Australia: Higher education remains a major political battleground Down Under.  The Government has been trying for some time to force through major changes to the funding of the sector, only to be knocked back by Parliament. Now, they have proposed a new scheme under which funding for universities will be frozen for two years, representing an estimated $2.1billion cut, and then tied to Australia’s working age population growth from 2020.

The announcement, made just before Christmas, sparked a major backlash from the sector. “Today’s announcement with its comprehensive cuts to the higher education sector will affect the aspirations and future career opportunities of Australia’s school leavers and graduates,” said the Chair of the Group of Eight, Professor Peter Høj.