Media Archive

Australia’s universities have reaffirmed their long-term commitment to prevent sexual assault and harassment, and welcomed today’s contribution from the sector’s regulator to eradicate sexual violence.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson has welcomed the opportunity for the sector to join two high-level working groups which will advise on Australia’s research capability and enhanced engagement between higher education and industry.

Australia’s universities have welcomed plans to increase domestic student participation in higher education and the commitment to indexation of Government funding, as announced by Education Minister Dan Tehan.

Universities Australia has released an overarching framework designed to help universities with the complex task of resuming face-to-face learning on campuses around the country.

Universities Australia has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of a pilot program, beginning as early as next month, aimed at enabling international students to return to Australia.

Universities Australia has welcomed a new phase of the Australia–India Strategic Research Fund under the new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

What will the future look like for Australia after the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Australia’s universities could lose $16 billion in revenue between now and 2023 according to new modelling by Universities Australia.

Universities today are online communities, as well as physical and intellectual communities. And that raises pressing new safety challenges for all members of university communities, including about 1.4 million students and 260,000 university staff.

Universities conducting their teaching and other functions online during COVID-19 will be able to do so more safely from today with the Toolkit for Universities, a collaboration between eSafety and Universities Australia.

Universities Australia welcomes the announcement by the Victorian Government to invest $350 million in the State’s universities to support Victoria’s economic recovery and local jobs.

Universities Australia welcomes the announcement by the New South Wales Government to fund temporary crisis accommodation for international students facing hardship due to COVID-19.

Universities and the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) have identified a set of time limited variations to enterprise agreements to support the viability of universities responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

A new report to the Federal Government provides compelling evidence for strong and sustained support for Australia’s research workforce.

Universities Australia welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement of a three-step plan to re-open the Australian economy.

IVF. A cervical cancer vaccine. Shatter proof car wing mirrors. The bionic ear.

Universities Australia has called on Government to prioritise investment in university research vital to Australia’s economic and social development as new modelling projects up to 38 per cent of university research salaries could be at risk.

The National Cabinet meeting today (1 May 2020) is an important opportunity for all levels of government to recognise the significant contribution international students make to Australia’s world-class education sector and wider economy.

Universities Australia welcomes the announcement by the Victorian Government to establish a $45 million support package for international students facing hardship due to COVID-19.

Before most shops closed their doors, I made a dash with my 12-year-old daughter to buy new jeans.
I thought we’d just fly into the jeans shop, grab two pairs, and be out, but we arrived to be confronted by a blithering array of styles, colours and sizes.

Universities Australia welcomes announcements by Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia that they will support hardship funds designed to help international students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Universities Australia (UA) has welcomed the South Australian Government’s $13.8 million plan to assist the State’s international students facing hardship.

Universities Australia (UA) has welcomed the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government’s jobs plan that will give priority to those in most need and are ineligible for existing Federal Government support.

Universities Australia has welcomed the Government’s commitment to guarantee Commonwealth Grant Scheme (CGS) and HELP funding payments for 2020 as an important first step in ensuring the viability of the nation’s universities. 

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said the sector was working with state governments, schools and its own Tertiary Admissions Centres (TACs) to ensure Year 12s have a clear path to university in 2021.

Six months. That is the minimum length of time our Prime Minister has told us to expect the coronavirus restrictions to last.

Australia’s 39 universities have warned their ability to contribute to national recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic will be weakened without Government support.

Universities Australia has appointed Peter Lloyd as the new Director, Strategic Communications.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said:

Universities Australia has welcomed the Government’s decision to relieve the administrative burden on universities during the COVID-19 crisis by suspending activity on two initiatives.

Universities Australia has welcomed the Government’s decision to include more than 230,000 students who will receive increased welfare payments as part of the $66 billion coronavirus stimulus package.

Universities continue to move operations online and introduce flexible tuition options as part of the enormous national effort to slow community transmission of COVID-19, as well as protecting those most vulnerable to the pandemic.

Statement by Universities Australia CEO Catriona Jackson

Statement from Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:

Australian students continue to give their universities the thumbs up, with 78 per cent reporting they are satisfied with the quality of their overall study experience.

Universities are well prepared for the further extension of travel restrictions on visitors from China for a further week until Saturday 7 March, according to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson.

Research that could bring to life an idea from the movie Big Hero 6 – a friendly healthcare robot who can inspire trust from humans – has won a major comms prize for early-career researchers.

National Press Club Address – Professor Deborah Terry AO

Further strong gains have been made in Indigenous students going to university, with enrolments up 3.6 percent in 2018 – compared to 0.4 percent for non-Indigenous students.

Clever collaborations between Australia’s universities and businesses return almost $4.50 on average to companies for each dollar they invest.

After a hellish summer of bushfires, floods, drought and coronavirus, the big challenges facing humanity are “at an alarming juncture” – and evidence and expertise will be crucial to solve them.

Australia’s university leaders have expressed deep compassion and concern for our students in China who have not yet been able to travel to start their studies here this year.

Three lecturers who made a gritty ‘film noir’ style crime drama to re-engage students in their psychology course have been named the Australian University Teachers of the Year.

Australia’s universities will continue to do all they can to support our international students after an extension of restrictions on travellers from China for another week until 29 February.

High school completion rates for young Indigenous people in our major cities have jumped by 21 per cent over this decade – but rates have gone backwards in regional areas.

Australia’s universities will continue to support our students in China and ramp up flexible study options following the extension of travel restrictions for another week.

Universities Australia and Education Minister Dan Tehan met last night to discuss the next steps in their joint approach to minimise disruption arising from travel restrictions imposed on visitors from China.

The Universities Australia Board met with Education Minister Dan Tehan on Monday afternoon to identify further measures to minimise disruption caused by new travel restrictions imposed on 1 February.

Following today’s announcement, Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said the nation’s universities would seek to extend the offers of flexibility they had made to international students in recent days, including online study and deferred start date options.

Australian employers continue to be strongly satisfied with the skills of university graduates and their ability to hit the ground running in the workplace, the latest official data finds.

Universities Australia today announces the departure of Director of Strategic Communications Misha Schubert in February 2020 after an outstanding four and a half years in the role.

Maintaining investment in university education and research is vital if Australia is to counter global economic headwinds and their impact on jobs and prosperity.

As every home makeover television show confirms, clever renovations are those that keep the best of what is old while modernising from the new.

Universities Australia is pleased to see Education Minister Dan Tehan endorse the review of Provider Category Standards by Emeritus Professor Peter Coaldrake AO.

Changes to the nation’s qualifications framework will help to strengthen existing pathways between TAFE and universities – and make the post-school system easier to understand.

Universities Australia backs legislation introduced today to outlaw contract cheating in Australia.

A senior delegation of Australian university leaders has joined Education Minister Dan Tehan on an official visit to India this week to reinforce strong bilateral higher education and research links.

An equal partnership between the university sector and Government security agencies has delivered a new set of guidelines to enhance existing safeguards against foreign interference.

Seeking deeper insights into the Australian housing market, developing cardiac patches, and assessing uses of AI in advanced manufacturing are among projects funded in this year’s Australia-Germany grants.

Universities today welcomed the launch of a scheme to boost Australia’s economy by attracting up to 5000 highly skilled knowledge workers each year.

Sustained Indigenous recruitment strategies across Australian universities secured a 2.8 per cent lift in Indigenous student offers in 2019, while overall student offers fell by 1.5 per cent nationwide.

A review of the nation’s qualifications framework wants to make the system easier to understand and continue to enhance student transitions between TAFE and university.

Legislation passed the Senate today to set up a new fund to finance responses to natural disasters and emergencies, with funds taken from the $3.95 billion Education Investment Fund (EIF).

Universities Australia has welcomed recommendations to reaffirm research as a defining feature of universities and simplify the higher education provider categories from six to four.

Nine in ten university graduates have a full-time job within three years of graduation, the latest official data confirms.

Education Minister Dan Tehan today released further details on performance funding for universities including the proposed weighting of performance measures.

Universities have urged Australian businesses to take a fresh look at how university research can help drive productivity to stimulate economic, jobs and wages growth.

Australians are more educated than ever before and continue to enjoy strong employment outcomes following graduation, new global figures on tertiary education confirm.

Sending the story of cracking the cane toad genome global, a pitch to entice more STEM PhD students into industry and an inspired billion-dollar fundraising effort are among campaigns recognised in the sector’s highest awards for university storytellers.

Australia’s universities want to work collaboratively with Government to enhance the existing safeguards against foreign interference in our civil society.

Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson’s speech to the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit 27 August 2019

Universities Australia commends Education Minister Dan Tehan’s acknowledgement of the need for higher education opportunities for the next generation, and the crucial role of universities in productivity and job creation.

Australian universities have commissioned and funded the next student survey of sexual assault and sexual harassment as part of their ongoing commitment to prevent unacceptable behaviour.

Australian universities today welcomed a new scheme to identify and recruit 5000 highly skilled migrants, including international academics and researchers.

Most of the students who enter university with a lower ATAR are not giving up big opportunities in vocational education, a new report by the Grattan Institute concludes.

Australia’s university leaders will carefully examine proposals to tie growth funds for student places to a new set of metrics — and will provide feedback to Government as it finalises its plan.

Australia’s universities are giving careful attention to the Government’s Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme to ensure they comply with the law.

A game-changing program that helps Australian children to catch up on years of lost literacy, music therapy to help dementia sufferers and a world-first new test to diagnose chronic pain levels.

Australian universities strongly support new legislation to outlaw “contract cheating” services.

The Universities Australia Board has appointed its Deputy Chairs for the next two years.

The peak body for Australia’s universities is pleased to reaffirm the university sector’s enduring commitment to freedom of expression and academic freedom.

Freedom of expression and academic freedom go to the heart of what our universities do. They are fundamental to how we operate.

An historic shift towards jobs that require higher skills is unlikely to diminish as the economy changes, a new report confirms.

International students in Australia spent $35 billion last year on tourism, food, travel and housing – supporting more than 240,000 local jobs and countless small and family businesses across the nation.

Four in five of the new jobs in the next decade will be for ‘knowledge workers’ – and tertiary education is crucial to equip Australians for this changing job market, new Deloitte research predicts.

The Productivity Commission has warned today of a “troubling” slowdown of Australia’s investment in research and development and a stalling in the share of businesses that are innovating.

Universities congratulate Tanya Plibersek on her reappointment as Shadow Minister for Education and Training, and Brendan O’Connor being appointed Shadow Minister for Science & Industry.

Universities congratulate Dan Tehan on his reappointment as Education Minister and Karen Andrews on her reappointment as Minister for Industry, Science and Technology.

Universities Australia has welcomed two new directors and re-elected five continuing directors to its board, as the new Chair for the university sector’s peak body formally begins her term today.

Australia’s universities congratulate Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the weekend’s election result and look forward to working with his Government and all members of Parliament once again.

Hundreds of thousands more Australians of talent and ability have had the life-changing opportunity of a university education, due to the legacy of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

Universities Australia has welcomed Labor’s election commitment of a research and development premium tax concession for businesses collaborating with universities and other publicly-funded research institutions.

An overwhelming majority of international students in Australia – almost nine in ten – are satisfied with the quality of their university education and lifestyle – matching or outranking competing nations.

The peak bodies for Australia’s universities and the nation’s Indigenous academy have deepened their partnership with the signing of a formal memorandum of understanding this week.

Four in five students at Australia’s universities are satisfied with the quality of their overall study experience – a strong result consistent with previous annual surveys.

The review into freedom of speech in Australian universities has found no evidence of a free speech crisis on Australian campuses.

Anyone who helps students cheat in their university exams or by writing essays for them will face new criminal penalties, helping universities in the fight against cheating.

The Federal Opposition has recommitted a future Labor government to restoring uncapped university student places — unlocking educational opportunity for thousands more Australians.

The last remaining fund for education and research infrastructure is again under threat, with the announcement in yesterday’s Budget that it will be repurposed to create a new Emergency Response Fund.

Tonight’s Budget has missed an important opportunity to reverse economy-damaging cuts to university funding and secure economic growth — despite a $7.1 billion surplus.

A new Government report shows once again university research is making a major contribution to the economy, society, environment and culture, delivering solid benefits for all Australians.

Obscured by the latest twists and turns with Brexit last week, another development in the United Kingdom almost slipped under the radar – the launch of a new UK international education strategy.

More than 90 per cent of Australian university research assessed by the Government is rated as world class or higher — putting Australia at the forefront of the global research effort.

New incentives for university students and graduates to study and work in regional Australia are another drawcard for international students to study in Australia.

Four in five Australians say international students are important to Australia’s economy, new polling confirms.

Almost half a million students at Australia’s universities are getting real-world experience to help kick-start their careers through a work placement, internship or fieldwork as part of their degree

Two in three Australians oppose funding cuts to university research, a major new survey of public opinion has found.

University researchers and experts are the most trusted group in society to ensure facts and evidence are part of important public debates, new polling confirms.

Speech to the National Press Club of Australia
Professor Margaret Gardner AO, Chair, Universities Australia
12.30pm Wednesday 27 February 2019

Clever research to spare people the dentist’s drill by extending the lifespan of tooth fillings has won a University of Queensland researcher the top prize in a major research communications competition.

Australia’s outstanding university teachers have been recognised with the nation’s most prestigious teaching honours in a ceremony at Universities Australia’s annual higher education conference.

Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AO has been elected the next Chair of Universities Australia.

Labor’s pledge to create tax-free bursaries of $10,000 a year – worth $40,000 over a four-year teaching degree – would be a carrot to help support talented future teachers in the making.

The independent review into the Defence Trade Controls Act by Dr Vivienne Thom is a victory for common sense.

When I was studying at university, the conversation about rape and sexual harassment was very ­different to the one happening now around the world — not just on campuses, but right across ­societies.

Keynote speech delivered by Chief Executive Catriona Jackson to the Respect. Prevent. Respond. Conference at Deakin University on 6 February 2019.

Universities will partner with the nation’s leading agency dedicated to preventing violence against women to develop a next-generation respectful relationships education program drawing on cutting-edge expert research.

The sector regulator has acknowledged the significant and comprehensive work by Australian universities to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Employer satisfaction with university graduates has hit its highest level ever, while graduates enjoy their best job prospects in four years.

On Monday, the mid-year Budget update unveiled research funding cuts of A$328.5 million over the next four years. This Budget raid on research was more than double the size expected by the university research community.

On Monday, universities are bracing for the details of another funding cut – this time to life-changing research.

Cuts of $328.5 million to research funding have been unveiled in the Government’s mid-year Budget update — a move that will damage Australia.

Government investment in research and development in Australia is projected to plunge next year to its lowest level as a share of our economy in four decades – setting loud alarm bells ringing.

Australian business has strongly backed Australian immigration policies that enable international students to study here – injecting $32 billion a year into Australia’s economy.

Australian universities are strongly represented in the first group of research institutions recognised for making major strides on gender equality through a new national initiative.

Labor has announced a taskforce following a concerted program of action by universities to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment in student communities.

The Coalition’s announcement of a refocused national science and research advisory council has been welcomed by the university sector.

Labor’s recommitment to lift spending on research and development to 3 per cent of the nation’s economy by the end of the next decade has been welcomed by Australia’s universities.

Universities are pleased a Parliamentary inquiry has adopted key recommendations to help Australia’s researchers spend more of their time on life-changing research instead of paperwork.

Universities Australia congratulates the university researchers who were successful in the latest round of funding from Australian Research Council.

A further $10 billion improvement in the Budget bottom line this year — revealed in Deloitte’s Budget monitor today — shows Parliament there’s no need to slap a new tax on universities.

Universities urge the Senate to reject legislation imposing a new tax on universities — which would pay the salaries of bureaucrats in Canberra.

Universities are pleased to see the Government’s response to the India economic strategy, which highlights the central role universities play in deepening ties between both nations.

A new guide on how senior leaders can develop the careers of their direct reports will assist to make even greater strides towards gender equality in senior leadership roles in universities.

A culture of lively debate and the vigorous contest of ideas is strongly in evidence on Australian university campuses.

The $134.8 million announced today for five regional universities hurt by the university funding freeze will be sourced from a raid on the nation’s research budget, it has emerged.

Australian and German university researchers will develop tailor-made 3D bone implants and low-cost ways to detect dental disease, thanks to new grants worth nearly $2.7 million awarded today.

Australian university leaders reaffirm their commitment to the enduring principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression on campuses and amongst their students and staff.

New guidelines launched today will help recruit and support the next generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates as they pursue research degrees and research careers.

Today’s pledge by the Australian Government to practice greater transparency in research funding grants scuttled by Ministerial veto is a step forward.

Almost nine in ten graduates from Australian universities are in fulltime work three years after graduating, the latest Government figures show.

The leaders of Australia’s 39 universities condemn the decision of former Education Minister Simon Birmingham to veto 11 research projects recommended for funding by the Australian Research Council.

More university students are staying on to complete their degrees, even as more Australians than ever before pursue a university education.

Official data released today shows the number of people applying for a place at university fell slightly in 2018 as the job market picked up.

Universities Australia is concerned by revelations that 11 highly-recommended applications for Australian Research Council (ARC) funding were vetoed by the former Education Minister.

Australia’s best university storytellers found a NASA angle to seed global headlines on a research breakthrough that fast-tracks crop breeding, recruited prospective students with ‘empathy not ego’, and changed the face of philanthropy in Western Australia in 2018.

Contrary to assertions, Australian universities do not determine culpability in sexual assault cases.

Australian and Japanese researchers are working together to develop aged-care robots to meet a looming explosion in demand, and to stop the world’s fish stocks being decimated by climate change.

Awards to recognise outstanding teaching in Australia’s universities in 2018 will be conferred at the UA Conference next year. Nominations open on 5 November.

Universities Australia today welcomed the appointment of Emeritus Professor Peter Coaldrake AO to lead a review into Australia’s higher education provider category standards.

Nearly 90 per cent of international students are satisfied with their study experience at an Australian university, according to new Government data revealed today.

Global university rankings agency Times Higher Education (THE) has sounded loud alarm bells, warning funding cuts of $2.1 billion to Australia’s universities are “cause for concern.”

I want to talk to you about education and research and how they bring China and Australia closer together. This is illustrated by a very productive friendship between a young man from Hangzhou, Jian Zhou, and Ian Frazer — an Australian professor who is originally from Glasgow.

Universities have welcomed a $300 million pledge from Labor for much-needed teaching and research infrastructure at universities.

Universities will seek more detail on legislation introduced in Parliament this week to tax higher education providers whose students access HELP loans.

Universities and researchers would not be classified as ‘political campaigners’ when they engage in public policy debates, under sensible changes to proposed laws on electoral disclosure.

Keynote address to the Australia China Business Council – Bond University
Catriona Jackson, Chief Executive, Universities Australia

Younger university graduates continue to earn a significant wage premium, despite a slight decline in that advantage over the past decade with the global financial crisis and end of the mining boom.

Universities stand ready to work with aged care providers to expand university student placements and deliver the skilled workforce needed to support Australia’s rapidly aging population.

The number of Australian businesses who intend to boost their links – or forge new ones – with universities has grown in the past two years, a report by the Australian Industry Group has found.

Universities will work with specialists and experts on a new national university mental health framework, assisted by federal Government funding announced today.

Universities Australia welcomes today’s pledge by the Labor Opposition to invest $174 million in mentoring and support for university study in communities with low degree attainment rates.

Brexit risks and a major boost to UK R&D spending are powerful reminders that Australia’s world-class universities need the backing of stable policy and sustained investment.

Universities remain concerned about a range of proposals put forward by the Business Council of Australia today in its paper on post-secondary education.

The higher education sector looks forward to working with the Ministerial line-up announced yesterday and congratulates the new Ministers for Education, Science and Research.

Efficiency isn’t about getting something for a bargain basement price. It’s about getting the best value for money.

Universities have urged new Prime Minister Scott Morrison to overturn the effective cap on student places imposed last December and reverse the Government’s $2.1 billion university funding cuts.

Australia’s reputation for education quality is key to our success at attracting international students, the higher education regulator has confirmed.

The huge contribution made by Australia’s universities to our nation’s communities, economy and tax base has been affirmed in a new economic impact report for the Group of Eight universities.

One in seven university students regularly go without food and other necessities because they cannot afford them, the latest national financial survey of Australian university students has found.

In 2010, then British Prime Minister David Cameron uttered a few fateful words that would become an own goal for the British economy. He announced a policy to cap ‘net’ migration to Britain – but lumped international students on temporary visas in with permanent migrants. It began a series of policy mis-steps and careless utterances by senior political figures that included cutting work rights for international students, Brexit and the rise of anti-global sentiment.

Address to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia’s annual higher education review.
Catriona Jackson, Chief Executive, Universities Australia

If you slipped and broke your leg, what doctor would recommend you break the other one — and fuse the two together? Such bizarre diagnosis and treatment would make the whole thing worse.

Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has affirmed the central role that universities and international education play in driving prosperity and security for both Australia and the region.

The deep personal connections that international students forge with Australia and the great experiences they’ve had studying here are the focus of a new video series to be launched today.

A year ago, I sat down and read the Change the Course report on sexual assault and sexual harassment. The report gave us important data from a national survey of students — commissioned by universities — about the rate of these behaviours in student communities.

International students injected $31.9 billion into Australia’s economy last financial year, directly boosting Australian jobs and wages – including in regional Australia.

Australian universities are adapting continuously to prepare Australians for the onslaught of rapid and sweeping changes in the future of work – as a new report out today highlights.

A new report by consultancy firm KPMG attempts to ‘fix’ Australia’s vocational education system – but its policy proposals would instead damage our nation’s world-class university system.

Another 800 major actions and initiatives have been instigated by Australian universities over the past year to contribute to a society-wide push against sexual violence.

Sexual or romantic relationships between an academic supervisor and their student are never appropriate, new university sector principles confirm.

Professor Margaret Gardner AO
Chair, Universities Australia and President and Vice-Chancellor, Monash University

Australia is poised to leapfrog the United Kingdom and become the world’s second most popular destination for international students, further boosting Australian jobs and incomes.

A new set of guidelines will help Australian universities to strengthen their support for students who report sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Last August, the Australian Bureau of Statistics published statistics that should be sounding alarm bells in Australia’s boardrooms and corridors of power.

Government and business must re-invest in research and development or we risk future prosperity and falling further behind our international competitors.

Universities Australia welcomes the Education Minister Simon Birmingham’s goal to get more specialist science, maths and technology teachers into Australian classrooms.

Strong regional universities are essential to drive regional development – as a new report attests – adding another compelling reason to end the Government’s university funding freeze.

If there was anything you could do to get a job faster, I’m sure we would all want to know about it.

Universities Australia welcomes the passage today of new laws to give universities, schools and libraries similar copyright protections to companies like Telstra and Optus.

Australia’s growth in international education has set another new record, with more than 548,000 overseas students studying here in the latest official numbers from April.

Universities Australia urges the Parliament to support the Government’s amendments to the proposed Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme.

Universities serving communities in regional Australia and the outer suburbs of capital cities face cuts of up to 15 per cent of their core funding by 2021, new Government figures show.

A new code of conduct will help safeguard the quality and integrity of Australian research.

I want to tell you the story of two remarkable women.