The Group of Eight

In a The Sydney Morning Herald story about the historic performance of The Group of Eight universities in the latest QS World University Rankings – in which six Go8 unis have ranked in the world’s top 40 and ALL in the top 80 - Go8 CE Vicki Thomson warned the results come despite a “challenging funding environment” for the sector.

“To maintain our global competitiveness we need sustained investment, a national approach that brings government, business and industry together and incentivises business," she said, "Lifting investment in R&D is central to Australia’s future economic prosperity and sovereign capability".

https://bit.ly/4xBF32v

The Sydney university ranked Australia’s best for the first time The University of NSW has dethroned the prestigious University of Melbourne as Australia’s best university in rankings released on Thursday.

Professor Attila Brungs AO, Vice-Chancellor of The Group of Eight research powerhouse member UNSW writes in The Sydney Morning Herald of the historic success of Australia’s universities in this year’s QS World University Rankings – in which UNSW was ranked first in Australia and 19th in the World! At the same time, he laments the unprecedented and growing hostility towards universities and indeed experts - a phenomenon that we share with the USA, UK and Europe.

Although he notes that universities are not blameless for the lack of celebration of their success, he writes that "The time has come to talk up our world-class staff and students rather than talk them down.

"To stop confusing expertise and excellence with elitism," he says, "Too often the hard-won judgment of researchers has curdled into a broader distrust of anyone who knows their subject deeply”.

Read the oped here: https://bit.ly/3SbV9Qc

Adelaide University The Australian National University The University of Melbourne Monash University The University of Queensland University of Sydney The University of Western Australia

We keep talking down our world-leading universities. Now we can talk them up Australia has nine universities in the top 100 of the latest global rankings. Let’s cherish this success.

The QS World University Rankings 2027 ranking reinforces Australia’s reputation as a leading research nation with exceptional world class institutions. Australia’s research-intensive universities have delivered one of the nation’s strongest ever performances in the QS World University Rankings 2027, underscoring their global standing even as national investment declines.

Australia has delivered a historically strong result overall, with nine institutions in the global top 100. Six Group of Eight (Go8) universities are ranked in the global top 40 - up from just one a decade ago - with all Go8 universities now in the top 80.

UNSW Sydney is now the highest ranked Australian university, at 19 in the world. This marks one of the strongest performances Australia has ever recorded in the rankings, with most institutions improving their position over the last decade.

The Group of Eight Chief Executive Vicki Thomson said the results confirm the global strength of Australia’s research-intensive universities but also exposes a growing national challenge.

“This is an outstanding national result. Australia’s leading universities are performing at an elite global level and continue to compete with the very best in the world,” she said, “If Australia wants to remain globally competitive, we need a coordinated national effort to lift investment [in R&D] – bringing together government, business, industry, and universities with a clear goal, to strengthen our research system for the long term.”

Read the full media release here: https://bit.ly/3Q5HklK

Adelaide University The Australian National University The University of Melbourne Monash University The University of Queensland University of Sydney The University of Western Australia

“One of the things people have often told me is to slow down, don’t go as hard. I would say to my younger self: ‘Do not listen to that under any circumstances whatsoever’”, Professor Sharon Pickering, Vice-Chancellor of Monash University and The Group of Eight Deputy Chair tells The Australian Financial Review’s 15 Minutes with the Boss, "Do not slow down... throw yourself even deeper, even earlier. Do not think that there is a point at which you can wait, in which you have got things perfectly crafted. You will never be perfectly crafted.’”

Listen to the full chat with Sally Patten here: https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/leaders/how-the-death-of-her-husband-changed-this-exec-s-career-forever-20260613-p606is

And check out our Debate@Go8 episode from November last year if you want to hear from Professor Pickering: https://go8.edu.au/debatego8-episode-53-professor-sharon-pickering-vice-chancellor-monash-university

How the death of her husband changed this exec’s career forever When Sharon Pickering’s husband died, she realised she needed to choose where she directed her energy, and focus on what mattered to her.

The Group of Eight Board has received the final report of the Expert Advisory Committee on Combatting Antisemitism (EACCA) and will carefully review the report and its recommendations. We recognise the work of Dr Alan Finkel AC and the committee members to deliver this report.

The Go8 is deeply committed to combatting antisemitism, and all forms of racism, across university campuses, and our nation more broadly. Our work to ensure campuses are safe, inclusive and respectful environments will never end.

Our work to ensure campuses are safe, inclusive and respectful environments will never end. Go8 universities set the standard not just in higher education, but for Australian and international communities more broadly. We embrace that responsibility of leadership and are committed to helping improve Australia’s social cohesion.

Read the full media statement here: https://bit.ly/4xJ4rDF

Read the EACCA Report here: https://bit.ly/3Q2tksV

Adelaide University The Australian National University The University of Melbourne Monash University UNSW The University of Queensland University of Sydney The University of Western Australia

The case is clearly settled that working with partners who share our values and see knowledge and innovation as central to long-term prosperity and resilience is the foundation of the Horizon Europe partnership. The discussion is now how to make it work - how Australia positions itself in a global research and innovation system that is becoming more competitive, more strategic, and more values-driven.

That’s what yesterday’s The Group of Eight - European Union in Australia event at the University of Sydney was all about. Connected Continents: A New Era of EU-Australia Research Cooperation through Horizon Europe was a next step in ensuring Australia is ready to compete and capture the full benefit of the Horizon Europe opportunity.

But that wasn’t the only thing working towards that goal taking place yesterday. There was a very special Lunch with Industry Minister Senator Tim Ayres The EU Ambassador to Australia H.E Gabriele Visentin, and Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation Maria Cristina Russo from the European Commission with Go8, sector, government and industry leaders; meetings of the Go8 Deputy-Vice Chancellors (Research) with the Australian Research Council (ARC) as well as Australia’s chief Horizon Europe negotiator Anthony McGregor; and a meeting of the Go8 institutional leads for Horizon Europe. The aim of it all is to make sure that Australia hits the Horizon Europe ground running on Jan 1, 2017!

Adelaide University The Australian National University The University of Melbourne Monash University UNSW The University of Queensland The University of Western Australia Department of Industry, Science and Resources