Australian universities could face an "uphill struggle" in the coming years as funding cuts take hold, a group that ranks the world's universities has warned. Nine Australian universities have scored a spot in the latest Times Higher Education world university rankings, with the University of Melbourne remaining the highest-ranked at spot number But global rankings editor Ellie Bothwell says things aren't all rosy in Australia's higher education system, where six of the nine universities that made the top have slipped since last year.
But you can't sustain world-class universities and research facilities with funding cuts. The Australian National University has dropped one place in the latest rankings to number 49, while University of Sydney improved two places to number Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson says the new rankings confirm the nation's world-class standing, but also highlight the risks if cuts are not reversed.
Oxford and Cambridge universities retained their overall positions of one and two respectively in the rankings. Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox. To excel, universities need strong investment and they need to be able to attract and retain the very best global talent and research collaborations.
Credit: Chris Hopkins. The rankings' director, Phil Baty, said traditional powerhouses such as Australia, Europe and America were experiencing the effects of "creeping isolationism". Last year, the federal government froze university funding at levels, which the university sector equates to a cut because funding no longer accounts for inflation or population growth.
The freeze acts as an effective cap on university places, it says. Rankings influence international students' choices, and families are willing to pay more for universities with higher rankings.
The chief executive of the Group of Eight who represents Australia's top eight universities , Vicki Thomson, said almost every Australian university was struggling to maintain its global position. Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said the Times Higher Education warning about universities was like a Moody's warning about a downgrade to a national economy. Australian universities slide down rankings prompts funding warning.
Credit: Louie Douvis. Twenty-three Australian universities improved their overall position, while 12 dropped. But global higher education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds, which ranks the world's top universities, said Australia's further progress was being hindered by two factors.
Thirty-four Australian universities declined in teaching capacity, which is measured by faculty to student ratios that indicate class sizes. The metric reflects universities' ability to give students meaningful access to educators on the premise that higher teacher numbers reduce the teaching burdens of individual academics.
Universities have since cut hundreds of teaching staff during the coronavirus pandemic. Thirty-two universities also dropped places in employer reputation, based on how 51, employers perceived student preparation for the job market. The vast majority of people surveyed will only have first-hand information about a small number of institutions. However, higher education expert Andrew Norton said he was concerned about QS's methodology, which largely relied on survey data. Despite increased student-to-teacher ratios, Professor Norton said domestic student surveys indicated feedback and communication with academics had improved with electronic methods.
Most Australian universities improved their research rank, which measures citations over a five-year period.
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