Monash statement on Australian Universities Accord Final Report
Monash University welcomes the Australian Universities Accord Final Report released today by the Federal Minister for Education, Hon Jason Clare MP.
The following remarks can be attributed to Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering:
Together with Professor Mary O’Kane, we are committed to the importance of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the sector. We thank Professor O’Kane and the Accord Panel members for their incredible work with this report and its recommendations.
We commend the collaborative consultation process undertaken by the Accord Panel to address critical issues facing the higher education sector. We stand ready to work with the sector and government in the development of key recommendations, particularly those that will benefit students and accelerate a knowledge and innovation economy for the benefit of future Australian prosperity.
We’re a global top-50 university that works in the best interests of Australia, and the Indo-Pacific. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Federal Government, the Monash community, our sector colleagues, and partners on the further development and implementation of these recommendations.
Monash celebrates the commitment to equity driven demand and realising higher education population parity for disadvantaged groups. As Australia’s leading, research-intensive, suburban-based university, Monash is committed to diversity and access, and delivering innovative education and research globally and we have a strong background in delivering on this commitment.
Monash applauds the panel for taking a significant step towards 3 per cent GDP spending on research to support Australia’s economic future and the critical commitment to the full funding of the cost of research. Australia needs the very best minds and facilities to undertake research that will improve the lives of Australians, drive innovation, create and transform industries and this requires long term investment that catches up to the best in the world.
Monash supports long term and sustained reform of the university sector and looks forward to the due consideration of an Australian Tertiary Education Commission.
The proposed Higher Education Future Fund (HEFF) is a costly, complicated and cumbersome tax on our world-class universities that will diminish our ability to deliver on the significant objectives that have been set out in the Accord. Monash opposes measures that will impair the international standing of Australian universities and blunt the economic and social impacts of university education and research.
The Accord has identified the system is underfunded. Imposing an inefficient bureaucratic tax on universities is not the way to deliver on the aspirations of the Accord. It will have the opposite effect and diminish Monash’s ability to deliver on the Accord’s objectives and aspirations.
Where government investment in particular universities or regions is required, it should simply be made. Redistributing revenue between universities will damage Australia’s fourth largest, and Victoria’s largest, export industry.
Monash remains committed to working with our community, partners and sector to address the key issues facing the higher education system to ensure quality, accessibility, affordability and sustainability for all.