Newsletter 3 2025, from Lee Duffield, Member of UQ Senate elected by graduates of the university
The Middle East conflict came to UQ once more, with, in January, Jewish groups pressing for the University of Queensland Press (UQP) to drop its planned publication of a novel set in Gaza four years ago, under an earlier bombardment. The author is the Australian Muslim academic and advocate for Palestinian rights, Randa Abdel-Fattah. UQP has editorial independence but was prevailed upon to take down from its website some quotations from the writer that did not relate directly to the coming book. The matter attracted some media attention, mainly a fairly comprehensive article in the Courier Mail on 22.1.25.
The university as an important liberal institution is itself, to me an appropriate arbiter of the meaning and limits to free discussion, and will most often come up with a fair solution. In the present case, the main objection to Dr Abdel-Fattah being published is that she has previously referred to the attack on Gaza by the government of Israel as a genocide. That is being said in many quarters; censoring her book will not stop it, if that is the objective of the complaints. Whatever the outcome of the incident UQ has always been conscientious about protecting and preserving the rights of Jewish members of the university community.
Last year, the opposing sides occupied “tent cities” in the Great Court during April and May, a “Students4Palestine” encampment and “Camp Shalom”. As reported by me (Facebook – Lee Duffield Higher Ed, posted 28.8.24), both packed up at the insistence of university authorities just before examinations started in early June. Earlier, protests were made, while the university Senate was meeting, by “pro-Palestine” activists wanting disclosure of any research or investment connecting the university to arms production for Israel; and a dossier on research and investment was made public in response (Facebook – Lee Diffield Higher Ed, posted 3.6.24).
Lee Duffield
Feb 2025
POLITICAL SEASON IN 2025
Starting 2025, universities are watching the federal elections, to see if the Universities Accord project for restructuring the system will go ahead, or find out how much of it might survive a change of government.
Despite targeted new funding for parts of the sector, as in the 2024-25 federal budget, several universities, due to funding shortfalls and generally difficult economic climate, have been under financial stress and lagging in other performance indicators.
PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL FUTURES
Not so UQ which for another year was annointed Best University in the Financial Review survey, one that uses teaching and learning criteria, and graduate outcomes like jobs performance, as well as information on research achievements that is emphasised in other ratings systems. Two or three of those surveys also allocated UQ a global top 50 or top 100 place.
Other “Group of Eight” universities have encountered greater difficulties, especially in Sydney and Melbourne, as major migration centres where they were loaded up with International enrolments, and suffered from the falling-off during COVID.
Not to say that present financial viability, which UQ has, is a guarantee of on-going security.
The present strategy as explained to inexpert readers of balance sheets is to restrain spending on capital expansion, with just two main projects (the new Union complex and sports-fitness centre), to be debt financed, and to maintain, not spend cash reserves, in the range of $200-million, because of inevitable future commitments – no “living off expected revenues”. The university currently obtains 56% of its tuition fees revenue from International Students. It is currently operating within its present cap, or quota of such enrolments, but anticipates the dependency will grow. It works to diversify revenue through investments.
For friends of the university interested in the finances, see the published annual reports.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Goodbye to the Confucius Institute: Controversial in its time, after 15 years the Confucius centre quietly folded at the end of 2024 with the retirement of a professor there. One of hundreds of such centres at schools and universities world-wide, it offered teaching in Chinese culture and language. Chinese language is continuing to be taught in the School of Languages and Cultures. The Institute’s installattion at UQ, along with the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation that opened in 2020, raised concerns about outside interests teaching into mainstream programs at the university, and through buying their way in, often enough demanding to choose staff and allocate scholarships to selected students. Should the university be like an ailing department store playing host to several autonomous brand outlets? What would that do to its own central mission, to ensure autonomous research and learning, and ultimately to its “brand”?
A plan for a reconciliation and employment strategy was brought to the October 2024 meeting of the Senate by the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Indiigenous Engagement, Professor Bronwyn Fredericks. Resources and solutions were worked out through an independent evaluation process, to be part of an extended equity, diversity and inclusion program. Subject to funding it should be implemented from the early party of this year.