A short but pointed video posted to LinkedIn by higher education advocate and all-around good guy Rob Malicki has sparked fresh debate about the fragility of the social licence underpinning Australia’s university system.
In the widely shared ~3-minute clip, Malicki accuses a media story of whipping up a false narrative. His criticism is direct: you cannot praise universities as nation-building institutions and then treat them as a convenient political target.
The video has quickly gained traction among academics, sector leaders and students, many of whom say it reflects a growing unease about how Australia views and values its universities. Malicki’s core argument is that the sector’s social licence is being chipped away: by a government that publicly acknowledges the value of education while introducing measures that cast doubt on its integrity and importance, and the media that proliferates this.
He’s right. Messaging has become increasingly contradictory. On one hand, universities are held up as critical drivers of Australia’s economy, workforce development, research capability and international engagement. On the other, they are routinely subjected to abrupt policy shifts, tightening regulations and narratives that portray them as out of touch or overly dependent on international students. According to Malicki, this mixed messaging breeds confusion and mistrust, leaving universities to navigate an environment where they are essential and suspect at the same time.
Sector observers say this tension is emerging at a particularly precarious moment. Universities across the country are dealing with volatile visa settings, fluctuating international enrolments, rising public scepticism about the value of a degree and financial pressures that continue to mount and let’s not even touch Vice Chancellors’ remuneration, which has become low-hanging fruit. In this context, even subtle erosion of public confidence poses a serious risk to the stability and credibility of the entire system.
In speaking with The Koala, Malicki warns that the consequences go beyond reputational damage. When the social licence of education is weakened, it affects everything from regional university viability to research pipelines, workforce development and Australia’s standing as a global education leader. Communities begin to question what universities actually contribute, governments hesitate to invest, and domestic students become more uncertain about whether university is “worth it.”
While his video is critical, Malicki told The Koala he is ultimately issuing a challenge rather than simply airing frustration. He encourages universities to be more assertive in communicating their public value, more transparent about their impact and more deliberate about rebuilding community trust. At the same time, he calls on the government to abandon the political habit of using higher education as a rhetorical punching bag and instead work in genuine partnership with institutions.
For Malicki, the message is clear: Australia cannot sustain a world-class education system without a world-class commitment to its social licence. “Surpluses are reinvested into the community, and that benefits us all,” he says. If we expect universities to deliver for the nation, our government and media must stop sending mixed messages that undermine the very foundations of public trust.
Watch the video here:
Disclaimer: Rob Malicki is the Co-CEO of Choosing Your Uni and The Global Society. The Koala News collaborates with The Global Society to deliver a news podcast where Rob and I discuss current initiatives and issues in the International Education sector.
