Media Archive

Topics: HELP debts, cost-of-living pressures on students

Topics: AUKUS, role of universities in delivering skilled workers

Topics: AUKUS announcement, the role of Australia’s universities in delivering the highly educated people needed to deliver the plan, international students

International students are continuing to return at a healthy rate, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.

Topics: AUKUS announcement, the role of Australia’s universities in delivering the highly educated people needed to deliver the plan

Australia’s universities will play a major part in skilling the workforce needed to deliver the nation’s nuclear submarine plan in partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom.

Universities Australia strongly welcomes the Albanese Government’s focus on strengthening Australia and India’s economic and cultural ties, with education playing a leading role.

Universities welcome the introduction of legislation to establish the government’s Startup Year program, bringing much-needed financial support for university entrepreneurs a step closer.

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Wednesday 8 March 2023

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson will this week join Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on a visit to India to build on the strong economic partnership between the two countries.

Australia’s universities fully support the Albanese Government’s agreement with India to introduce new rules for mutually recognising university qualifications in both our countries.

Universities Australia has today renewed its formal partnership with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) to strengthen the strong education and research ties our countries have.

International education is powering Australia’s economy as the sector continues its steady post-Covid recovery, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.

Attributable to Universities Australia Chair Professor John Dewar AO: 

A teacher whose unique and personal approach to teaching has helped students excel at mathematics and an internationally renowned researcher with four decades’ experience in higher education have claimed the major accolades in the 2022 Australian Awards for University Teaching.

Universities Australia welcomes the release of the discussion paper to guide the development of the Australian Universities Accord.

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

National Convention Centre Canberra – Wednesday, 22 February 2022

Universities strongly support the Albanese Government’s decision to extend the post-study work rights of international students to help address critical skill shortages and drive economic growth.

Universities Australia welcomes the forthcoming referendum to establish a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution based on the principle of providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with a stronger say on legislation and policy that impact Indigenous communities and quality of life.

New data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Australia’s post-pandemic recovery in the international student market continues to gain momentum.

Universities welcome the government’s response to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s (PJCIS) report on foreign interference risks to Australia’s higher education and research sector.

Employment prospects for university graduates are stronger than ever according to the latest Graduate and International Graduate Outcomes Surveys released today.

Universities congratulate Senator Sarah Henderson on her appointment as Shadow Minister for Education.

Published in The Australian (8 February 2022)

Universities Australia welcomes the Prime Minister’s appointment of Mr Tony Cook PSM as the Secretary of the Department of Education, beginning in April.

Recording date: Tuesday, 31 January 2023

Recording date: Tuesday, 31 January 2023

Recording date: Monday, 30 January 2023
Topics – Return of Chinese students to Australia’s universities

Attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:

Universities fully support Australia’s endorsement of an international agreement that ensures educational qualifications granted in Australia are recognised globally.

Attributable to Universities Australia acting chief executive Peter Chesworth:

Recording date: Tuesday, 3 January 2023
Topics: COVID-19 testing requirements for Chinese travellers, international education recovery, migration

Attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:

Australia’s new free trade agreement with India will unlock deeper economic and social benefits, turbocharging our relationship and spurring the growth and development of both nations.

Monday 19 December 2022

Published in The Australian Financial Review (19 December, 2022)

Universities Australia has outlined ways to streamline Australia’s visa system to boost the migration of more students and workers who can help build Australia’s future.

The release of the national teacher workforce plan is a timely and much-needed boost for current and aspiring teachers heading into 2023, says Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson.

Universities Australia welcomes the opportunity to represent the sector on the Council for International Education to help shape the recovery, growth and success of such a critical part of Australia’s cultural and economic fabric.

Universities Australia has reinforced the critical importance of a modern, fit-for-purpose research system in a submission today to the independent review of the Australian Research Council Act.

Universities Australia welcomes the opportunity to work closely with government as well as sector and industry groups and representatives as part of the Universities Accord ministerial reference group.

Data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms that despite significant numbers of international students returning to Australia since borders opened, arrivals this October are more than 40 per cent lower than pre-COVID levels in 2019.

Universities Australia welcomes the appointment of Professor Peter Dawkins AO to the role of Interim Director of Jobs and Skills Australia.

Universities welcome changes to the Australian Research Council’s National Interest Test that return to a system of assessment on merit and peer review.

The new trade agreement with India will give Australian exporters greater access to one of the world’s largest economies, deliver significant economic benefits and strengthen education and research ties for the benefit of both nations, Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said. 

Free trade agreements with India and the United Kingdom are a step closer following the passage of implementing legislation through parliament this week.

Universities are ready and willing to partner with government through the Universities Accord process to help decide the future direction of higher education in Australia and set our nation up for success.

Published in The Australian (November 15, 2022)

Attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:

Universities Australia welcomes the release of the consultation paper for the review of the Australian Research Council Act.

Universities Australia welcomes moves by the Albanese Government to provide greater financial support to university students under legislation introduced to parliament today, including:

Universities Australia welcomes the launch of the government’s pilot program to support the development of microcredentials and those who wish to study them.

World-class university researchers from Australia and Germany will collaborate in areas including artificial intelligence, clean energy and health under projects funded this year by the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme.

Tuesday 8 November 2022

Tuesday 8 November 2022

Tuesday 8 November 2022

Catriona Jackson, Universities Australia chief executive

Universities Australia has outlined how universities can work with Defence to increase the flow of skilled workers desperately needed to boost capability and keep our nation safe and secure.

Universities Australia welcomes the release of the draft national teacher workforce action plan.

Universities Australia welcomes amendments to the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill that recognise the vital role universities play in producing the skilled workers Australia needs to grow and prosper.

Attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:

Keynote address, Australian Council of Deans of Science,
2022 Annual General Meeting and Conference

Universities Australia welcomes the allocation of the additional 20,000 university places to tackle skill shortages and give more people from under-represented backgrounds the chance to go to university.

Australia’s world-class universities continue to flourish on the global stage, propelling Oceania to the highest overall average score of all the regions in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, overtaking North America for the first time.

Universities Australia is calling on the Albanese Government to lift the cap on Indigenous students studying at universities everywhere, not just in regional areas.

Universities are producing the skilled workers the Australian economy needs, with new government data showing graduates are finding work faster and earning more than they were 12 months ago.

Universities will continue to be relied on heavily to educate the skilled workers Australia’s economy needs to grow and thrive, the National Skills Commission’s annual Skills Priority List has confirmed.

Universities Australia welcomes the Productivity Commission’s findings that the tertiary education system’s policy settings need a rethink to ensure Australia can adapt to growing and changing education and skills needs.

Universities Australia looks forward to engaging with the Government to help establish its Startup Year program and support the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs to drive economic growth.

Topics: Australia’s education relationship with India

Universities Australia welcomes the Government’s decision to update Australia’s science and research priorities.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson will join a delegation of industry leaders on a visit to India this week to strengthen and increase trade and investment links between our nations.

Universities Australia welcomes the Government’s announcement of an expert panel to look at teacher education.

Australia’s world-class universities are key to ensuring our nation meets its new climate targets, following the passage of the Government’s Climate Change Bill 2022 through the Senate.

The Government’s decision to increase post-study work rights for international students is a much-needed measure to address Australia’s critical skills shortage and grow our economy.

Recording date: Friday, 2 September 2022
Topics: Skills shortages, skilled migration, visa processing, international students

Recording date: Friday, 2 September 2022
Topics: Jobs and Skills Summit, skilled migration, additional TAFE places

Statement attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson:

Universities Australia welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement of additional, free TAFE places to ensure the workforce has the skilled people it needs.

Topics: Jobs and Skills Summit, international students, visa processing

Universities Australia has today called for an expansion of clinical placements available to students studying health-related degrees to maintain and grow Australia’s health workforce.

Universities Australia welcomes major announcements at today’s Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit from Education Minister Jason Clare that will bolster Australia’s research and innovation system.

Universities Australia welcomes the Victorian Government’s decision to provide free university and specialist training for thousands of nurses and midwives.

Topics: Skills shortages, visa processing, international students

University students have reported an overall increase in their satisfaction with the quality of their learning experience, according to the findings of the latest Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching surveys released today.  

Topics: Skills shortages, visa processing

Topics: Skills shortages, skilled migration, international students

Universities Australia welcomes the arrival of India’s Minister of Education, the Honourable Dharmendra Pradhan as he embarks on a four-day visit of Australia.

Universities Australia today outlined how universities can help address the country’s critical skills shortage.

Universities Australia welcomes the Government’s allocation of 20,000 additional university places to tackle skill shortages and give more people from under-represented backgrounds the chance to go to university.

Vancouver, BC – Mitacs and Universities Australia are proud to announce that they have signed a renewed agreement, allowing for expanded research collaborations and mobility opportunities between the two countries.

Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister that an onshore vaccine manufacturing hub will be created at Monash University is critical to advancing Australia’s response to future health outbreaks and strengthening our sovereign capability.

Universities Australia welcomes the development of a national action plan to deliver long-term solutions to address Australia’s teachers’ shortage.

Topic: National teacher shortage

Topics: National teachers’ shortage

As the country faces a teachers’ shortage, Universities Australia has prepared a range of practical solutions to attract and retain the best and brightest.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said:

“We applaud the action taken by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency to block access to 40 of the most visited academic cheating websites.

Australia’s universities are playing leading roles in responding to Indonesia’s foot-and-mouth outbreak – supporting our neighbours and helping stop the spread of the disease.

Universities Australia welcomes the Productivity Commission’s interim report released today that places universities at the centre of dealing with the nation’s productivity problem.

Universities Australia welcomes the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia to support a highly-skilled workforce and strong economy.

Universities Australia welcomes the Albanese Government’s commitment to addressing visa processing delays as a crucial step in meeting the needs of a productive economy.

Topics: Universities Australia Conference, skills shortages, international education reputation, visa processing, policy priorities

Universities Australia welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement today that a jobs and skills summit will be held this September.  

*CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY*

Thank you to the National Press Club for hosting Australia’s universities today.

Topics: Latest census data, skills shortages, sector priorities

“The New South Wales and Victorian Governments’ early education commitment today is an important step towards giving kids the best start possible and supporting working families,” Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said.

Universities Australia today called for ordinary Australians to have their say and vote for their choice in the People’s Choice Pitch it clever awards.

Universities Australia, in partnership with the National Press Club of Australia, has today called for entries for the Higher Education Media Awards.

Universities Australia congratulates Jason Clare on his appointment as Minister for Education, chief executive Catriona Jackson said.

Universities Australia congratulates the Hon Peter Dutton on his election as Liberal leader, and the Hon David Littleproud as Nationals leader chief executive Catriona Jackson said.

Universities Australia congratulates Professor Glyn Davis AC on his appointment as Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, chief executive Catriona Jackson said.

Universities Australia congratulates Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party on last night’s result.

Topics: HELP Loan, importance of university education

Universities Australia’s annual Pitch it clever competition is now open for early-career researchers to share their brightest ideas with the nation.

Data released today confirms the critical role universities play in ensuring Australia continues to benefit from our world class research system.

By Universities Australia Chair Professor John Dewar

Topics: universities’ contribution to national productivity; meeting the demand for university places in the future

Topics: universities’ contribution to national productivity; meeting the demand for university places in the future

Australia’s economy could be $24 billion bigger over 10 years if investment in higher education research and development was lifted by just one per cent, according to Universities Australia’s submission to the Productivity Commission.

“UA congratulates Ms Judi Zielke PSM on her appointment today as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council,” said Universities Australia’s Chief Executive Catriona Jackson.

“We welcome the release today of the National Research Infrastructure Roadmap, which acknowledges the centrality of research to Australia’s future prosperity,” Universities Australia’s Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said.

Universities Australia welcomes the signing of a historic trade deal between India and Australia as a significant step forward in fostering stronger relations with one of our nation’s largest export markets as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Universities Australia have united with the University Chancellors Council today to release the UA policy platform, setting out a path for the university sector to play its fullest role in helping solve the nation’s biggest challenges and secure Australia’s future.

The Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Bill which passed in Parliament today will boost the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure.

Universities Australia notes the recommendations released today by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) in response to the threat of foreign interference in Australia’s universities.

Attributable to Universities Australia’s Chair Professor John Dewar AO.

Universities Australia has welcomed the establishment of a special taskforce on qualifications recognition between Australia and India as further proof of the strength of the bilateral education relationship between the two countries.

Opening statement by Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson to the PJCIS Review of the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Bill 2022.

Universities Australia’s Plenary – representing the nation’s 39 comprehensive universities – agreed on the following statement to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on the Australian Research Council Amendment (Ensuring Research Independence) Bill 2018.

Universities Australia is proud to launch its second whole-of-sector strategy to strengthen the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia’s universities.

Topics covered: Research funding priorities, safe return to campus, freedom of speech and academic freedom, gender equity, student safety, and the upcoming federal election
Date recorded: 22 February 2022

Today’s release of the Next Steps: Report of the Quality Initial Teacher Education review recognises the vital role the university sector plays in equipping teachers with the high-quality skills they will need to ensure students receive the tools to meet the challenges of the future.

Universities Australia is proud to celebrate the work of some of the nation’s best university educators in the 2021 Australian Awards for University Teaching.

Universities will be better equipped to intervene early to help prevent the devastating impact of suicide in their communities thanks to a framework released today by Universities Australia and Suicide Prevention Australia.

Universities Australia warmly welcomes the safe return of students from home and abroad onto campuses across the country as we prepare for the beginning of semester one.

The Government has today recognised the central role that universities and university research plays in Australia’s prosperity and recovery, with the Prime Minister’s announcement of an extra $1.6 billion to advance research commercialisation.

Australian employers have recorded their highest ever levels of satisfaction with the skills of university graduates and their ability to make an immediate impact in the workplace, latest official data finds.

Universities Australia welcomes the Government’s announcement of visa fee rebates for international students arriving into Australia from today for the next eight weeks.

Universities Australia notes the measures reaffirmed in today’s release of the 2021-22 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook that relate to the higher education sector.

Read our statement here.

International students will touch down in Australia from today, marking a significant milestone for those returning and their universities.

Universities Australia has welcomed recommendations aimed at building on partnerships between industry and the higher education sector, following today’s release of the University-Industry Collaboration in Teaching and Learning Review.

Universities Australia welcomes the focus on skills and participation in today’s ALP tertiary education policy announcement.

Universities Australia has acknowledged the release of the Federal Government’s 10-year whole-of-sector international education strategy as a step towards recovery.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson today welcomed the Federal Government’s Trailblazer Universities Initiative which will invest $242.7 million in collaborative research.

Universities Australia has welcomed today’s Federal Government announcement that international students and other eligible visa holders will be able to return to Australia from 1 December without applying for a travel exemption.

Universities Australia welcomes the first Singaporean passengers, including international students, who arrived in Australia earlier today as part of a two-way travel bubble between the two countries.

Universities Australia today welcomed the publication of revised guidelines designed to secure universities from foreign interference and maintain the openness that is essential to a robust university and research system.

International collaboration on digital health solutions, combatting superbug infections, and sustainable recycling are among projects funded this year by the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme – an initiative of Universities Australia and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

University graduates continue to thrive in a challenging job market, according to a new analysis released today by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE).

Universities Australia welcomes the appointment of Jenny Clark as the peak body’s new Executive Director, Strategic Communications.

An electric Kombi conversion, a university giving day and COVID-19 communications are among the work recognised today as part of the Universities Australia Marketing, Communications and Development (UAMCD) Awards.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson today welcomed the pilot plan for the safe return of international students to Queensland.

Prompting thoughtful and timely conversations and connecting university staff and students with the mental health support they need is at the centre of a new initiative launched today by Universities Australia in partnership with headspace.

After an extensive search Universities Australia has appointed senior public servant Peter Chesworth as its new Deputy Chief Executive. He will succeed Anne-Marie Lansdown, who retires in November.

Short-term graduate employment rates have stabilised, and median salaries are on the rise despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest national report on graduate outcomes.

Universities Australia today welcomed the news that overseas vaccines from China and India would be recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and news from the Prime Minister that international borders may open in November.

Universities Australia today released new guidance to improve the portability of microcredentials, paving the way for Australians to flexibly learn new skills over the course of their lives and careers.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson today welcomed the announcement that New South Wales will begin to safely return offshore international students to Australian universities this December.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, the graduate employment market remains strong with 88.9 per cent of graduates in full-time work three years after completing their studies.

The 2021 National Student Safety Survey deploys today across Australian universities as a crucial step in preventing sexual violence and supporting those who have experienced it in their communities.

Universities Australia has urged the Government to move swiftly to implement its proposed reforms to the ‘Copyright Act 1968’, announced a year ago today by Communications Minister Paul Fletcher.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson welcomed the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s ‘Inquiry into Australia’s Skilled Migration Program’ which was handed down on Monday.

International students studying at Australian universities rate their experience living in the country at record high levels, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month Josh Frydenberg released the  2021 Intergenerational report (IGR). A legacy of former Treasurer Peter Costello, the five-yearly IGR analyses “the long-term sustainability of current policies and how demographic, technological and other structural trends may affect the economy and the budget over the next 40 years.” In short, what Governments decide now matters well beyond the three-year federal electoral cycle. 

Universities Australia has condemned all forms of coercion, on campus, or in the classroom, or elsewhere in the community following the release by Human Rights Watch of a new report alleging coercion of students and staff.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said:

The next generation of batteries and bionic hearing are the two winners of a major research communications competition.

Thursday will see the first major meeting of the university sector and its leadership since COVID-19 closed Australia’s international borders and upended the lives of staff, students and their communities.

The first major gathering of the university sector and its leadership since COVID-19 closed Australia’s international borders and upended the lives of students and staff begins today.

Today’s Annual General Meeting of Universities Australia has confirmed the appointment of La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor John Dewar AO as the Chair of Universities Australia.

Federal Government Budget assumptions that Australia’s borders will remain shut until mid-2022 pose very serious challenges for the nation’s universities.

Australian universities have proposed a comprehensive package of initiatives designed to strengthen universities’ role in the nation’s economic success, ahead of next week’s Federal Budget.

La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor John Dewar AO has been elected the next Chair of Universities Australia.

More than 30 years ago, Keith Lurie, an American researcher in the field of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), heard a strange story. One of his patients had suffered an apparent heart attack while at home. The strange part was he was revived by his son using, of all things, a toilet plunger to compress his father’s chest.

Boosting support to make the most of university research will lead to new jobs, products and companies, and support Australia’s economic recovery.

Universities Australia today welcomed the announcement by Education Minister Alan Tudge to begin consultation on a 10-year whole-of-sector international education strategy.

Universities Australia Chair Professor Deborah Terry AO has welcomed the completion of the ‘health check review’ designed to identify opportunities for improving the effectiveness of the sector’s peak body.

Catriona Jackson, Chief Executive, Universities Australia.

Graduates have retained their high marks from employers while students have given a thumbs up to their universities for support provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.