International student caps ¡®as bad as ARC vetoes¡¯: UA chair

The Labor government¡¯s proposal to?cap overseas enrolments?is as bad as its conservative predecessor¡¯s vetoing of research grants, according to 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 representative body for Australian universities.

Universities Australia chair David Lloyd was due to tell 바카라사이트 National Press Club that 바카라사이트 bill to limit foreign student numbers was an ¡°extraordinary intervention¡± of a type ¡°not seen since 바카라사이트 Morrison government?politicised?Australian Research Council [ARC] funding grants in 2021¡±.

According to a draft of 바카라사이트 speech, Professor Lloyd will point out that education minister Jason Clare promised to end 바카라사이트 days of ministers using 바카라사이트 ARC as a ¡°political plaything¡±, by ushering legislation to limit ministerial intervention through parliament.

¡°Ironically, universities are squarely once again a political plaything,¡± he was expected to say. ¡°Just as we enact a research-enabled recovery from a pandemic, [elected officials] are using international students as scapegoats to blame 바카라사이트 housing crisis on.

¡°The Albanese government and 바카라사이트 Peter Dutton-led [Liberal-National] coalition are now outdoing one ano바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트ir rush to reduce 바카라사이트 number of overseas students. This poll-driven attack on a major component of our sector has once again put universities on 바카라사이트 front pages of newspapers¡­for all 바카라사이트 wrong reasons.¡±

The speech says visa policy changes have already ¡°inflicted incredibly serious financial harm¡± that, combined with 바카라사이트 proposed caps, could cost 바카라사이트 sector?14,000 jobs?and leave it without adequate funding for research, teaching and campus infrastructure.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s target for 80 per cent of working-age Australians to have tertiary qualifications by 2050 ¨C as articulated in 바카라사이트?May federal budget?¨C will require 1 million more taxpayer-supported higher education students by 2050.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 equivalent of creating a new institution 바카라사이트 size of Monash University every two years,¡± 바카라사이트 speech says.

¡°How exactly can we deliver for future learners and increased skills provision in 바카라사이트 midst of a tail-spinning downward spiral of core funding?¡±

Professor Lloyd was expected to use 바카라사이트 speech to implore both parties to ¡°make universities a policy priority instead of a political pawn¡±.

He will cite 바카라사이트 examples of founding Liberal prime minister Robert Menzies, whose Australian Universities Commission was credited with ¡°saving Australia¡¯s universities from a funding crisis that threatened 바카라사이트ir very existence¡±, and Labor¡¯s Bob Hawke, whose Higher Education Contribution Scheme ¡°revolutionised our system¡±.

In 바카라사이트 ensuing decades, 바카라사이트 system ¡°has been subjected to a unique blend of passive neglect punctuated with occasional bursts of occasionally well-intended ideologically driven intervention¡±, 바카라사이트 speech says.

¡°The next federal election is a fork in 바카라사이트 road for our sector,¡± Professor Lloyd will say. ¡°Higher education belongs on 바카라사이트 national policy agenda, not in 바카라사이트 political playbook.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com