Latest news with #UniversityofNSW
Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Australian universities' drop in global rankings is Donald Trump's fault, according to The Guardian
The 2026 QS World University Rankings released on Thursday revealed 25 out of Australia's 36 universities had experienced a substantial fall and equated to the third biggest drop in the world. In The Guardian's article covering the drop, "attacks from Donald Trump" were one of the leading reasons for the slip in standards. "Dozens of Australia's top universities have dropped in a global ranking amid a 'turbulent year' for higher education, as attacks from Donald Trump's second administration exacerbated years of disruption for the embattled sector", The Guardian claimed in the article's opening sentence. The rankings reflected growing competition in the region with institutions across Asia climbing up the charts, including in Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. The University of Melbourne, the country's top higher education institution fell six spots to 19th in the world, with the University of NSW falling to 20th down one and the University of Sydney plummeting from 20th to 25th position. In its coverage of the slump, The Guardian listed 'attacks from Donald Trump's second administration', referring to the US President's crackdown on funding to Australian universities as a prime reason for the poor result. Despite the article detailing a range of local policy issues that have contributed towards Australia's poor performance in the global ranking, The Guardian chose to attack the US President in the opening line of its article. "At least seven Australian universities have had research programs temporarily suspended by the Trump administration this year, while a dozen universities were sent a questionnaire asking to confirm whether they aligned with US government interests," The Guardian wrote. "The chief executive of the Go8, Vicki Thomson, said the results came against a backdrop of global uncertainty and 'mixed messaging' from Australia's largest research partner, the US." Although the US government provides Australian universities with a considerable amount of funding, the federal government's caps on international students and declining government funding of the higher education industry have substantially impacted the operational capabilities of the nation's top tertiary institutions. The Albanese government in mid-2024 announced its plan to cap international student enrolments in 2025 at 270,000 students, with publicly funded universities allocated 145,000 new international student commencements. The federal government also implemented stricter visa and financial requirements for international students, increasing visa fees from $710 to $1,600 dollars in July 2024 with graduate visa restrictions also imposed on international students over 35. The Group of Eight – a coalition of Australia's top universities slammed the move and said at the time the decision had 'significantly damaged the global reputation of Australia's international education sector' and would result in up to $1 billion less revenue for their member universities in 2025. Universities reliant on international enrolments were hit hard by the move, with Macquarie University implementing sweeping course cuts and staff layoffs in late May to bring about short-term savings due to the sudden drop in tuition fees. Macquarie University's proposed cuts will impact 42 FTE (full-time equivalent) roles in arts and 33 in science and engineering, eliminating popular majors like music, politics and archaeology saving $15 million amid declining enrolment rates. QS chief executive Jessica Turner said international education was worth an estimated $51 billion in Australia in 2023-24, and that Australia faced mounting competition from multiple Asia-Pacific countries. 'Emerging markets such as Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, and the UAE are making impressive strides and steadily closing the gap with more established study destinations,' Ms Turner said speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald. Director of Western Civilisation Program at the Institute of Public Affairs Dr Bella d'Abrera said that campus safety, governance, a rise in antisemitism and free speech concerns were also directly impacting the performance rankings of Australian universities. "It's hardly surprising that Australian universities are slipping down the league tables, they are no longer places of higher learning but have become ideological training camps where free speech is dead, dissent is punished, and students are forced to toe the activist line or risk academic penalties,' Dr d'Abrera said. "Free speech in Australian universities is not just under threat—it's extinct. And until we stop rewarding mediocrity and punishing independent thought, our universities will continue to slide into irrelevance.'
The Age
a day ago
- Health
- The Age
Is ‘lifting heavy' the solution to perimenopausal changes? Meet the women choosing weights.
Is there any hope for those of us who perhaps don't enjoy the weights room in the gym or are we doomed to a perimenopausal fog of wasting muscle and athletic dreams crumbling alongside our bones? Loading 'The generalisation that we need to lift heavy to offset the changes during menopause is too simplistic,' says Dr Mandy Hagstrom, an exercise scientist at the University of NSW who specialises in women's health. 'We have so many changes that occur during menopause that are addressed by different exercise prescriptions.' Why are perimenopausal women being told to lift heavy? Post-menopausal women (those who have not had their period for 12 months or more) have the highest risk of osteoporosis. Lifting heavy weights can indeed prevent that bone density loss and stimulate new bone. Why? Because the mechanical tension of the tendons and ligaments pulling on the bone when they're under a heavy load causes the bone to adapt. 'When we don't pull on the bone sufficiently, we don't adapt the bone,' says Hagstrom, a former Commonwealth powerlifting medallist. This means that activities like cycling, walking, swimming and even resistance training using body weight or the heavy springs in a Pilates class don't benefit the bone. One new review found that, when supervised, progressively weighted impact exercises such as deadlifts, overhead presses, back squats and jumping chin-ups with drop landings were safe and improved bone density even in women with low density. 'Through lifting challenging weights, we maintain muscle (our inner metabolic furnace), strengthen bone density – 50 per cent of women aged over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis – and improve overall health, quality of life and longevity,' says Michelle Bridges, who recently launched two new programs, the Menopause Method and the Perimenopause Method. Lifting is important for everyone's bone health, agrees Professor Jenny Gunton, chair of medicine at Westmead Hospital in Sydney. 'Even though astronauts are super-inspringly fit people, the lack of this good bone stress is why they lose a huge amount of bone density so quickly when they are in space,' she says. But, she adds, lifting is not the only strategy to improve bone health. Impact-based exercise, like running, jumping, tennis and dance also strengthens our bones, in part by regulating hormone levels. 'As a good example, tennis players have substantially higher bone mineral content in their tennis arm,' Gunton says. A metanalysis published in April found that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise led to the greatest gains in bone health among post-menopausal women. 'Overall, I think there is less certainty about the need to lift 'heavy' than people say,' says Professor Cathie Sherrington, deputy director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney. 'It is true that bones need to be loaded to get stronger, but it seems that weight-bearing activity (running, jumping) and moderate resistance training is sufficient for this.' Perimenopause is more than bone health For women in perimenopause or menopause, each facet of health is impacted by a different type of activity. Heavy lifting is not necessarily the most efficient way to tackle all the changes that occur during this period, including the loss of lean muscle mass and accumulation of fat mass. 'To change that body composition, it's often more effective to lift lower weights with a higher volume,' says Hagstrom. 'It blows my mind that there's so much dogma around: 'you must do interval training, and you must only lift heavy'. Both of those things are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all and not everyone is going to enjoy them.' The symptoms of perimenopause and menopause also often coincide with a time when women are in peak career, parenting and caring roles too. Throw in sleep disturbances and the answer to the best type of exercise becomes: any. Loading Put all the pieces together, and it is what we can fit in, what we enjoy and, if we're being finicky, what provides variety so we have the strength, stamina, flexibility and balance to move, function and feel well at any age. Variety, it turns out, is the one common denominator among the experts. Bridges does weight training four-to-five days a week, including a pump class for the vibe: 'My schedule and single mum life can sometimes take the lead, but I aim for that.' She often tacks on an interval or sprint session at the end, performing about five ('or more depending on how much of a boss you are') all-out efforts for 20 to 30 seconds with a rest of two to three minutes. Sherrington is also a fan of pump classes and lifts, but not 'heavy'. Rather, she does moderate intensity strength training twice a week with a focus on functional activities like squats and step-ups. Simmons aims for two or three strength sessions, one yoga or Pilates class, one conditioning session, such as a hilly walk, and one recovery session in a sauna. Hagstrom's routine is different again. She does two 40-minute steady-state sessions on her bike at home while her son has screen time. This is finished off with 20 minutes of strength, using 10-kilogram dumbbells or a 20-kilogram barbell. She runs once a week for metabolic fitness, and aims to walk when possible for the enjoyment and time outdoors. Lastly, she does yoga or Pilates from home several times a week for balance, posture, flexibility and stability. 'Everyone's journey is different,' she says. 'There is no perfect formula.'
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Is ‘lifting heavy' the solution to perimenopausal changes? Meet the women choosing weights.
Is there any hope for those of us who perhaps don't enjoy the weights room in the gym or are we doomed to a perimenopausal fog of wasting muscle and athletic dreams crumbling alongside our bones? Loading 'The generalisation that we need to lift heavy to offset the changes during menopause is too simplistic,' says Dr Mandy Hagstrom, an exercise scientist at the University of NSW who specialises in women's health. 'We have so many changes that occur during menopause that are addressed by different exercise prescriptions.' Why are perimenopausal women being told to lift heavy? Post-menopausal women (those who have not had their period for 12 months or more) have the highest risk of osteoporosis. Lifting heavy weights can indeed prevent that bone density loss and stimulate new bone. Why? Because the mechanical tension of the tendons and ligaments pulling on the bone when they're under a heavy load causes the bone to adapt. 'When we don't pull on the bone sufficiently, we don't adapt the bone,' says Hagstrom, a former Commonwealth powerlifting medallist. This means that activities like cycling, walking, swimming and even resistance training using body weight or the heavy springs in a Pilates class don't benefit the bone. One new review found that, when supervised, progressively weighted impact exercises such as deadlifts, overhead presses, back squats and jumping chin-ups with drop landings were safe and improved bone density even in women with low density. 'Through lifting challenging weights, we maintain muscle (our inner metabolic furnace), strengthen bone density – 50 per cent of women aged over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis – and improve overall health, quality of life and longevity,' says Michelle Bridges, who recently launched two new programs, the Menopause Method and the Perimenopause Method. Lifting is important for everyone's bone health, agrees Professor Jenny Gunton, chair of medicine at Westmead Hospital in Sydney. 'Even though astronauts are super-inspringly fit people, the lack of this good bone stress is why they lose a huge amount of bone density so quickly when they are in space,' she says. But, she adds, lifting is not the only strategy to improve bone health. Impact-based exercise, like running, jumping, tennis and dance also strengthens our bones, in part by regulating hormone levels. 'As a good example, tennis players have substantially higher bone mineral content in their tennis arm,' Gunton says. A metanalysis published in April found that a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise led to the greatest gains in bone health among post-menopausal women. 'Overall, I think there is less certainty about the need to lift 'heavy' than people say,' says Professor Cathie Sherrington, deputy director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney. 'It is true that bones need to be loaded to get stronger, but it seems that weight-bearing activity (running, jumping) and moderate resistance training is sufficient for this.' Perimenopause is more than bone health For women in perimenopause or menopause, each facet of health is impacted by a different type of activity. Heavy lifting is not necessarily the most efficient way to tackle all the changes that occur during this period, including the loss of lean muscle mass and accumulation of fat mass. 'To change that body composition, it's often more effective to lift lower weights with a higher volume,' says Hagstrom. 'It blows my mind that there's so much dogma around: 'you must do interval training, and you must only lift heavy'. Both of those things are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all and not everyone is going to enjoy them.' The symptoms of perimenopause and menopause also often coincide with a time when women are in peak career, parenting and caring roles too. Throw in sleep disturbances and the answer to the best type of exercise becomes: any. Loading Put all the pieces together, and it is what we can fit in, what we enjoy and, if we're being finicky, what provides variety so we have the strength, stamina, flexibility and balance to move, function and feel well at any age. Variety, it turns out, is the one common denominator among the experts. Bridges does weight training four-to-five days a week, including a pump class for the vibe: 'My schedule and single mum life can sometimes take the lead, but I aim for that.' She often tacks on an interval or sprint session at the end, performing about five ('or more depending on how much of a boss you are') all-out efforts for 20 to 30 seconds with a rest of two to three minutes. Sherrington is also a fan of pump classes and lifts, but not 'heavy'. Rather, she does moderate intensity strength training twice a week with a focus on functional activities like squats and step-ups. Simmons aims for two or three strength sessions, one yoga or Pilates class, one conditioning session, such as a hilly walk, and one recovery session in a sauna. Hagstrom's routine is different again. She does two 40-minute steady-state sessions on her bike at home while her son has screen time. This is finished off with 20 minutes of strength, using 10-kilogram dumbbells or a 20-kilogram barbell. She runs once a week for metabolic fitness, and aims to walk when possible for the enjoyment and time outdoors. Lastly, she does yoga or Pilates from home several times a week for balance, posture, flexibility and stability. 'Everyone's journey is different,' she says. 'There is no perfect formula.'
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Australia's top universities revealed in global rankings list
University of Melbourne retained its position as the top-rated Australian institution in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. But it slid six places, from 13th to 19th in the world. University of NSW ranked 20th, down from 19th in the 2025 edition, while Sydney University dropped seven spots to 25. Australian National University ranked 32nd in the world, dropping two places compared to last year. Regional universities didn't fare much better, also tumbling down the prestigious world rankings. The University of Wollongong was the top regional uni at 184th, down 17 places. The University of Newcastle came in next at 227th, down 48 places while La Trobe University fell to 233rd from 217th, The University of Tasmania was down 21 places to 314th. The most jaw-dropping fall went to the University of Canberra, which plummeted 91 places to 494. Charles Sturt University slipped down two ranking bands from 851-900 to 951-1000, but the Australian Catholic University improved one ranking band from 901-950 to 851-900. Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said the results remained "impressive". "This comes against a backdrop of global uncertainty and mixed messaging from our largest research partner, the US, which threatens our very capacity to deliver on our mission of education and research," she said. "And yet despite these headwinds, Australia continues to punch above its weight, ranking fifth overall as the best higher education system in the world. "The rankings take into account academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations, the faculty members per student ratio, international student and staff ratios and sustainability." University of Melbourne retained its position as the top-rated Australian institution in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. But it slid six places, from 13th to 19th in the world. University of NSW ranked 20th, down from 19th in the 2025 edition, while Sydney University dropped seven spots to 25. Australian National University ranked 32nd in the world, dropping two places compared to last year. Regional universities didn't fare much better, also tumbling down the prestigious world rankings. The University of Wollongong was the top regional uni at 184th, down 17 places. The University of Newcastle came in next at 227th, down 48 places while La Trobe University fell to 233rd from 217th, The University of Tasmania was down 21 places to 314th. The most jaw-dropping fall went to the University of Canberra, which plummeted 91 places to 494. Charles Sturt University slipped down two ranking bands from 851-900 to 951-1000, but the Australian Catholic University improved one ranking band from 901-950 to 851-900. Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said the results remained "impressive". "This comes against a backdrop of global uncertainty and mixed messaging from our largest research partner, the US, which threatens our very capacity to deliver on our mission of education and research," she said. "And yet despite these headwinds, Australia continues to punch above its weight, ranking fifth overall as the best higher education system in the world. "The rankings take into account academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations, the faculty members per student ratio, international student and staff ratios and sustainability." University of Melbourne retained its position as the top-rated Australian institution in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. But it slid six places, from 13th to 19th in the world. University of NSW ranked 20th, down from 19th in the 2025 edition, while Sydney University dropped seven spots to 25. Australian National University ranked 32nd in the world, dropping two places compared to last year. Regional universities didn't fare much better, also tumbling down the prestigious world rankings. The University of Wollongong was the top regional uni at 184th, down 17 places. The University of Newcastle came in next at 227th, down 48 places while La Trobe University fell to 233rd from 217th, The University of Tasmania was down 21 places to 314th. The most jaw-dropping fall went to the University of Canberra, which plummeted 91 places to 494. Charles Sturt University slipped down two ranking bands from 851-900 to 951-1000, but the Australian Catholic University improved one ranking band from 901-950 to 851-900. Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said the results remained "impressive". "This comes against a backdrop of global uncertainty and mixed messaging from our largest research partner, the US, which threatens our very capacity to deliver on our mission of education and research," she said. "And yet despite these headwinds, Australia continues to punch above its weight, ranking fifth overall as the best higher education system in the world. "The rankings take into account academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations, the faculty members per student ratio, international student and staff ratios and sustainability." University of Melbourne retained its position as the top-rated Australian institution in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. But it slid six places, from 13th to 19th in the world. University of NSW ranked 20th, down from 19th in the 2025 edition, while Sydney University dropped seven spots to 25. Australian National University ranked 32nd in the world, dropping two places compared to last year. Regional universities didn't fare much better, also tumbling down the prestigious world rankings. The University of Wollongong was the top regional uni at 184th, down 17 places. The University of Newcastle came in next at 227th, down 48 places while La Trobe University fell to 233rd from 217th, The University of Tasmania was down 21 places to 314th. The most jaw-dropping fall went to the University of Canberra, which plummeted 91 places to 494. Charles Sturt University slipped down two ranking bands from 851-900 to 951-1000, but the Australian Catholic University improved one ranking band from 901-950 to 851-900. Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said the results remained "impressive". "This comes against a backdrop of global uncertainty and mixed messaging from our largest research partner, the US, which threatens our very capacity to deliver on our mission of education and research," she said. "And yet despite these headwinds, Australia continues to punch above its weight, ranking fifth overall as the best higher education system in the world. "The rankings take into account academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations, the faculty members per student ratio, international student and staff ratios and sustainability."
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Top Aussie unis slip down global rankings
Australian universities have fallen down the international rankings. However, the prestigious tertiary institutes still leave Australia ranked as the fifth-best nation for higher study. Released on Thursday, the QS World University Rankings show only Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland have more top-100 universities than Australia on a relative basis. The top-ranked University of Melbourne fell from 13th to 19th spot, while the University of NSW, The University of Sydney and ANU also slipped. Australia has 36 universities in the total list of 1501 THAT QS ranked this year. Nine Australian unis made the top-100, a fifth place result. federal opposition education spokesman Jonno Duniam, called a slip in the rankings a 'disappointment'. 'The government must take note of our constant slide down the rankings and implement policy and funding solutions to get our universities to where they need to be,' he said. 'It is simply not good enough.' Analysis of the rankings show 70 per cent of Australian universities have reduced their academic staff-to-student ratio. 'We want education policies that meet the 21st century skills that our economy demands, not just funding injections from which Australian taxpayers cannot see a reasonable return on their investments – not to mention our university students who deserve better,' Mr Duniam said. The University of NSW fell from 19th to 20th spot in this year's rankings. The University of Sydney came down from 18th to 25th, and ANU slipped from 30th spot to 32nd. Monash rose one spot to 36th, and the University of Queensland fell two spots to 42nd. UWA held steady at 77th. The unopened Adelaide University debuted in the 82nd spot. The University of Technology Sydney fell from 88th to 96th. The Group of Eight is a combined body representing Australia's top eight universities; chief executive Vicki Thomson said Australia punched above its weight. 'At a time when global collaboration underpinned by quality has never been more important, the ranking result for Australia and in particular the Go8 is impressive,' she said. 'This comes against a backdrop of global uncertainty and mixed messaging from our largest research partner, the United States, which threatens our very capacity to deliver on our mission of education and research. 'And yet despite these headwinds, Australia continues to punch above its weight, ranking fifth overall as the best higher education system in the world.' The strong showing was testimony to the quality of our universities and academic and research staff, Ms Thomson said. 'That we have two Go8 members ranked in the top 20 and six in the world's top 50 is an outstanding result and must not be taken for granted but rather leveraged in these contested times,' she said. 'Singularly impressive is the debut of the new Adelaide University at 82. This result confirms that Adelaide University will create quality at the scale needed to deliver far-reaching benefits for Australia's research and higher education.' Adelaide University, set to open in 2026, is an amalgamation of the University of South Australia and The University of Adelaide.
