Future Campus

13/06/2026

An extraordinary diversity of talent has been assembled for a landmark conference on the future of the tertiary education workforce next week.

17/05/2026

Even in a year of great change, this quiet commentary from Education Minister Jason Clare is pretty significant.

The Government is looking to its new uber-regulator ATEC to re-shape higher education - and in the process, possibly redefine the meaning of the word 'university.'

Broad-based comprehensive-scope institutions will no longer be commonplace, with the Government seeking to use their funding, tied to individual university agreements, to drive differentiation in what universities offer in future.

Stephen Matchett reports.

Jason Clare spells out how ATEC will use its powers to end the “cut and paste” university system.

02/03/2026

Universities must grapple with a valued but achievable purpose to unlock hearts and minds of the community, UNSW DVC Merlin Crossley writes.

Today the purpose of universities is often framed as solving the world’s problems. This makes sense because new knowledge can help solve many problems. But here is my point - have we expanded our purpose so far that we can no longer deliver on it?

02/03/2026

Insights from challenges shared by both Australian and Ukrainian universities.

24/02/2026

Friday marks the fourth anniversary of the Russian forces rolling in to occupy Berdyansk, in Southern Ukraine, and Professor Yana Sychikova and Professor Igor Lyman from Berdyansk State Pedagogical University are leaving Australian audiences impressed and deeply moved by their story.

Their personal stories are remarkable – Yana lived three months under occupation and for the last month was hunted by Russian forces, sheltering in safe houses before escaping to relative safety in Ukrainian-held territory. Igor, a Professor of history, saw the signs and escaped days before the Russian invasion.

On Monday, they told the Future Campus symposium in Canberra about the challenges, achievements, and also sobering realities of running a university without walls, following the occupation of their campus. Despite incredibly difficult, often life-threatening situations, they have achieved remarkable results - albeit with ongoing concerns about sustainability due to staff exhaustion and burnout.

Watch sessions from Monday's University Without Walls Symposium here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAapKNJGlZk

The challenges faced by Professor Yana Sychikova, Professor Igor Lyman and colleagues at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University in Ukraine are mostly similar to those faced by Australian universities, albeit of a different dimension, exacerbated by war. They have shared clear insights that are relev...

11/02/2026

Newcastle VC Alex Zelinsky makes the case for supporting an ATEC in Future Campus today. Professor Zelinsky explains why he has opted to support the new tertiary commission, with some caveats - read in the link below.

11/02/2026

A coalition of Vice-Chancellors has sued for terms following the House of Representatives passing the ATEC legislation on Tuesday, ahead of tomorrow’s Senate committee hearing to consider it.

Read more in Future Campus online this morning

A coalition of Vice-Chancellors has sued for terms following the House of Representatives passing the ATEC legislation on Tuesday and ahead of tomorrow’s Senate committee hearing to consider it.

03/02/2026

It's more than 50 degrees C colder in Ukraine than Australia this week, as temps in Kyiv bottom out at around -20 C, but the Future Campus community is rallying around our fundraiser to provide generators and emergency relief for students.

Find out more in the link below.

It's more than 50 degrees C colder in Ukraine than Australia this week, as temps in Kyiv bottom out at around -20 C, but the Future Campus community is rallying around our fundraiser to provide generators and emergency relief for students.

02/02/2026

The National Health and Medical Research Council’s new Open Science Policy requires researchers to “share their data and methods as openly as possible.” It also applies to the Medical Research Future Fund and covers the “entire research cycle.”

Stephen Matchett reports on a major shift in policy affecting medical researchers across the country.

The National Health and Medical Research Council’s new Open Science Policy requires researchers to “share their data and methods as openly as possible.” It also applies to the Medical Research Future Fund and covers the “entire research cycle.”

02/02/2026

"Regrettably, the social licence discussion appears to have been infected with the same plague of polarisation we’re seeing in the broader community. In this case, two camps have emerged: one stressing one-eyed public responsiveness with limited regard for commercial considerations; the other championing a market-driven focus on competition and surplus," ACU Vice-Chancellor Professor Zlatko Skrbis writes in Future Campus today.

"To transcend the current discourse, we must move beyond this either/or mentality. We must practice the art of holding two truths simultaneously, balancing perspectives to find consensus and chart a new way forward."

"This means accepting that without sound financial management, universities cannot fulfil purpose. It means acknowledging that without a commitment to purpose, financial considerations become meaningless."

"The path forward requires dialogue, not diktat. It demands that we listen to critics, learn from failures, and lead with both principle and pragmatism. Most importantly, it requires us to demonstrate – through actions, not just words – that we can balance our books while staying true to our mission and values."

Read the full story through the link below

So, how do we regain the public’s trust, and with it, our social licence?