Universities
NARROWER TERMS
Report
The skills crisis, university culpability and the overseas student industry
The story of how Australia’s universities became so dependent on overseas students is no secret. This dependence reflects decisions by successive Coalition and Labor governments to cut back on university funding over the past two decades. This report shows that the share of the universities’...
Report
Forgetting the past: how post-modernist theory has replaced history in Australian universities in 2022
This report contains the systematic review of 791 history subjects offered across 35 Australian universities in 2022. It is an update of the IPA’s 2017 report - 'The rise of identity politics: an audit of history teaching at Australian universities in 2017.'
Report
Australia’s Asia education imperative: trends in the study of Asia and pathways for the future
This report focuses on trends in the promotion of Asia literacy in Australian universities from 2000 to 2022 - outlining both achievements and challenges.
Working paper
Fostering creativity and critical thinking in university teaching and learning: considerations for academics and their professional learning
Developed as one of the resources within the context of an OECD/Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) ERI project, this paper focuses on ways in which students’ creativity and critical thinking can be fostered in higher education by contextualising such efforts within the broader...
Report
The Project Information Literacy retrospective
The findings in this publication detail the challenges that students experience when interacting with information for college courses, in everyday life, and the workplace. The recommendations put empirical research into the hands of frontline educators, who may use them to inform everyday practice in teaching...
Survey
The state of free speech in UK universities: what students and the public think
This research, by the Policy Institute at King’s College London, is based on two new representative surveys of UK university students. The study reveals two main patterns – firstly, that the large majority of university students in the UK think their universities are protecting their...
Report
Achieving financial sustainability in times of uncertainty
The ability to plan and execute revenue diversification effectively is a critical tool for Australian universities. This report map the drivers that create the requirement for a systematic approach to revenue diversification. These range from universities’ rising operational costs, the unlikelihood of increased government funding...
Report
The viewpoint diversity crisis at Canadian universities: political homogeneity, self-censorship, and threats to academic freedom
The study, based on a survey of professors and members of the public, reveals that Canadian universities are political monoliths whose lack of viewpoint diversity contributes to serious problems on campus. Professors, especially the 9 percent of conservative professors whose views differ from the overwhelmingly...
Report
At the crossroads: what is the post-COVID future of Australia’s public universities?
This report analyses the current worrying state of Australia’s higher education sector based on current funding and policy trends, and provides an ambitious national vision for higher education that re-aligns the sector with its public service mission.
Report
Report of the Inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector
This inquiry report makes 27 recommendations to address the serious threats posed by foreign interference to Australia's most critical research institutions. The recommendations are targeted at securing sensitive, taxpayer-funded research and protecting student safety on campus.
Report
Teaching with cultural heritage materials during the pandemic
This report captures the perspectives of instructors who were directly impacted by the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in one common way - they were no longer able to provide in-person learning opportunities with cultural heritage materials for their students.
Report
The elephant in the room: precarious work in New Zealand universities
Precarious working arrangements, defined by temporary, casual and fixed-term employment agreements, are a complex, often hidden feature of academia in New Zealand. This report provides an insight into the reality of insecure academic work in universities from those who responded to the 2021 Precarious Academic...
Report
What’s next for national security and research?
This report reviews what measures are in place to protect research in the United Kingdom from foreign interference, including the new National Security and Investment Act (2021) that came into force on 4 January 2022.
Strategy
University research commercialisation: action plan
This strategy document aims to ensure that Australia’s universities play a bigger role in the nation's economy, working with Australian businesses to develop the next generation of great Australian products and companies.
Report
What is a research core? A primer on a critical component of the research enterprise
Research cores can be described as shared research enablement facilities that are used on a cross-department, if not institutional basis. In this paper, the authors offer a landscape overview of research cores at large public and private institutions in the United States, with the objective...
Briefing paper
Impact of the pandemic on the 2020 financial health of 37 Australian universities
This paper provides a snapshot benchmark as to the financial health of Australian universities at the end of 2020. This will enable greater insight to be gained into the on-going effectiveness of university strategies to deal with the impact of the pandemic when future annual...
Briefing paper
An avoidable catastrophe: pandemic job losses in higher education and their consequences
Eighteen months after Australia's borders were first closed, things are getting worse for universities, not better. This research confirms that tertiary education has been hit by bigger job losses this year than any other non-agricultural sector in the economy.
Report
Australian investment in higher education
Pandemics, border closures and government reforms of student funding arrangements have resulted in the Australian higher education sector facing some of its greatest challenges. This report is part of a series examining investment in different parts of Australia’s education system, and examines investment over at...
Other text
Australian universities Vice‐Chancellor and senior staff remuneration code
This voluntary code provides government and society information on appropriate, transparent and competitive remuneration of Vice‐Chancellors and senior university staff.
Report
An Australian DARPA to turbocharge universities’ national security research
More than at any time since World War II, science and technology (S&T) breakthroughs are dramatically redesigning the global security outlook. In this paper, the authors propose establishing a formal partnership between the Defence Department, defence industry and Australian universities.
Report
The state of higher education: one year in to the COVID-19 pandemic
This report looks at comparative statistics the OECD has collected across a number of education systems to track developments in the higher education sector throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Report
“They don’t understand the fear we have”
This report from Human Rights Watch asserts that Australian universities have failed to protect the academic freedom of students from China, and of academics who criticise the Chinese Communist Party.
Report
ERA EI Review final report 2020-2021
The Australian Research Council is responsible for assessing the quality, engagement and impact of Australia’s university research through its two assessment programs, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) and Engagement and Impact (EI). This report sets out a range of recommendations designed to enhance the...
Report
Improving the linkages between university and work
This paper argues that COVID-19, the skills gap and automation have all conspired to change the work landscape in Canada, and post-secondary institutions must respond to those changing needs.
Briefing paper
Academic research budgets
This paper examines some of the budgetary issues facing the scientific research enterprise in the United States. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the key issues facing university budgets and research enablement and support services they fund, to determine whether...