Release type: Media Release

Date:

Ministerial Reference Group - Universities Accord

Ministers:

The Hon Jason Clare MP
Minister for Education

Today I am announcing the members of the Universities Accord Ministerial Reference Group.

The Ministerial Reference Group will be a sounding board and a source of advice to the team developing the Universities Accord.

It will be chaired by me and includes representatives of higher education institutions, business, staff, students and other experts.

The Universities Accord team is led by Professor Mary O'Kane AO.

It is the first broad review of the higher education system since the Bradley Review - an opportunity to look at everything from funding and access, to affordability, transparency, regulation, employment conditions and how higher education and vocational education and training can and should work together.

Members of the Ministerial Reference Group include:

  • Senator Anthony Chisholm, Assistant Minister for Education
  • Professor Mary O’Kane AO, Chair of the Universities Accord
  • Tony Cook, Deputy Secretary, Department of Education
  • Universities Australia
  • Group of Eight
  • Innovative Research Universities
  • Australian Technology Network
  • Regional Universities Network
  • Universities Chancellor Committee
  • Independent Tertiary Council of Australia
  • Independent Higher Education Australia
  • TEQSA
  • Dr Cathy Foley, Chief Scientist of Australia
  • Misha Schubert, Science and Technology Australia
  • International Education Association of Australia
  • Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor International, University of Melbourne
  • Georgie Beatty, National Union of Students
  • Taylah Roberts, 2020 Rural Youth Ambassador
  • National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)
  • Australian Education Union (AEU)
  • Professor Andrew Norton, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods
  • Associate Professor Paul Harpur, disability rights legal advocate, University of Queensland
  • National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium
  • Professor Lester Rigney, University of South Australia
  • National Centre for the Student of Equity in Higher Education
  • The Hon Professor Verity Firth, University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
  • Business Council of Australia (BCA)
  • Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA)
  • Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
  • Australian Industry Group (AIG)
  • TAFE Directors Australia
  • Jobs and Skills Australia
  • Pat Forward, former AEU Federal TAFE Secretary