A landmark study shows racism is deeply woven into Australian universities, affecting both students and staff. The findings describe a campus culture where people are teased with slurs about their appearance, accused of using AI to cheat, and pressured to conceal their names on assignments for fear of discriminatory outcomes.
In the survey, more than seven in ten respondents reported experiencing or witnessing racist behavior within the university community. The Racism@Uni project gathered input from over 76,000 individuals across 42 universities, revealing persistent racism against people from First Nations backgrounds, as well as communities including African, Asian, Jewish, Māori, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Palestinian, and Pasifika groups. Notably, Jewish (religious) and Palestinian students reported the highest impact, with about 90% indicating racist incidents. Other groups—First Nations, Chinese, Jewish (secular), Middle Eastern, and North-East Asian students—also reported rates above 80%.
The report, unveiled by Federal Education Minister Jason Clare alongside Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman in Brisbane, comes in four parts: a national survey, focus groups, a literature review, and a policy audit. It offers 47 recommendations spanning short, medium, and long terms, organized around five central goals:
- Establish a national anti-racism framework for universities
- Create inclusive, safe campuses free from racism
- Ensure universities are accountable with accessible complaints processes
- Develop an inclusive curriculum and teaching practices
- Promote diverse leadership and a broader workforce
Minister Clare indicated he would consider these recommendations in policy discussions. An earlier interim report from December 2024 already warned that interpersonal and structural racism were widespread in Australian universities, affecting multiple groups including First Nations, Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and Middle Eastern communities.
The survey participants shared painful anecdotes of subtle and systemic exclusion that harmed academic performance. Examples include a lecturer making a “petrol sniffing” remark about Aboriginal people, colleagues joking about eye shape and smell, mispronunciations of names despite corrections, suspicions that work was bought or produced by AI, and fear of submitting work under certain names due to discrimination risks. One participant described a professor doubting a high-achieving first-year student from India could write well without illicit assistance.
Experts emphasize that racism in universities often doesn’t appear as overt hostility; it can be embedded in routines, attitudes, and the surrounding environment, shaping how students experience exams, assessments, and classroom interactions. Commissioner Sivaraman described racism as “death by a thousand cuts,” highlighting that it can manifest through cultural safety gaps, safety concerns, curricular misalignment, and biases in instructors.
The consequences extend beyond mood or confidence; for some students, racism has influenced whether they pass courses and stay engaged academically. When students feel unsafe or unsupported, learning outcomes naturally suffer.
Despite the clear evidence, many students and staff remain wary of lodging complaints. Only about 6% were willing to file a formal grievance, a hesitation tied to distrust in how universities handle issues and skepticism that anything will change. One Aboriginal student recounted a complaint that lingered for 12 months before being deemed too late to pursue. As a result, many people feel the process is too burdensome, opaque, or ineffective, and those who do complain often report unsatisfactory results and added distress.
Discussion is opening around how universities can improve—strengthening safety, changing curricula to reflect diverse experiences, ensuring fair and timely responses to complaints, and building leadership that mirrors the student and staff body. Do you think universities can meaningfully address these inequities, or are systemic changes required at higher levels? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
