There was a surplus last year and research income was a record

Woe is scarce in the university’s journal of the plague year.  A freeze on capex and a hard look at replacing people who resigned and retired in the course of normal events are just about the only entries.

And lo, now Flinders U expects a $35m surplus for 2020, on the back of above-budget revenues. And VC Colin Stirling reports a 25 per cent increase in research income, to $68m, “our highest total ever, by quite some margin.”

The bad news is that deficits are budgeted for this year and next but overall Professor Stirling focuses on what the university community achieved.

“You have collectively risen to the challenge, seized every available opportunity and we are stronger for it,” he says in a message to staff.