This is an excerpt of Professor Terry’s address to the National Press Club on 10 March 2021.

Speech at The University of Melbourne, 26 February 2021

Opening statement to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector.

Universities are vibrant and inclusive communities. They are places where people study, work, live and play. They teach 1.5 million students every year and employ more than 100,000 staff.

University researchers provided expert commentary in 67,000 COVID-19 media stories, showing the scale of the expert-led information blitz during the pandemic.

Registrations are open for the 2021 Universities Australia Conference.

University research has the power to enhance our economy, improve our societies and better the world. But getting the world on board with your research and the potential benefits it could deliver can be a challenge.

It’s safe to assume that 2020 did not turn out as most of us had hoped or planned.

While there are doubtless many unknowns awaiting us in 2021, there are some key issues and events the sector can be confident will be on the agenda this year.

There are clear economic, health and social wellbeing benefits for people who undertake post-school education and training.

The coronavirus pandemic poses a crisis to universities around the world that might seem unprecedented. Yet a new look back over Australian higher education’s last century offers surprising parallels – and potential lessons, too.