Australia’s university sector is facing a potential fallout from further cuts to international student numbers, according to Carolyn Evans, the outgoing vice-chancellor of Griffith University.
Evans warned that radically reducing international student numbers could have consequences far beyond university balance sheets. She made these comments during her State of the Sector address at the National Press Club on August 25.
Evans suggested that the debate over international students had become too simplistic and that an honest and informed policy debate about the consequences was needed.
She argued that universities had been pushed towards international recruitment to fill funding gaps created by government policy. Generating revenue from international students was the only realistic solution, she said.
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Reducing international student numbers could lead to thousands of job losses and the closure of small campuses. Evans also questioned the impact on sectors that rely heavily on international students and graduates, such as the tourism industry.
She noted that the tourism industry benefits from friends and family visiting students in Australia.
In the second half of her address, Evans made a broader argument for greater university autonomy, calling for legislative protections against government overreach.
She argued that autonomy was not simply a matter of universities protecting their own interests, but a safeguard for democracy. Having autonomous universities is also an inherent good – a critical protection against creeping authoritarianism and populist pressure.
Evans warned that increasing regulation, new federal bureaucracies, and political pressure were narrowing the space for universities to operate independently. She acknowledged that autonomy could mean universities making mistakes, but argued that centralized control could make those mistakes systemic.
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Evans ultimately called on the federal government to legislate protections for university autonomy, saying she wanted the government to consider legislative protection for university autonomy, to help stem the tide of government overreach.
There is a place for regulation, for accountability, and a reasonable debate to be had at where the limits of university autonomy end, Evans said.
Evans’ comments highlight the need for a thoughtful approach to university policy, one that balances the need for regulation and accountability with the need for autonomy and independence.
As the university sector continues to evolve, it is likely that this debate will continue to be a major issue, with universities and governments needing to find a balance between regulation and autonomy.
