A message from Science and Technology Australia

Last Friday, Education Minister Dan Tehan unveiled a package of very complex proposed changes to higher education funding in Australia in a speech to the National Press Club.  There is more detail in a Government discussion paper and a series of FAQs.  The Minister also plans to work with Vice-Chancellors to devise a new way to fund research amid the proposed loss of research cross-subsidy from student places funding and a sharp fall in international student income due to the pandemic. 
 
The proposals are incredibly complex. Like all advocacy bodies across our STEM and university research communities, Science & Technology Australia will analyse the detail, seek further information, and assess likely impact. We made a careful initial set of observations within hours of the announcements, and will have more to say in the coming weeks and months. The Government would need crossbench support in the Senate to amend the Higher Education Support Act. 

This week, it was the turn of Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese to make a major address on science, technology, climate change and expertise. STA welcomed his central message that science had led our COVID success, and could now drive Australia’s recovery. 

And with International Women in Engineering Day last week, check out Superstar of STEM Bianca Capra’s video about her trailblazing career as an aerospace engineer, and her powerful efforts to bring other women into the field. Here’s her uplifting video series to promote other women from diverse backgrounds who are working or studying as engineers.  
 
Until next time, 

Misha Schubert 
CEO, Science & Technology Australia