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As we head into federal budget week, many students and academics are waiting to see what the government has to say about higher education. Education Minister Jason Clare has been flagging this will be an important budget for universities.
But amid concerns about students’ enormous debts and the quality of education they receive, there is another story playing out on Australian campuses. Since last month, students have been protesting against the Gaza war, and calling on their institutions to cut ties with weapons manufacturers that supply arms to Israel. Things have been largely peaceful, but some Jewish students say they do not feel safe, police have flagged concerns about potential violence, and university leaders have sought advice about hate speech.
Deakin University’s Maria O'Sullivan specialises in human rights law. Today she examines the complexities of these campus camps, from the right to protest peacefully, to the need for any responses from authorities to be proportionate. For example, if some students are using provocative terms such as “intifada”, that does not mean the whole protest should necessarily be shut down. As O'Sullivan notes, “In my view, it would be unlawful under human rights law to
close down an entire protest simply on the basis that some protesters are using that language.”
Australia is not alone in having to grapple with these questions. Young protesters have set up protest camps at universities around the world. What is it about Gaza that is driving such intense activism among young people, in particular?
Erin O'Brien, an expert in political activism, says one reason is the urgency of the situation at the moment in Rafah, where Israel has ordered tens of thousands of people to leave as it escalates its strikes there. “Activists may be motivated by the sense this is a critical juncture in the conflict where their protest may have a real impact,” O'Brien writes.
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Judith Ireland
Education Editor
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Maria O'Sullivan, Deakin University
Students have now been protesting on Australian campuses for weeks. But as the camps become more established, so, too, do concerns about student safety.
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Erin O'Brien, Griffith University
The situation in Gaza undoubtedly requires urgent international attention and a peaceful resolution. Yet it is not the only armed conflict or humanitarian crisis in the world.
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Sara Dehm, University of Technology Sydney; Anthea Vogl, University of Technology Sydney
The decision is a missed opportunity to move away from Australia’s practice of indefinite immigration detention.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure.
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Marlene Longbottom, James Cook University; Hannah McGlade, Curtin University; Kyllie Cripps, Monash University
First Nations women are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of domestic violence than non-Indigenous women. We need to put Indigenous women at the centre of the discussion.
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Penni Russon, Monash University
Australia has a long history of book banning organised by Christian associations and churches. A federal court appeal attempt to ban graphic memoir Gender Queer is still to be considered this year.
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Jochen Kaempf, Flinders University
States are once again turning to desalination to secure freshwater supplies. The problem is, they’re often choosing the wrong spot for ecosystems and fisheries
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Tracey Clement, Australian Catholic University
After spending more than 500 hours embroidering in an attempt to come to terms with the bushfires of 2019-2020, I discovered that while no news may be good news, ‘slow news’ is even better.
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Holly Seale, UNSW Sydney
Expanding the places people can get a flu vaccine could help.
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Julian Koplin, Monash University
ChatGPT and other AI writing tools can make researchers more productive – but quality control is essential.
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Steven Hail, Torrens University Australia
The theory that money emerged naturally encourages people to believe free markets are natural systems in which governments only interfere. But this thinking is flawed.
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Eloise Stevens, The Conversation
Botanist Paul Ashton explains the difference between trees that lose their leaves, and those that don’t on The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast.
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Politics + Society
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Holding up Labor’s female vote will be vital, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared Tuesday will bring “a budget for mums and middle Australia”.
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Health + Medicine
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Yousuf Mohammed, The University of Queensland; Khanh Phan, The University of Queensland; Vania Rodrigues Leite E. Silva, The University of Queensland
Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your skin loses its elasticity as you age, they can set in. Here’s how to minimise them forming.
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Science + Technology
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Edward Musole, University of New England
Wearables are on the rise, including a new category: neurotechnology. A headband that can track your brain activity sounds fun, but the data it collects should be stringently protected.
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Environment + Energy
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James Helal, The University of Melbourne; Dario Trabucco, Università Iuav di Venezia
The pursuit of ‘vanity height’ in skyscrapers is driven by aesthetic appeal and the status of being ‘the tallest’. Redefining how we measure building heights can help cut the environmental cost.
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Arts + Culture
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Kim Munro, University of South Australia
There is a long tradition in video art where artists have used existing footage to comment on and amplify social, political and environmental issues.
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Business + Economy
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Jenny Williams, The University of Melbourne; Christiern Rose, The University of Queensland
Policymakers will have to think carefully about pricing, taxation and providing discounts for buying in bulk. Else legalisation may not deliver a substantial tax windfall after all.
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The Conversation AU
Melbourne VIC, Australia
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Full Time
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The Conversation AU
Melbourne VIC, Australia
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Full Time
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