After decades of theoretical discussions about technologies or businesses that could threaten higher education, Australian universities are approaching a critical inflection point, where considered action and accountability for change is essential, ACU Vice-Chancellor Zlatko Skrbis has said.
In a wide-ranging interview with Future Campus, Professor Skrbis said the furious pace of technological, regulatory and market changes affecting universities had created significant challenges for institutions.
“Paying attention to the mission of the university is going to be critical. Universities must pursue truth, generate new knowledge, and reflect on the truth of claims being made in service of the public good. That is our responsibility and mission. Everything else is secondary,” he said.
“In higher education now, there is an incredible pace of change. The problem is that our institutions are configured for past patterns of regulation, technology and demand – but the outcomes we must achieve and the environment we must adapt to are fundamentally different.
“Financial margins are under pressure, new educational products are emerging, and online delivery is expanding – yet we’re navigating this amid constantly changing regulation and demand.
“At the same time, there is a growing diversity of views at every level – a fragmentation of ideas about the purpose, nature and modality of universities. People are engaged with these questions and many have strong views about them, which we are starting to see in ongoing conversations between staff and management.”
Professor Skrbis said that as president of AHIEA, the lobby representing university management in the industrial arena, he saw a need for higher education leaders to reconsider priorities and shift focus.
“No matter what regulation, shifts in demand or technological changes occur over the next five or 10 years, universities must address these changes thoughtfully and start to move towards a stronger consensus,” he said.
At the moment, almost everything works against the dominant paradigm that has driven and shaped higher education over the past decade or more: regulation, technology, community. There are sections of staff in every university who have genuine concerns about the perceived excesses of administration, and these voices raise important questions that deserve constructive engagement. Meanwhile, governments are imposing extensive regulation in response to community divisions, which results in busy work and irrational levels of reporting.
Online delivery in particular needs to be carefully reimagined, he said.
“There is a lot of focus on AI, and rightly so, but that is just one part of the online environment and we need to think more broadly about the digital learning experience,” Professor Skrbis said.
“There’s significant untapped potential where we could genuinely transform the student experience: learning management systems, digital resources and the ways students and staff access and engage with digital platforms. This is an exciting space where thoughtful innovation can keep students engaged, excited and successful.
“For us, online is our fastest-growing campus, and yet investment discussions often prioritise traditional campus infrastructure. We need to ensure that resources align with where our students are, and how they’re learning.
“How much opportunity are we missing as a sector by not fully realising the potential of our online offerings?”
The challenges facing universities are multi-faceted, he said.
“Ten years ago, we were talking about the changing nature of learning, but what we are confronting now is not reducible to online environments or AI or international caps – it is the convergence of many things that are simultaneously reshaping the institutions we call universities,” Professor Skrbis said.
“The clearest way forward is to reclaim our mission, relentlessly focusing on the pursuit of truth and generation of new knowledge – and developing new, agile approaches that better meet the needs of our community in 2026.”