Joint Committee on the Establishment of Adelaide University

Wednesday 1 November 2023 

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (19:44): I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to sit as a member on this committee. I value that, as I learned so much more about the university sector. As a graduate of Flinders University, I got the opportunity to hear all about the other two universities in South Australia, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, two very different universities with different cultures and different histories. But it is worth noting that separately and independently they have determined that it is in the best interests of those institutions and, importantly, in the best interests of student outcomes and for our state more broadly to merge as one. 

We heard evidence from interested parties both for and against the merger. There are a number of things out of those that stand out to me, particularly the $200 million research fund. As we know, in Australia the funding model for universities rewards scale, and our universities in South Australia are at their limit for what they can achieve in their research sector. We want to be internationally competitive, but most importantly this research fund will give us outcomes that will deliver for our society more broadly. I can think of one example: vaccines. 

As has been noted by other members, we have a great opportunity here, too, to maintain a presence in our regions, which is incredibly important for equity across our state for students in regional and remote areas. Importantly, too, we will be able to maintain and support a new student union. We will be supporting many more students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, because if you have the ability, you should have the opportunity. 

The timing of this merger has the opportunity to take into account and to be very timely with regard to the outcomes of the accord process, and we can be ready and first in the nation to take on those recommendations. This very big shift in our universities in South Australia is also an opportunity to use this time of change to create new course offerings. As our state requires advanced manufacturing and needs highly trained workers, we need new subject offerings that will enable these students and the employers of the future to maintain the skill levels they need. 

A larger university will also be better placed to support smaller, more niche courses. Of course, we will also be able to maintain and increase our number of international students. This gives diversity for South Australia and also fills an employment need for those employers across the state who are struggling to find staff. 

One thing noted by the Adelaide Airport managing director was the amount of travel dollars that are spent by family visits from those international students who are studying in Adelaide. When their families come to visit, they stay for longer than most international travellers and therefore spend more. It is a great contributions to our state's economy. Importantly too, for me, was the commitment by the universities that there will be no staff redundancies during the process of the merger. 

I would also like to turn to and think directly of some of the evidence that was provided to the committee. Chancellor Pauline Carr from the University of South Australia stated: 

While some commentators are querying why the change and why now, for UniSA we have known nothing but change. We have consistently adapted to deliver what we believe the future of the state requires and needs of us… 

This work—the proposal to create the new Adelaide University, the case supporting it, the compelling vision advanced for its future, the plan to best transition to it, and the evaluation of risks and benefits therein—has all been overwhelmingly endorsed by our Council. The act that is now before this committee and the parliament reflects another element of this good work. Our starting point has been to build from the University of South Australia Act, as one of Australia's most contemporary examples of university legislation. 

Within this new act, we can see outlined a contemporary mission for the new institution that is based on excellence, equality of access to higher education, close connections with industry and the profession and the community we serve, together with strong and clear governance. It is indicative that much of the mission of the new university and its language is informed by and reflective of that emerging from the federal government's Accord process. 

Additionally, Catherine Branson, Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, stated: 

Like our sister institution, the Council of the University of Adelaide is supportive…of the creation of Adelaide University as envisaged in the statement of cooperation that the two universities, the federal government and the state have signed…Next year, the University of Adelaide will celebrate 150 years since it was established. An existential decision for this university is not an easy one to take, so you can know that our support is based on very careful consideration of strategic material, and it is material which has satisfied us that it's in the best interests of our university and of the state for Adelaide University to be brought into existence. 

May I turn to some other witnesses. Natasha Harvey, Director of the Centre for Cancer Biology at the University of South Australia, stated: 

I see the establishment of Adelaide University as a transformative opportunity for this state and particularly for the research environment…We see that ability to be more competitive for research funding. Also, that by having more critical mass we have more opportunity for translation both not only for patient benefit but for commercialisation of our research, and the ability to attract industry to Adelaide and partner with industry, to commercialise research, and the ability to attract clinical trials as well. 

Another witness, Craig Batty from UniSA Creative stated: 

The opportunity of having a new entity that can crack open, if you like, the higher education system, a bit like the Universities Accord is looking at, and really rethink what a contemporary, comprehensive university for the future should look like, I think is a much easier, more efficient and exciting way of doing things because we can start from the ground up, rather than just adding more to what exists or just tweaking things. It's like blowing something out of the water to really change it, to become an international benchmark of how to do things really well. 

As other members have stated in their comments on this report, I too would like to acknowledge all members of the committee, who have been named. We were very diligent in our work and very collegial, and I thank every member of that committee for working so hard together in such an intensive period. I would also like to thank the staff, who have also been named, for their dedication to the task. I commend this report.