In this edition of Canberra Playbook, we take a look at the year ahead and some of the influences likely to shape higher education and research policy, as Australia prepares for a federal election in September.
One of the biggest game-changers will be a federal review of university business operations.
Education minister Simon Birmingham hinted at the review during his opening address to a global education conference in Melbourne in October 2015, just weeks after taking over the portfolio from Christopher Pyne.