The Australian Human Rights Commission has released its final report, Respect@Uni: Study into Antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experience of First Nations people, outlining measures to eliminate discrimination across Australia’s university sector.
The Respect@Uni Study was led by the Race Discrimination Commissioner, Mr Giridharan Sivaraman, and commissioned by the Australian Government in response to a recommendation of the Australian Universities Accord.
Evidence for the Respect@Uni Study draws on the lived experiences of more than 76,000 university students and staff across 42 universities. This evidence will inform the Government’s broader approach to addressing racism nationwide.
The AHRC conducted a national online prevalence survey alongside focus groups with students, consultations with key stakeholders and research into domestic and international best practice and emerging trends.
The Report recommends a sector-wide approach comprising 47 actions for government and universities to embed anti-racism across governance, complaints systems, curriculum design and workforce practices.
The Government is currently considering the Report and has shared it with the Antisemitism Education Taskforce being chaired by Mr David Gonski AC.
Minister for Education Jason Clare said:
“There is no place for any form of racism in our universities or anywhere else.
“Universities aren’t just places where people work and study, they are also places where people live, and we need to ensure they are safe and free from racism.
“When we announced this study, we said it would listen to students and staff and shine a light on their experiences. This report delivers that.
“I want to say thank you to Commissioner Sivaraman and the tens of thousands of students and staff who contributed to this landmark study.
“We’ll now consider the report’s recommendations.
“This builds on our existing reforms to help keep students safe and lift standards across the university sector.”
To read the Report, please visit: https://humanrights.gov.au/respectatunireport