Unis Spend $1.8B on Consultants, Hiding Details

0:00Australian universities are dropping $1.8 billion a year on external consultants and contractors, but they're not telling anyone, which firms get the cash or what it's for. That's from a deep dive into annual reports from 30A Unis by accounting professor Karin Cortese at the University of Wollongong. A Senate inquiry into UNI governance says schools have gone super-corporately, leaning hard on these outside experts for advice. The government stepping up with new rules to force full disclosure on every consultancy spend, who it's going to, and why. Everyone's reacting strong. Professor Cortese was floored by the total. Senator Tony Sheldon called it, shockingly high taxpayer waste, in education. Minister Jason Claire wants breakdowns so the public knows exactly what's up. Take the University of Technology, Sydney. They paid KPMG $7 million for budget advice that led to cutting 143 courses, 839 subjects,

1:00and over 120 academics. Similar drama at Wollongong, where an interim vice chancellor from consultancy, Cortese meant to help land his firm $3.8 million in work amid staff cuts. Flawed that as the real kicker here, with reports admitting unreliable numbers, but still pushing massive job losses. This defended as needing expert help for complex ops. What academics say is garbage in, garbage out, hurting students, and research long-term while. The push for transparency heats up. Sydney News Today, powered by AI Bringing You What Matters.