher Education
More uni mergers on cards as our educational institutions struggle
Financial pressures on universities, exacerbated by the unsuccessful bid to limit international student numbers, could prompt more merger discussions, KordaMentha says.
Catholic Uni faces probe after a year of scandal
The Australian Catholic University is facing a compliance probe from the nation’s higher education regulator over ‘management and governance issues’ that, if proven, could result in sanctions or jeopardise its registration.
De facto student cap would be ‘illegal’
A former Immigration Department deputy executive made the claim as the government vowed to manage numbers ‘in a fairer way’ after the Coalition blocked its controversial student caps legislation.
ACU ‘committed to Catholic identity, but challenged by it’: Priest
An new advisor of Catholic Identity and Mission at the university disagreed that the university was ‘ambivalent about its Catholic identity’ following a series of public controversies.
Commentary
Why are Australians shunning studying languages?
Community pressure is keeping geographically irrelevant languagues on life-support.
Message to unis on R&D review: just what is in it for taxpayers?
At the core of university culture is a 1000-year tradition of pursuing knowledge for its own sake and if the community benefits – well that’s a bit of luck.
We can’t afford to kick the can down the road
We can’t have a strong economy without the ideas, products and solutions generated by our brilliant university researchers.
Wise counsel drives UniSA research vision
An indigenous leader gave a university leader this sage advice: Act together, act now and we are unstoppable.
Wicked problems inspire action at Flinders
Flinders University is collaborating with the community to identify the critical research problems which need to be tackled.
Stop micromanaging and using universities as a political football
Government micro-management means it is little surprise that many universities have already announced significant cuts and jobs losses, writes Charles Sturt University provost Graham Brown.
Latest
Controversial student visa direction scrapped
Education Minister Jason Clare has axed a ministerial direction that prioritises student visa applications from ‘low risk’ institutions.
Wage theft scandal: top uni told to repay $23m
The elite University of Sydney has apologised for nine years of wage theft from almost 15,000 staff, as the Fair Work Ombudsman ordered it to repay $23m.
Feted writer killed in car accident
Brenda Walker came from a family of storytellers, including her brother, Don Walker, who wrote classics for Cold Chisel, and her mother, Shirley Walker, who wrote novels.
Voting open in Shaping Australia Awards
The Shaping Australia Awards recognise academics for transforming Australian lives for the better.
New vice-chancellor for University of Wollongong
A scientist born in rural China who became one of Australia’s most eminent chemical scientists has been appointed the next vice-chancellor of the University of Wollongong.
FWO warns of wage theft penalties for universities
Ombudsman Anna Booth revealed systemic problems with wage theft in almost all universities, calling on them to ‘lift their game’ in complying with workplace laws.
‘Australia’s worst wage thief’: Top university underpaid staff by $72m
The University of Melbourne has apologised to 25,000 staff for underpayments spanning a decade, and been hit with a $600,000 fine.
Minister set to revamp foreign student rules
The Albanese government is preparing to replace a controversial ministerial direction, as providers warn the ‘confused and mismanaged’ policy approach is damaging the sector.
New Student Ombudsman flags slugging unis to cover costs
Flagging the possibility of a levy on universities to fund the ombudsman service, Sarah Bendall warns her 65-strong staff would have the powers of a royal commission to compel universities to answer questions.
Private colleges threaten to sue over caps
The Albanese government’s ‘dunderheaded’ approach to slashing international student numbers had cost jobs and harmed businesses, says Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia chief executive Troy Williams.
Ombudsman’s focus on campus sex assault and racism
With the power to probe assault and rape allegations without involving police, Australia’s first National Student Ombudsman has outlined her immediate priorities.
XR design gets real on the Sunshine Coast
The University of the Sunshine Coast and extended reality company HavenXR are fast-tracking local students in the new technology that merges both the physical and virtual worlds.
ACT chief minister demands answers as uni VC quits
The ACT’s Chief Minister is seeking a briefing from the University of Canberra Council after interim vice-chancellor Stephen Parker quit, citing a ‘lack of confidence’ in them.
Architect of HECS slams Greens’ idea
Making university and TAFE free for all and wiping student debt bills, as the Greens have pitched, is as ‘inequitable’ and ‘regressive as policy can get’, the architect of the HECS student loan system has said.
Energy drink companies using unis to get students ‘hooked’
Red Bull and V Energy are running sophisticated marketing campaigns at universities across Australia and student unions are the gateway to campus.
‘My position is still tenable’: University of Sydney VC Scott
Mark Scott rejected assertions he did not appreciate the full scale of anti-Semitism on his campus and that the University of Sydney was an ‘incubator’ of anti-Jewish sentiment.
Cost of living tops teen worries
Climate change has been overtaken by the cost of living as the top concern for Australian’s young people, the nation’s biggest youth survey reveals.
Anti-Semitism on campus ‘requires structural change’
Chancellor David Thodey said the university accepted the 15 recommendations ‘in principle’ and would now work to create a ‘blueprint for consultation and delivery’.
Monash goes ‘top of the pops’ in uni research fields
Monash University is the stand-out achiever in the latest look at national research performance in The Australian’s 2025 Research magazine.
‘Fast-moving’ unis rapidly grow research
Fifteen universities – both large and small – are ‘fast movers’, listed in the 2025 Research magazine for rapidly growing their research influence.
‘I’m interested in the wellbeing of disadvantaged people’
Lisa Cameron from the University of Melbourne is Australia’s top researcher in development economics.
‘I enjoy looking behind the scenes’
Marcus Mietzner from the Australian National University is Australia’s top researcher in Asian studies and history.
’Few people thought grief was a worthy topic’
Lauren Breen from Curtin University is Australia’s top researcher in hospice and palliative care.
‘I was hooked on doing research involving AI’
Aaron Nicolson from the CSIRO is Australia’s top researcher in acoustics and sound.
‘A mini ecosystem in your computer’
Juergen Knauer from Western Sydney University is Australia’s leading researcher in atmospheric sciences
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education