Delivering the annual Bradley Oration on 5 November, the inaugural Chief Commissioner of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), Professor Barney Glover, said some universities faced difficult decisions about their future, but also had an opportunity to rethink how they worked together.

Introducing Professor Glover, Minister for Education Jason Clare said the pair wanted to remove barriers between vocational and university education and “break down those invisible barriers that still stop kids from poor families from making it to a place like this”.

Professor Glover paid tribute to the late Professor Denise Bradley AC, whose landmark review of higher education in 2008 helped open university doors to thousands more Australians.

“The demand driven system was the right reform at the right time. It opened doors. It changed lives," he said.

He said the challenge today was to continue that work while ensuring universities had the resources to deliver high quality education and research.

Professor Glover said international education had brought enormous benefits to Australia, strengthening relationships across the region and supporting universities’ teaching and research.

But after years of strong growth, universities would need to adjust to a different outlook, “we will not see significant growth return in the foreseeable future.”

While acknowledging the need for strong safeguards around international education, Professor Glover urged the Government to provide greater certainty, particularly around visa processing and longer-term policy settings.

“What we need is predictability. Institutions and students cannot plan on short term horizons,” he said.

He warned that uncertainty could also damage Australia’s reputation as a reliable education partner.

Professor Glover raised concerns about what a slowdown in international student revenue would mean for Australian research.

For many years, universities have relied on that income to help fund research in areas such as healthcare, food security, environmental management and advanced manufacturing. Without greater government investment, he warned, Australia risked losing research capability and the talented researchers who underpin it.

“This is a sovereign risk issue. And it deserves to be treated as one,” Professor Glover said.

He called for a significant increase in research investment, not only to make up for reduced international student revenue but to give researchers more secure careers and protect Australia’s future.

Professor Glover also considered the comprehensiveness of universities and the shift towards greater institutional differentiation. “The era of every institution attempting to do everything, everywhere, at scale, is over," he said.

He encouraged universities to find new ways of working together and pointed to opportunities for shared infrastructure, services and courses, while building on the strengths that make each institution distinctive. The goal, he said, was not to make universities more alike, but to encourage meaningful collaboration that would benefit students and the wider community.

 He also highlighted the need for further work on tertiary harmonisation to ensure better pathways and credentials architecture enables seamless transitions for learners.

The Bradley Oration honours Denise Bradley AC, a University of Sydney alumna whose work transformed access to higher education and helped shape the university system Australia has today.

Guests at this year’s event included the Hon Jason Clare MP, Professor Mary O’Kane and members of Professor Bradley’s family, including her husband, Emeritus Professor Bruce King, and sons Dr James Bradley OAM and Patrick Bradley.

Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott AO, said: “It was a privilege to welcome Minister Clare, Professor King, and the Bradley family to this year’s oration. Denise was one of our own, and her work opened doors to generations of Australians – we are proud to honour her here at Sydney.

“For Sydney, leadership for good means giving more people the chance to study and supporting research that improves lives. We are ready to work with Barney, the Minister and colleagues across the sector to build a stronger future for our universities.”

Hero image: Professor Barney Glover AO delivering the 2026 Bradley Oration (photo credit: University of Sydney / Michael Amendolia).