Innovative Research Universities (IRU)

Today IRU Vice-Chancellors and Deputy Vice-Chancellors met with Minister Jason Clare MP and Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to build on our existing links with India and to further work on new models of research collaboration and international education. It was a great opportunity to meet with the ministers and delegates and we thank them for their ongoing support. #internationaleducation #highereducation #AustraliaIndia

Thankyou to Minister Jason Clare for a great discussion this morning with Tom Boland about international best practice to inform the implementation of the new Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC). We have learned a lot from a fantastic series of meetings with Tom this week, about how the ATEC can be best set up to deliver on the promise of the Universities Accord and support a more equitable and innovative tertiary education system.

We recommend immediate reform of the Job-Ready Graduates (JRG) package to support students and a more equitable higher education system. 👩🎓 The first step in these reforms would immediately benefit 300,000 students. 👨🎓 On Tuesday, our Executive Director Paul Harris appeared before the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024. He told the committee that when talking about student support, JRG reform is a priority as the primary driver of student debt is the cost to students of doing a degree. In a report released this week, we provide a number of options for a step-by-step approach to JRG reform and the longer we leave it, the more difficult and more expensive it will get. If we are to increase participation, equity and affordability in the higher education system, we cannot wait to implement the changes. Read our report ☞ https://lnkd.in/gcRcDzP2

Want to help 300,000+ students and support a more equitable higher education system? Adopt our recommendations! Today we released a report that recommends reform of Job-Ready Graduates (JRG) that will immediately benefit 300,000 students - and that's only in stage one! Read the report here ☞ https://lnkd.in/gcRcDzP2 “Taking action now on JRG reform will deliver both short- and long-term economic benefits for the nation. In the short term, reducing the cost of education will lower the CPI and put downward pressure on inflation. "In the long-term, it will be a key plank in boosting tertiary participation – international evidence shows that increased participation and public investment in education drives productivity and reduces inequality.” - Paul Harris, IRU Executive Director Read the media release ☞ https://lnkd.in/gif9e9m3 #highereducation

Tom Boland, the former Chief Executive of Ireland’s Higher Education Authority (HEA), the equivalent of the proposed Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), is in Australia as a guest of the IRU. In partnership with the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, Tom will be giving a free online seminar to discuss issues to consider when setting up a body such as the ATEC. Register for the seminar here: https://lnkd.in/gwd3TZFU The IRU supports an independent ATEC for a more balanced and managed university system. Read IRU feedback on the government’s initial consultation paper on the design of the ATEC: https://lnkd.in/gQB4Ybuk

More good news! Congratulations to all the successful applicants in the Discovery Indigenous scheme. Great to see the Australian Research Council supporting more Indigenous-led research and to see colleagues from across the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) leading the way. Congratulations Western Sydney University, James Cook University and Griffith University!

Excellent couple of days at the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) senior leaders forum. Some really insightful presentations and great discussions. Looking forward to helping shape the future with our colleagues across Australia. James Cook University is pleased to play a full role in growing opportunities for students from very diverse backgrounds. Something that we share with our #IRU colleagues.

We're celebrating sustainability leadership and impact with a new publication, Sustainable Universities and Communities! The publication highlights best practice across IRU member universities with a collection of case studies that showcase the positive impact of students, researchers, campus operations and community partnerships. The data and case studies are mapped against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to highlight key strengths and areas of leadership. Here are a few selected highlights from our report: Murdoch University’s Boola Katitjin won in the Higher Education and Research category at the World Architecture Festival, making it the world’s best academic building. Boola Katitjin is also the first 6-star Green Star education building in Western Australia. Flinders University is the first organisation in the world to earn a coveted gold rating under the newly released STARS 3.0 Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, for their accomplishments in campus sustainability. For instance, Flinders uses 10 bidirectional electric chargers to feed solar energy produced on campus back into the grid when needed. Griffith University is the leading university partner in the new Solving Plastic Waste CRC, a $140 million project funded by the Federal Government. Griffith researchers will develop new electrochemical, physical, and biological approaches to remove microplastics from agricultural soils, which will have a positive impact on crops and livestock. James Cook University, the University of Canberra and various partners are working together to fight biosecurity challenges, such as imported plants and diseases, in the new Australian Research Council ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity. Their research will be co-designed with industry end-users, thereby making the research outcomes relevant to industry needs from the start. La Trobe University is in the process of building a University City of the Future in Melbourne’s north, an example of a new and sustainable way of living, working, learning and socialising, with education facilities for more than 40,000 students, sustainable housing for 12,000 people and access to reliable public transport infrastructure. Western Sydney University is ranked by Times Higher Education as number one in the world for gender equality, and has been in the top three for the previous six years. Download the full publication here: https://lnkd.in/gfKWfpuK The report was launched this week at the 2024 IRU Senior Leaders Forum, hosted by Murdoch University. #HigherEducation #SustainableDevelopmentGoals

On behalf of all members of the IRU, our Chair Professor Simon Biggs congratulates Minister Bill Shorten MP on his appointment to the University of Canberra. “Our universities are united in their focus on increasing access and equity and this is a hallmark of Minister Shorten’s political career. Across the IRU, half of our students are the first in their family to attend university. We are excited to work collaboratively on higher education and research policy reform that will ensure that the impact of our work reaches even more Australians.” The IRU would also like to acknowledge and thank Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Lucy Johnston, who has positioned the University of Canberra well for the future and who makes a valued contribution to the IRU. https://lnkd.in/gh2nuf2p

Congratulations to the IRU members that have been successful in the second round of the Microcredentials Pilot for Higher Education! 🥳 Check out the list of courses here: https://lnkd.in/g-_z667m