Preparations for this year’s #UASolutionsSummit25, NPC Address, and development of AHRC's Racism@Uni Survey: Latest rundown of higher education
It’s been a big week – and that’s saying something given what awaits us next week! It’s been all systems go as we’ve finalised preparations for this year’s Solutions Summit. I’m so excited to see all of this hard work come to life in Canberra, and for many of you to be a part of it.
We have an impressive program of speakers and events locked in and I have no doubt we will all be challenged, educated and inspired across the two days. This year, we have been quite deliberate in giving the summit a more outward focus. This is part of our broader effort to signal to government and industry that we are not just a willing partner in delivering national priorities, but an essential one.
In an election year, this carries even greater importance as we seek to shape the policy priorities of the major parties. Universities are seldom a policy priority, but this must change if the next federal government wants to deliver its agenda.
This is a theme I will be exploring in my address to the National Press Club of Australia on Wednesday. Our universities need good policy and proper funding to educate the skilled workforce and undertake the research needed to transition to a clean energy future, build a stronger economy, deliver quality healthcare and support strong and sustainable communities. These are shared priorities by Labor and the Coalition, and our universities are essential to their delivery.
I know many of you have speaking roles and other responsibilities next week, beyond just attending our summit, and I want to thank you in advance for your contributions. This is more than a UA event – it is for the entire sector, and I am grateful that it is embraced as such.
This week, UA has been engaging with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on the development of its Racism@Uni Survey. This is a component of the AHRC’s broader study into antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experience of First Nations people at Australian universities (announced in last year’s federal budget).
UA is concerned that the process has so far not allowed the Advisory Group, which I am a member of, adequate time to review the draft survey and undertake appropriate consultation with stakeholders. I am speaking with relevant people in government about this as well as the Race Discrimination Commissioner, who is leading the study.
We can’t rush this work – it is important, and we must get it right. Allowing for proper consideration of the survey before it is released publicly will only benefit students and staff.?
On a final note, we’re on election watch more than ever at UA after the Reserve Bank cut interest rates on Tuesday. Who knows – next week’s summit could well fall in the opening days of the election campaign. We’ll be monitoring things closely over the weekend.
I’ll leave it there for today. I hope you all have a restful and relaxing weekend. See many of you next week!
Luke Sheehy
Chief Executive Officer, Universities Australia
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1 个月Fabulous line-up at the Universities Australia conference, and great NPC address Luke Sheehy. Enjoy the conference. Angela Lehmann 李安琪 hope the return home felt wonderful!