This article traces the development of four narratives of financial assistance for Australian university students - to encourage excellence; to meet public need; to build the stock of human capital; and as universal provision - and their effect on the development of a fifth narrative, centred on the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS).…

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is responsible for the regulation and quality assurance of all providers offering higher education courses. TEQSA's annual report and annual performance statements have been prepared in accordance with the following requirements: (1) Subsection 46(1) of the Public Governance, Performance…

This paper reports on research conducted with staff employed in the Australian higher education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector has been significantly impacted, particularly those institutions heavily reliant on revenue from international student enrolments. Universities moved swiftly to introduce cost-savings measures such as,…

This handbook provides a frame of reference for the global challenges facing higher education leadership today. Focusing on recommendations and directions for the future rather than simply a recap of measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, the contributors also delve into contexts such as the climate crisis, issues of diversity, equity and…

The 2020 pandemic experience signals a pivotal opportunity for a transformation in universities, critically through narrowing and sharpening a distinctive mission and aims for each campus. A series of strategies are proposed for university leadership, commencing with a move towards hybrid delivery of teaching and a reconceived support of the…

This paper analyses the international financing of higher education, an important yet understudied facet of contemporary policy and practice. The paper takes the globally significant China-Australia relationship as a case study. This paper argues that analysing the international political economy of the China-Australia case better illuminates the…

This paper focuses on international student mobility and the funding of higher education. We theorize that relying on international students for funding is stronger for institutions in developed English-speaking countries because they more often adopt marketization practices. Compared to Northern and Southern European countries, we find that they…

This report provides an analysis of future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Australia's higher education sector. The main driver of these impacts is the closure of Australia's international border, preventing the movement of international students into Australia. This has had a significant impact on total enrolments across the sector, and…

In this reflective piece, I consider the degree to which Australian universities have become financially dependent on income from foreign students, the reasons for that dependence, the risks it poses and the potential consequences now that COVID-19 has undermined this revenue stream.

Australian universities have used the revenue from overseas student fees to enhance their international research standing. COVID-19 has undermined this business model. A new strategy is required, based on the universities' contribution to making Australian industry more self-reliant. This outcome will require a national industry policy, such as…

In 2012, Australia removed student number controls or, in the local terminology, introduced a 'demand driven system' based on student choice. In 2015, England followed suit. In both places, entry to higher education was opened up but non-completion rates rose. In Australia, the demand driven system ended in 2017, despite a coming demographic…

Neoliberal theories--whether the new public management, principal-agent theory, or performance management--have provided the rationale for sweeping reforms in the governance and operation of higher education. This paper expands our understanding of neoliberal theory and practice by examining a leading neoliberal reform: performance-based funding…

This article contributes a novel perspective on the common vulnerabilities of the Indigenous and international student experiences at higher education institutions in Australia. Through a review of 88 publications in the leading journals we show that the majority of these articles focus on international students rather than Indigenous students.…

Historically, the purpose of apprenticeships has been to provide structured high-value training, resulting in transferable skills and knowledge for young people seeking to enter work-based learning. Apprenticeship training was enabled by linking industry with local technical colleges and professional engineering institutions. The apprenticeship…

This paper examines responses to the trend for increasing participation in tertiary education, linking developments in higher education with those in apprenticeship systems, in Australia and the United Kingdom. In both sectors, expansion proceeded for several decades, but was robustly criticised in both countries. The expansion of access to these…