The recent decision by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to suspend 146 courses, including its well-regarded Bachelor of International Studies, has raised significant concerns. These concerns go beyond the immediate threat of job losses.
The suspension of the Bachelor of International Studies program worries advocates for international education. For over 30 years, this degree has been essential for Australia’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific, noted for its semester or year abroad requirement. UTS has consistently sent a higher-than-average number of students to Asia, with 50 to 70 undergraduates participating in year-long study programs each year. This far exceeds the national average of only 20 students per university. UTS’s deep commitment to long-term immersion in the region helps develop a new generation of Australians with real cross-cultural competence and regional knowledge.
Liam Prince, Director of the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), expressed his serious concern, saying that the decision sends “entirely the wrong signal.” He pointed out that while many Australian universities struggle to support semester-length programs in the Indo-Pacific, UTS’s contributions have been crucial. Prince noted the irony that this program is being paused just as the federal government tries to promote long-term study in Asia through reforms to the New Colombo Plan (NCP). These reforms include new funding and more scholarships to tackle the declining numbers of Australian students studying in the region for longer periods. Data from 2019 indicated that only 1,800 students participated in a semester or longer in the Indo-Pacific, and that number fell to just 840 by 2023. This decline emphasizes the important role of institutions like UTS and the Australian National University (ANU) in maintaining long-term student mobility in the region.
The main issue, as pointed out by Prince and other experts, is that the UTS decision reflects larger structural problems in the higher education sector. Since 2017, the Commonwealth Department of Education has kept funding largely fixed under the Commonwealth Grant Scheme (CGS). Universities are forced to reduce their course offerings due to the lack of additional growth funding for domestic enrollments. This process has led to the merging of programs and the elimination of niche degrees that fulfill vital national interests, like international studies. UTS has already attracted media attention this year for numerous program cuts in arts and social sciences as it faces these financial challenges. Faculty and students worry that programs aimed at promoting global understanding and regional expertise are being considered dispensable, which is a myopic decision with lasting consequences.
While the NCP reforms are a positive step, these funding issues ultimately “dwarf” them, Prince warned. He pointed out that the limited actions from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the New Colombo Plan are unlikely to counteract the significant pressures facing course offerings in universities. Prince argued that unless the Australian government boosts its financial support for higher education, critical programs like UTS’s International Studies degree will keep disappearing. He cautioned that the government’s goal to enhance long-term Indo-Pacific study will be unachievable if universities continue to dismantle crucial pathways that facilitate such study. The director stressed the need for the education sector to create more courses with built-in opportunities for studying abroad, instead of eliminating one of the few remaining successful options.
Ultimately, Acicis believes this situation calls for a coordinated policy response that prioritizes Asia’s capability as a national focus. Therefore, the suspension of the UTS International Studies program is not just about cutting a single course; it has widespread effects that undermine the foundations of Australia’s future engagement with its most important region.
