Wellington (Thursday, 4 July 2024)
The New Zealand Initiative has released a report highlighting the critical challenges facing the country's universities.
This report is based on the symposium "The Future of Our Universities," which took place in May 2024.
The report, written by Dr James Kierstead, highlights several pressing issues threatening the sustainability and quality
of tertiary education in New Zealand:Severe funding pressures, with universities collectively forecasting a deficit for the first time in 2024Declining international rankings of New Zealand universities over the past decadeGrowing bureaucratisation diverting resources away from core teaching and research functionsConcerns about threats to academic freedom and viewpoint diversity on campusesUnderinvestment in research and development compared to other OECD countries
"The challenges our universities face are complex and deeply entrenched,” said Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of
The New Zealand Initiative. “Overcoming them will require boldness, creativity and above all, an unwavering commitment
to a free and open contest of ideas."
The report serves as a wake-up call to raise awareness of these critical issues facing New Zealand universities and the
need for new ideas and approaches to address these complex challenges.
The full report "The Future of Our Universities" is available on The New Zealand Initiative's website.About The New Zealand Initiative
The New Zealand Initiative is an evidence-based think tank and research institute contributing to public policy
discussion.
Supported by the nation’s leading visionaries, business leaders and political thinkers, we are committed to making New
Zealand a better country for all its citizens with a world-class education system, affordable housing, a healthy
environment, sound public finances and a stable currency.