FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2026
17th February 2026 – The Australian Human Rights Commission’s report “Racism@Uni” shockingly describes 13% of domestic and 19% of international student respondents reported experiencing racism at university. The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) is saddened to learn that postgraduate students experience increased racism compared to their domestic undergraduate counterparts. These results highlight the growing social divide at our universities and the need to reinvigorate their mission for respectful dialogue. CAPA calls for proper structural reform of universities, and calls for student well-being to be at the centre of institutional mission and policy alignment in the future Australian Tertiary Education Commission.
Higher Degree by Research Students
Despite only constituting 4% of enrolments, Doctoral students were the most over-represented group of respondents, of which 17.6% reported experiencing racism at university (both domestic and international). Analysis indicates that Doctoral female international students experience direct racism at significantly higher rates than their male counterparts and domestic students. This reinforces the need for CAPA’s longstanding work to establish bodies such as the National Student Ombudsman, and collaboration with the Australian Council for Graduate Research to improve supervisor training, and protect our critical research workforce from racism. Furthermore, these results highlight the need for consistent grievances reporting at universities so people who report feel safe to do so and responses to reports are precise, consistent, and open.
“Doctoral students being over-represented in these findings exposes a critical problem with power and safety. When your supervisor controls your funding, research direction, and academic future, reporting their racism isn’t just difficult – it can feel impossible. We need independent grievance pathways that protect HDR students from retaliation.” Gemma Lucy Smart, CAPA Board Chair.
“Racism from supervisors can manifest as preferential financial or resource support, as well as discrimination when it comes to authorship on publications, all of which have huge repercussions on a candidate’s future,” said Jesse Gardner-Russell, CAPA National President.
“It is not uncommon for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HDR candidates to have to justify using cultural ways and Indigenist methodologies in our research. Adding structural barriers to our research ethics and study design is disheartening and further locks our community out of academia. We are having to get approval to work with our own mobs, our own communities,” said Erin O’Donoghue, Kamilaroi/Gomeroi woman and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association President.
Coursework Students
Interestingly, postgraduate by coursework students, who only make up 20% of enrolments, comprised 27% of respondents, similarly emphasising the increased awareness of racism in the postgraduate cohort. Interestingly, 28.5% of male domestic students, who are undertaking postgraduate degrees (Other PG Degree) such as the Juris Doctor or Doctor of Medicine, were most likely to report experiencing direct racism at university. This could reflect the structural barriers present in professional degrees, which have historically been reserved for higher socioeconomic groups. This may be supported by the data indicating that 47% of racism was reported to occur in small classroom settings, compared with 17% in student clubs and student organisations – suggesting these barriers may stem from institutional structures. Interestingly, female international Masters students reported a lower rate of racism than other female international students.
“Student’s on unpaid mandatory placements already face enough barriers, with cost-of-living already making these degrees less attainable for students from low socio-economic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and students living with a disability. The fact that 16.3% of students on unpaid placements are experiencing racism at their external provider, reinforces the need for greater change in our placements system, in addition to expanding financial support,” Said Gardner-Russell
“These survey results suggest that more work needs to be done by CAPA and its colleagues to address the structural barriers in postgraduate education, as well as to promote social cohesion in our universities” said Gardner-Russell.
CAPA contends that reform of Australia’s higher education system, placing student wellbeing at the centre of institutional mission, is not an optional add-on to teaching and research.
CAPA calls for universities to embed student wellbeing outcomes into their core performance frameworks. This includes the University’s commitment to safe learning environments and inclusive campus cultures.
For Comment
Jesse Gardner-Russell
National President
Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations Inc.
Level 1, 120 Clarendon St, Southbank, Victoria 3006
According to the latest data from the Department of Education, over 1.6 million university students are currently enrolled and studying at Australian Universities. The number of postgraduate students has risen dramatically over the past decade, from 376,055 to 574,548 students. Whilst many of these students are young adults who need to balance engaging in their education and securing an income to cover the cost of living, according to the Department of Education, the majority of postgraduates, both coursework and research, are 26 or older.
Collectively, CAPA represents 228,000 students from high-demand STEM related fields such as engineering, health, mathematics, and computer science. Moreover, we represent almost 200,000 future thinkers, creatives and educators who will inspire the next generation of Australians.
These are the students that will drive Australia’s future productivity. Moreover, supporting these students to complete their studies quickly and effectively, ensures that they are able to rapidly translate their new found technical knowledge to the economy. Whereas, leaving them to languish and rely on insecure work to make ends meet, places a negative drain on Australia’s productivity.
Recommendations:
CAPA believes that the migration policy of Australia should recognise the value of international postgraduate students who are educated within Australia. These graduates are able to transition from being temporary migrants to permanent, skilled migrants. Their existing period of study in Australia ensures that they have lived, studied and worked in Australia. Moreover, they have begun integrating into our society. The focus of our migration policy should be on ensuring that the labour market is set up to support temporary migrants, undertaking international education, to transition into skilled migrants.
International students are a critical part of Australia’s higher education system. It is critical to building Australia’s soft power, whilst also contributing $52 billion a year to the economy, and supporting 250,000 jobs. As can be seen, due to changes in visa prices, international education policies and political rhetoric, international student commencements have begun to flatline.
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CAPA recommends that in order to drive effective skilled migration, that the Federal Government invests in providing subsidies/scholarships to international students enrolling in areas of national priority, and working with business to develop targeted internship to employment pathways for talented international students.
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CAPA encourages Australian to leverage these advantages to become a regional higher education hub for South Asia, provide long-lasting education which supports individuals across their entire career, and mould individuals with capabilities that support them in growing and giving back to the Australian community across their career as a skilled migrant.
