Accord report on future disruptions for Australian universities

There are a range of broader dynamics, repeated across the globe, that show we are living through a sustained period of change. Technology, economic models, geopolitics and environmental factors are all calling into question many of the assumptions we have built our organisations and systems on. Given these will impact Australian universities more than many other institutions, the long-term focus of the Universities Accord Review is timely. 

This report collates a range of important forces and disruptions that will shape the future of universities, based on the insights of leading Australian thinkers from a range of fields. It explores implications for Australian universities but, as a future disruptions report, it does not advocate strong views on the best way forward or an ideal future. These depend on foundational policy and values choices beyond the scope of this work. This report should be used to test design and policy options, add context to decisions and help ensure we can future-ready the Australian university sector. 

The first part of this report focuses on the combined impacts and potential disruptions arising from the combination of different factors and forces. The second part covers more specific forces in narrower domains. The majority of expert input was received during a structured roundtable held in September 2023; details and a list of contributors are at Appendix A. 

In short, Australian universities, and their current operating models, are likely to be put under significant pressure over the next 10 – 20 years. While “business as usual” may succeed, there is potential for substantial disruption to both individual universities, and the broader sector. Universities have successfully navigated many waves of disruption in the past; the coming changes look to be of a different kind and require new approaches.