Universities have lost their way, but cost-cutting and consultants are not the answer, The Conversation, 26 August 2025
Authors:
- Michelle Arrow, Professor of History, President, Australian Historical Association, Macquarie University
- Anna Clark, Professor in Public History, University of Technology Sydney
- Frank Bongiorno, President, Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Professor of History, Australian National University
Last week in Sydney, we saw a melodrama acted out that could stand in for the state of Australian universities more generally. Inside Sydney’s swish Fullerton Hotel, a glittering cast of vice-chancellors, politicians, public servants, journalists, and consultants deliberated at a higher education summit, sponsored by the Australian Financial Review and consultancy Nous Group.
Teaching-only casual staff, who do the bulk of teaching in many universities, were not represented in the official line up of speakers. Instead, academics and students remained outside, protesting in the rain against staff cuts and governance issues facing the sector.