Are Our Universities Built for Australia’s Future?

Dangerous Dinner

Hosted by Prof Barbara van Ernst AM & Deborah Remfry

Australian universities are in crisis. Wage theft scandals, mass layoffs, and a workforce held together by insecure contracts have eroded trust. Reliance on international students has made the sector financially fragile, exposed to global politics. Campuses once imagined as havens of fearless inquiry are now contested spaces where some students feel unsafe - because of harassment, discrimination, or the chilling of debate itself.

Are universities still public institutions serving the national interest, or corporations chasing revenue and rankings? If higher education is no longer affordable or accessible to all, can it still claim to advance equality? And if research agendas are driven by government priorities, corporate sponsorship, or defence dollars, can we trust universities to remain engines of independent thought?

This dinner is about personal reckoning as much as public policy. What kind of universities do we want shaping Australia in the coming decades? Would you still encourage your children - or yourself - to invest in them? What are you willing to see change in the pursuit of affordability or job-readiness? And what would you resist if it meant sacrificing independence, diversity, or intellectual freedom?

Join us for an unflinching conversation about the future of Australia’s universities: whether they are institutions that will benefit the nation in the decades ahead - or relics already failing the society they are meant to serve.

Dangerous Dinners give you the opportunity to fearlessly discuss contemporary, challenging and interesting ideas, themes and points of view.

In a relaxed, informal dining environment, we draw on the diverse expertise of our members, sharing their ideas and experiences on complex or controversial topics; to learn from others, challenge assumptions, spark new ideas or point the way for potential actions.

Dangerous because the topics may be difficult to discuss, ask the silent questions, challenge thinking, unpack pressing issues, test emerging trends. Safe because we respect others’ views, it is polite not offensive, under Chatham House rule and listening with the intent to learn.

On a regular basis, you will be able to join your fellow Melbourne Forum members for a robust discussion on a range of themes in dynamic company and over a light meal. The focus is on ‘food for thought’ with shared conversations and shared platters as part of the collegiality.