Universities Australia, the peak body representing Australia's universities today calls for agreement by Australia's political figures on a national strategy for higher education.
"With uncertainty continuing over our governmental arrangements, one source of certainty for Australia's future would be a consensus commitment to a National Charter for Australian Universities," Universities Australia Chief Executive Dr Glenn Withers said today.
The right agreement would deliver major economic benefits, social opportunity and environmental advance across Australia. This is widely recognised by the Australian public. According to a 29 July 2010 Nielsen Poll for Universities Australia, 81% of respondents rate the economic contribution of universities as important or very important, with 82% saying the same for social benefit and 73% for environmental payoff.
KPMG Econtech modelling undertaken for Universities Australia in April 2010 shows that the large economic payoffs from university support are spread very evenly across all Australian states and territories. This includes the major role played by higher education in Australia's regional communities.
"If the political parties and independents could agree to the following Ten Point Knowledge Charter this would help underpin Australia's future," Dr Withers said.
The Charter would cover:
- moving steadily to a national regulator for higher education to avoid duplication and overlap, and underpin quality in registration and accreditation;
- enhancing per student funding for teaching and learning by 10% as recommended by the Bradley Review of Higher Education to help bring down class sizes;
- improving the quantum of support available for students through Youth Allowance and improving eligibility to redress regional and outer metropolitan anomalies;
- continuing steady provision of infrastructure funding for universities from the Education Investment Fund, and replenishing the Fund when surpluses are attained;
- indexing block grants according to professional salaries, and full funding for the indirect costs of university research;
- ensuring that the level of national competitive research grant funding enables success rates for applicants of 25% or better;
- ensuring that regional education is funded so as to allow for net additional costs of regional delivery;
- improving support levels and places for doctoral studies so as to help replenish the ageing Australian academic workforce;
- ensuring basic student services and amenities in health, sports, and employment and accommodation advice can be funded; and
- supporting improved visa administration so as to welcome quality international students who wish to study in Australia.
With such a Charter in place, higher education would be in a position to deliver a $13 billion increase to GDP by 2014 and $36 billion by 2020, according to the KPMG modelling.
"This is public investment that pays back many times over. It is investment in people, who are the knowledge infrastructure of the nation," Dr Withers said.
