In a speech to the Association for Tertiary Education Management at the University of South Australia Minister Pyne commended the campaign for its “clear message that Australia must not be left behind in the face of intensifying global competition.”
“We do not want Australia’s universities to be left behind. We fully support UA’s Keep it Clever initiative to ensure our universities remain competitive and are among the best in the world,” Minister Pyne said.
Universities Australia’s Deputy Chief Executive, Greg Evans stressed the importance of such a campaign. “Our future workforce will demand more qualified graduates, our economy will rely on the benefits of research and the creation of new industries, jobs and opportunities that can flow from a strong university sector,” Mr Evans said.
“Our universities are the key to keeping Australia clever and keeping Australia ahead.”
The Minister also confirmed the Government’s commitment to reduce the costly and unnecessary regulatory burden on universities.
Universities Australia has estimated that universities spend approximately $280 million a year on regulatory compliance and reporting.
The government’s commitment to accepting the recommendations of both the PhillipsKPA Review of Reporting Requirements for Universities and the Lee Dow-Braithwaite Review of Higher Education Regulation is welcomed by the sector.
“The recommendations of the reviews will produce savings over time for Government through increased efficiency and will help to reduce compliance costs for universities, allowing them to divert more resources to the core business of teaching, learning and research,” Mr Evans said.
He also indicated there were additional regulatory imposts including Federal and State overlaps and inefficiencies that the sector looked forward to seeing addressed in the period ahead.
