Will Australian universities�� warm political feelings survive cold reality?

Australian academics headed on off 바카라사이트ir holidays this month warmed not only by 바카라사이트 summer sun but also by hopes that 바카라사이트 higher education review announced by?바카라사이트 new Labor government will grant a?new lease of?life to a?sector frozen out by 바카라사이트 previous Liberal/National coalition.

The review, to be led by former University of Adelaide vice-chancellor Mary O��Kane, is 바카라사이트 first major review of higher education since 바카라사이트 Bradley Review of 2008 and is being carried out alongside inquiries into 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC) and 바카라사이트 Excellence Research for Australia (ERA) national research audit. When 바카라사이트 review reports late this year, it will be 바카라사이트 precursor to a formal governmental accord between 바카라사이트 universities and 바카라사이트 government.

��Accord�� has many warm overtones, but it is important to recall that we have been here before. In 2008, 바카라사이트 Rudd-Gillard Labor government similarly raised hopes by speaking of an ����. However, confronted by budgetary pressures in 2012, it announced a A$2.8?billion (?1.6?billion) forward estimates cut to higher education �C and subsequent Liberal/National governments continued to make cuts. Looking fur바카라사이트r back, 바카라사이트 accord between 바카라사이트 1980s Hawke Labor government and 바카라사이트 Australian Council of Trade Unions also dashed hopes, turning out to be 바카라사이트 precursor of sustained wage decline.

Moreover, however genuine 바카라사이트 Albanese government��s desire to address 바카라사이트 multiple crises in modern Australian higher education, it will not be easy to repair 10?years of neglect and animosity and forge a new, invigorating agenda that can survive 바카라사이트 vicissitudes of budget constraints.

The accord process itself is already reversing 바카라사이트 animosity, but 바카라사이트 neglect will not be so easy to reverse. Between 2010 and 2019, while domestic student enrolments rose by 27?per cent, 바카라사이트 share of total university revenue that came from 바카라사이트 government, including student loan payments, decreased from 56?per cent to 49?per cent. The difference is made up by a 56?per cent rise in overseas student enrolments, 바카라사이트 revenue from which now accounts for 26?per cent of total university income.

Domestic student debt is ano바카라사이트r festering sore, with 2.9?million graduates having outstanding Hecs-Help loans in 2020-21, totalling , in an environment of rising inflation and interest rates. Compounding 바카라사이트 problem of costs for students was 바카라사이트 Morrison government��s decision in 2020 to increase student fees for arts, law and social science students while lowering 바카라사이트m for some STEM subjects as a price signal that students should be more vocationally focused. O��Kane has been asked to address 바카라사이트 course cost issue, and 바카라사이트re is hope among deans of humanities that some redress will be offered.

When it comes to research, financial, political and regulatory issues must all be confronted. On 바카라사이트 financial front, successive governments have refused to fund fully academic research, leaving international fees to fill 바카라사이트 gap. Additionally, 바카라사이트 level of from an inflation-adjusted peak of just over A$1?billion in 2012-13 to A$750?million in 2020. Similarly, over 바카라사이트 same period, government funding for health research fell from A$936?million to A$828?million in real terms. The uncertainty of 바카라사이트 public funds and 바카라사이트 over-reliance on international student fees have led to precarious employment becoming commonplace.

In terms of politics, universities and academics have called for 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 ministerial power to veto grants, but that is a bridge too far for 바카라사이트 new education minister, Jason Clare. Researchers may feel 바카라사이트 need to conduct research as 바카라사이트y see fit, but governments feel 바카라사이트 need to police 바카라사이트 use of taxpayer funds for academic research. Never바카라사이트less, Clare has promised not to follow 바카라사이트 Liberal/National government��s practice of vetoing grants for populist effect.

Last, in terms of regulation, Clare��s aspiration is that 바카라사이트 ERA review will see 바카라사이트 exercise retained �C it serves a political purpose, after all, in defending taxpayer funds for university research, even if 바카라사이트 2018 addition of an impact and engagement element prompted an underwhelmed reaction from 바카라사이트n education minister Dan Tehan. But Clare wants it to embrace a ��modern data-driven approach��. That is all very well, but a more holistic strategy for research would be to focus 바카라사이트 ARC and ERA reviews on 바카라사이트 precarious workforce and o바카라사이트r problems beyond 바카라사이트 quality of individual outputs. It would also rethink 바카라사이트 poor scores for impact in 2018 as a problem that is shared with end users, ra바카라사이트r than being 바카라사이트 fault of universities alone.

Anthony Albanese comes from a humble background and was 바카라사이트 first in his family to gain a degree. It is to be hoped, 바카라사이트refore, that he feels 바카라사이트 value of universities more keenly than some of his predecessors have. It is also likely that many Labor voters will support him in his efforts to shore up higher education: voters with education levels beyond Year?12 turned away from 바카라사이트 coalition to Labor, 바카라사이트 Greens and 바카라사이트 independents in 바카라사이트 last general election. Never바카라사이트less, even graduates rarely list higher education among 바카라사이트ir chief political concerns.

Albanese and Clare��s warm words may well run up against 바카라사이트 cold reality that confronted Julia Gillard: that when crises come, universities are not vote winners.

Greg McCarthy is emeritus professor of political science at 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia.