Problem now is that universities in Perth “feel competition is local not global”

The state’s chief scientist Peter Klinken put the idea to the Legislative Assembly’s Education and Health Standing Committee, and last week it was raised in the chamber.

“There are universities here in WA that are really struggling. For the good of our society, I think we need to make sure that this sector remains viable. I think the best option is to combine all of them into one,” Professor Klinken said.

He added that “preliminary analysis that I have seen” indicated a state-wide university would be in the world top 50 and “it would take us close to being the highest ranked university in the country and it would provide serious scale.”

“If you have good rankings, students come to you. That covers your research, therefore you get better rankings and therefore you get more students; it is a virtuous circle going forward. If you cut the students, you have less money to go into research, your research rankings go down, your international rankings go down, students are less likely to come and see you, therefore you have less money, you do less research and you go through a death spiral.”

Professor Linken added that it would take leadership to start the needed serious conversation. “I think the universities here in Perth have been so focused on internecine warfare that they feel the competition is local, not global. We are playing in a global field; we should not be squabbling amongst ourselves and wasting our energy.”

Committee chair Chris Tallentire raised Professor Klinken’s ideas in the chamber on Thursday.