Challenges for Australian universities in the 21st century
Professor Ed Byrne AO
by Professor Ed Byrne AO Vice-Chancellor, Monash University
Australia’s universities are central pillars of our society and crucial to the development and success of Australia as a clever nation.
The number of young Australians enrolled in university in Australia has risen steadily from around five per cent before the Second World War to around 30 per cent today, with the Federal Government aiming to raise the number of young Australians with a university degree by 2025 to 40 per cent and increasing enrolment of students from disadvantaged backgrounds to 20 per cent by 2020.
Australian universities have a strong base but there are a number of challenges facing the sector. I wish to highlight four of them.
Firstly, there is the issue of funding of universities.
The university sector would like to see more direct government funding for tertiary education given the importance of an educated and innovative workforce for the future of the country. There may also be a need to increase the student contribution at some stage.
My view is that the combination of government funding and student contribution for domestic students should ideally meet the total cost of domestic student education, rather than the reality of a significant gap between the two, which costs the sector billions of dollars a year.
The second area I wish to discuss is that of excellence. Excellence in education is clearly central to our university mission. There is no doubt that the development of universities, which are successful at an international level, would provide a major boost to Australia’s economy. The key issue in terms of excellence is maintenance of university funding at a level that enables each university to adequately achieve its mission.
The third area relevant to Australian universities today is that of regulation. We do need regulation for universities but it must be risk-based and light. Hyper-regulation with increase red tape would have a detrimental effect on the university sector in this country.
Finally, to international student enrolment, which brings in large numbers of incredibly bright and clever young people who, having had a great university experience, go on to become Australian ambassadors.
The international student market is also a very important economic asset and would benefit from the introduction of a specific student visa to enable students to study under non-restrictive conditions and allow them short-term work opportunities before returning home.
With common sense and a joint approach by government and the university sector, we can ensure that we have a thriving and robust international student presence in our universities.
It is a time of change for Australian universities. Our economy, society and culture are becoming more globalised and the financial pressures on universities continue to rise.
Australia as a country doesn’t value its universities enough and doesn’t fully appreciate the crucial role they play in the nation’s economy and in its future.
It is time to remedy this situation.
Professor Ed Byrne AO is President and Vice-Chancellor of Monash University