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The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success acknowledges Indigenous peoples across Australia as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the nation’s campuses are situated. With a history spanning more than 60,000 years as the original educators, Indigenous peoples hold a unique place in our nation. We recognise the importance of their knowledge and culture, and reflect the principles of participation, equity, and cultural respect in our work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future, and consider it an honour to learn from our Indigenous colleagues, partners, and friends.

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You are reading: Equity Insights 2025: Policy, Power, and Practice for a Fairer Australian Tertiary Education System

Equity Insights 2025: Policy, Power, and Practice for a Fairer Australian Tertiary Education System brings together 22 leading voices from across the higher education landscape to examine what has changed for student equity and what more needs to be done.

The report includes university leaders, researchers, policymakers and students contemplating the future of equity in higher education.

Notable voices such as Professor Harlene Hayne (Curtin University Vice-Chancellor), Professor Margaret Sheil (Queensland University of Technology Vice-Chancellor), Professor the Hon Verity Firth AM (Vice-President Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement, UNSW), Distinguished Professor George Williams AO (Vice-Chancellor & President, Western Sydney University), Sarah Bendall (National Student Ombudsman), and Ashlyn Horton (National Union of Students) address pressing issues such as Indigenous leadership and cultural safety, the impact of artificial intelligence on access and participation, disability inclusion, the student union voice, and pathways between vocational education and higher education.

The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success launched the report at the Student Equity in an Era of Change 2025: The Australian Student Equity Symposium in Sydney on 8 September 2025.

Publications
Download the full report
Equity Insights 2025: Policy, Power, and Practice for a Fairer Australian Tertiary Education System
ACSES, 2025
Featured publications
Navigating the cultural interface: Indigenous PhD scholars’ experience of working toward equity in health research across Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand
S Andrews, T Eastman, E Munro-Harrison, and O Mazel​ , 2025
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study explored the ways in which Indigenous PhD scholars in Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand are championing community-informed and Indigenous-led research at the cultural interface in higher education.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Socio-economic backgrounds, choice of disciplines, and post-university labour market performance
R Zhu and X Gong​ , 2026
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study empirically examined the long-term labour market outcomes of university graduates from different socio-economic backgrounds, with a particular focus on the role of subject choice at university.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Culturally and linguistically diverse
Equity Policy Options: Parity Targets, Final Report
ACSES​ , 2024
This report outlines policy options in relation to parity targets for four priority equity groups in Australian higher education – students from low SES backgrounds, First Nations Australian students, students with disability, and students from regional and remote Australia.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Disability
First Nations students’ progress into and through university
J Beaufils, R Taylor, and D Edwards​ , 2026
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study provides insight into the pathways and approaches to university by First Nations students and the role that a university centre designed specifically to support First Nations students can have on building success for students.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
More publications
Navigating the cultural interface: Indigenous PhD scholars’ experience of working toward equity in health research across Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand
Tomasz Zając​ , The University of Queensland (UQ)​
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study explored the ways in which Indigenous PhD scholars in Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand are championing community-informed and Indigenous-led research at the cultural interface in higher education.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Research Reports
Socio-economic backgrounds, choice of disciplines, and post-university labour market performance
Tomasz Zając​ , The University of Queensland (UQ)​
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study empirically examined the long-term labour market outcomes of university graduates from different socio-economic backgrounds, with a particular focus on the role of subject choice at university.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Culturally and linguistically diverse
Indigenous
Low SES
Low socioeconomic status
Research Reports
Equity Policy Options: Parity Targets, Final Report
This report outlines policy options in relation to parity targets for four priority equity groups in Australian higher education – students from low SES backgrounds, First Nations Australian students, students with disability, and students from regional and remote Australia.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Disability
Indigenous
Low SES
Low socioeconomic status
Regional, rural and remote
Regional and remote
First Nations students’ progress into and through university
Tomasz Zając​ , The University of Queensland (UQ)​
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study provides insight into the pathways and approaches to university by First Nations students and the role that a university centre designed specifically to support First Nations students can have on building success for students.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Research Reports