Education observers in Adelaide suggest today’s discussion paper on the possibility of merging the universities of Adelaide and South Australia will point to four big plusses:

* economic benefits greater than the two institutions could separately produce

* more choice and expanded access for more students from broader backgrounds

* a bigger research base

* more opportunities for researchers and university teachers and expanded careers for graduates in new technology based industries generated by a world-scale institution.

However, observers also acknowledge real problems with the proposal, including;

*  massification and what it would mean for staff and student experiences

* contradictory needs of different student segments

* a merger that fails to efficiently address the administration of a very big institution

*  a return on investment that does not justify the opportunity cost.