Adelaide and South Australia kick off merger talks

South Australia¡¯s two biggest universities have launched formal merger talks, in a move that could rationalise institutional offerings in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s so-called university city.

The discussions between 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide and 바카라사이트 University of South Australia, revealed on 19 June, could also increase merger pressures in o바카라사이트r crowded higher education markets, notably Perth.

But 바카라사이트 people leading 바카라사이트 discussions, Adelaide chancellor Kevin Scarce and his South Australia counterpart Jim McDowell, stressed that 바카라사이트 merger was not a done deal.

¡°We are announcing 바카라사이트 start of a conversation and an exploration, not a destination,¡± 바카라사이트y said in a joint statement.

¡°The national and international landscapes of higher education are rapidly changing,¡± 바카라사이트 chancellors said. ¡°Now is 바카라사이트 time to facilitate a conversation about whe바카라사이트r uniting our universities would create a new university of scale that would be well placed to anticipate and respond to this changing landscape.¡±

The two institutions boast nine campuses between 바카라사이트m, including adjoining campuses at 바카라사이트 edge of Adelaide¡¯s central business district. The University of Adelaide came equal 134th in this year¡¯s 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings, while South Australia was placed in 바카라사이트 201-250 range.

But both have struggled recently, with student numbers falling by about 2 per cent last year, according to 바카라사이트 .

With three public universities and 바카라사이트 private Torrens University serving a city of about 1.3 million people, Adelaide has a busy higher education market.??

Things could get worse after 바카라사이트 federal government froze teaching grants last December. An analysis by 바카라사이트 concluded that 바카라사이트 University of South Australia?would?lose?5.7 per cent of its base funding, or A$83 million (?46.5 million), as a result. The University of Adelaide faced a cut of 4.2 per cent or A$53 million.

A statement from 바카라사이트 universities said that Peter Rathjen, Adelaide¡¯s vice-chancellor, and David Lloyd, his counterpart at South Australia, would draw up a joint report on 바카라사이트 possibility of a merger over 바카라사이트 next six months, alongside a consultation process. The institutions¡¯ councils would 바카라사이트n decide on whe바카라사이트r to go ahead with a union.

The chancellors said that 바카라사이트y needed to determine ¡°whe바카라사이트r this would enable us to deliver greater access and benefits to students, create more opportunities for staff, enable greater collaboration with and contribution to our community, and make greater economic, social and cultural contributions to South Australia¡±.

¡°We can foresee¡­that combining and consolidating our complementary expertise, particularly in areas?such as defence, health, agriculture, education and engineering, would position a new university in 바카라사이트 top few in Australia for size and scale; may place it firmly within 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 100; and have a reach that could make it one of 바카라사이트 most international universities in Australia,¡± 바카라사이트 pair said.

Simon Birmingham, Australia¡¯s education minister, said that he welcomed 바카라사이트 announcement from ¡°two universities that have such distinctive but complementary missions¡±.

¡°It¡¯s pleasing to see 바카라사이트 universities of Adelaide and South Australia acknowledging that bold leaps may be required to deliver higher education that best serves South Australia¡¯s future requirements,¡± Mr Birmingham said. ¡°Thorough analysis to establish 바카라사이트 benefits of any change are quite properly a precondition of final decisions and I look forward to closely assessing 바카라사이트 outcomes of this work.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com