More than 76,000 students and staff described experiences of hurt, exclusion and harm. Behind each response is a person who did not feel safe or respected in a place where they should have. To everyone who shared their story, we acknowledge both what you experienced and the courage it takes to speak about it. 

Racism has no place on our university campuses. No one should feel unsafe, diminished or excluded because of their culture, faith or background. Universities accept our responsibility to confront racism wherever it occurs. 

We recognise that many individuals and groups on our campuses – as in the broader community – experience racism, hate speech and harassment. Most significantly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have endured racism over generations, and their voices must remain central to what comes next. 

Universities have been working to address racism in all its forms. Education and the deepening of knowledge are among the most powerful tools we have for tackling hatred, challenging prejudice and building understanding. 

Across the country, universities continue to roll out programs to address all forms of racism on campus. These actions are designed to help staff and students combat structural racism through the sharing of best practice and knowledge as well as practical ways in which universities can act as agents of positive change and amplifiers of respect at universities. This work must continue, informed by lived experience and grounded in our responsibility to create safe, respectful and inclusive communities. 

Universities are places of free speech, debate and dissention. We are required by law to take academic freedom and freedom of speech seriously and we are committed to these ideas as a matter of principle, but they can never justify harm or a breach of somebody’s human rights. 

The survey reinforces the need for coordinated, principled and sector-wide action. We believe an important first step should be the establishment of a national Racism@Uni Working Group to develop a coordinated Action Plan for the sector, as recommended in the report. This will help with prioritising actions out of the report to translate its findings into consistent standards, stronger accountability and measurable progress across all institutions. 

Universities Australia stands ready to work constructively with the AHRC and the government to ensure this work begins without delay and delivers meaningful, transparent change. We acknowledge the work of the AHRC, Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman and the many staff, students, researchers and community members whose contributions shaped this report. 

We will continue listening, learning and acting – together – to ensure our universities live up to the standards our communities rightly expect.