Australian Academy of the Humanities raises alarm over ANU cuts: a national capability at risk

Media release | Wednesday 9 July 2025

The Australian Academy of the Humanities has expressed grave concern about the Australian National University’s (ANU) proposed restructuring of its humanities and social sciences programs, warning that the cuts pose a serious threat to Australia’s national intellectual and cultural capabilities.

In a strong statement today, the President of the Academy Professor Stephen Garton AM FAHA FRAHS FASSA FRSN said the proposed closure of long-standing national infrastructure and capabilities—including the Humanities Research Centre, the European Studies Centre, and the Australian National Dictionary Centre—as well as deep cuts to the ANU School of Music and Australian Dictionary of Biography, represents the loss of irreplaceable national assets.

“This is not the time to reduce our national humanities capabilities,” said Professor Garton. “Global unrest, the societal impact of AI, rising inequality, climate change, and declining trust in democratic institutions all require bold, independent Australian thinking. The humanities help us understand ourselves, our neighbours, and the profound transformations our society is undergoing.”

The Academy warns that ANU’s restructuring is not an isolated incident but echoes similar recent cuts at other Australian universities including Macquarie, Wollongong, Tasmania, and La Trobe.

“While universities have the autonomy to set their own priorities, there is no national assessment of the cumulative damage these cuts are causing. This is a sovereign risk that Australia cannot afford.”

The Academy is calling on the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) to take a leadership role in coordinating a national audit of disciplinary expertise and to assess the implications for Australia’s future knowledge base.

“Our nation’s understanding of key regions such as Indonesia, Russia, and South Asia is already imperilled. Programs and expertise that have taken generations to build are vanishing. Once lost, they cannot be easily rebuilt, and the consequences for Australia’s international positioning and domestic cohesion are real and immediate.”

The Academy also noted that university students in the humanities have been adversely affected by government policies, especially the Job Ready Graduates (JRG) scheme, which has dramatically increased student debt in some humanities disciplines.

“The JRG policy is disproportionately harming regional students, Indigenous students, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to take courses in society and culture than other disciplines,” said Professor Garton. “It is deeply disappointing that the Government has not yet acted on expert advice—including from its own review of Higher Education, the Universities Accord.”

Link to full statement. 

Media contact Abra Pressler Communications Manager 02 5111 1439 abra.pressler@humanities.org.au

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