Autonomous threats

Researchers are concerned the Covid-19 pandemic drove increased government oversight of Australia’s universities

The Covid-19 pandemic brought restrictions onto nearly every part of Australians’ lives. Now most of those rules to curb the spread of the virus have gone, but some are worried that government control imposed on universities will linger into the future.

In a study published in the journal Higher Education Research & Development on 11 August, two researchers at Australian universities said the pandemic “weakened university autonomy” as Scott Morrison’s government tightened oversight over universities, university funding and research.