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Australian University Science

Australia needs more people who think like scientists: here’s what that means

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– By Brian Yates and Nathan Kilah

How we think and feel about science develops from an early age – and we never know where that early interest might take us.

Take Hannah. As a young child, she was fascinated by the way a glass prism can split sunlight into different colours. At university she studied the way light can interact with liquids.

Now Hannah works in the food industry, using light to study how oat milk changes when mixed with hot coffee. The reason your barista can make a great plant-based flat white is thanks to knowledge developed by people like Hannah.

Her example shows how curiosity about the world can translate into an interest in science, a discipline that’s vital to understanding – and improving – our modern world.

However, in Australia not enough people are studying science. So we stand to lose a future where we can use the tools of science to understand why things happen.

Science is not just for scientists

Science literacy isn’t just about knowledge. It’s about the ability to reason, evaluate evidence, and make informed decisions in a complex, changing world.

Thinking like a scientist is a vital skill in a world of misinformation about climate change, renewable energy, generative artificial intelligence (AI), and more.

Employers value willingness to learn, problem-solving, communication and digital literacy.

But science has a marketing problem. The Australian government has shifted to focusing on vocations and “job ready” thinking.

Paired with parental attitudes towards occupational aspirations (“you should attend uni so you can get a good job”), it means students are increasingly attracted to degrees with clear career outcomes such as nursing, engineering or law.

Jobs for science graduates go beyond science

There’s a widening gap between training and employment, because students can’t see how areas of study connect with industry or improve their daily lives.

There are some areas of science where the employment path is clear, and those can be just as popular with students. A good example is agricultural science degrees, which have good industry engagement (including internships and placements) and good career prospects.

But many young people in Australia are not aware of the diverse career pathways that are possible with science degrees. Demand for material scientists is growing as new technologies develop in electronics, medicine, energy production and space science. But enrolments in the subjects that underpin materials science, such as chemistry and physics, are declining.

The number of science students at Australian universities has remained stable over recent years, but has fallen as a proportion of all university enrolments.

This highlights a problem. It takes a long time for students to respond to job market changes and to enter the science pipeline. There is a significant time lag to build the workforce in critical areas.

A recent government report shows that in the next five years, professional, scientific and technical services will grow faster than any other industry except healthcare. The time to bolster the science pipeline is now.

Not all scientists wear white coats

Unlike paths of study that are highly directed towards particular jobs – such as nursing – if you study science it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up working in a lab. The old adage “not all scientists wear white coats” is undeniably true. In fact, the vast majority of science graduates work in business, government, policy, education and technology.

A 2019 study revealed a surprisingly high number of Fortune 100 chief executives have Bachelor of Science degrees.

On the other hand, it’s not all that surprising. The key reason why science graduates show up in unexpected places is their skill set rather than just their knowledge.

Science graduates don’t follow a linear path. Instead, they evolve throughout their careers and learn new interdisciplinary skills to solve complex problems. That’s precisely the point of a science degree.

Science graduates wanted

Science has direct and measurable effects on Australia’s economy. Even areas of study considered highly theoretical can have a major impact. For example, advanced physical and mathematical sciences contribute directly around 11% of GDP to the Australian economy.

To turn the trajectory of science around we need to encourage students to engage with science early. That includes providing engaging and inspiring activities in primary school.

But we should also insist young people continue to study science in high school without consideration of gaming ATAR scores or university entrance.

Many universities are removing or lowering prerequisite subjects as entry requirements, which sends a signal that students don’t need to engage with “difficult” areas of study.

Universities need to do a better job of explaining the variety of job and career options available to science students. Students need to show employers how their science skills are valuable in different workplaces. Governments need to have policies that encourage industry to invest in research and development so careers using the tools of science become more common, and contribute to productivity.

All students need to be exposed to science. Talk to the kids in your life about science, take part in a National Science Week activity, visit a science centre, or encourage them to keep studying science. You’ll likely have a lot of fun and help to prepare them for an uncertain future.

Written by Brian Yates, Emeritus Professor, University of Tasmania; Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS) and Nathan Kilah, Associate Professor in Chemistry and Associate Head Learning and Teaching, University of Tasmania

This article first appeared in The Conversation. Read the original article here.

News, Technology

Monash University, Fujitsu and CSIRO unite to advance Australia’s quantum research capability

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The collaboration between Monash, Australia’s largest university, leading Japanese information technology company Fujitsu, and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO will strengthen Australia’s quantum computing capability by advancing quantum research, expanding training opportunities and accelerating the translation of new discoveries into practical applications.

Quantum computing could help solve some of the world’s most complex challenges by enabling faster and more powerful analysis of scientific problems than is possible with conventional computing. It will be central to critical areas of research, including cybersecurity, healthcare, decarbonisation and climate science.

The collaboration supports the newly signed Memorandum of Cooperation between Australia and Japan on quantum science, technology and innovation, reflecting the growing strategic importance of quantum technologies to both countries.

(L to R) Japan’s Minister in Charge of Economic Security Kimi Onoda, Dr Anthony Chesman (CSIRO), Mr Jungo Okai (Fujitsu), Petra Andren (Quantum Australia) and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor John Carroll (Monash University).

Monash University will lead the establishment of a shared quantum research and education facility and coordinate collaborative training activities, creating opportunities for researchers and PhD candidates to work with Fujitsu and CSIRO on projects that advance quantum computing research and result in meaningful impact.

Monash University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President Professor Robyn Ward said the collaboration would strengthen Australia’s ability to translate quantum research into technologies that benefit society.

“Quantum technologies have the potential to transform the way we unlock solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues, and building capability in this field will require deep collaboration between universities, industry and government,” Professor Ward said.

“This partnership brings together world-leading research expertise, advanced industry capability and opportunities to train the next generation of quantum researchers and innovators.

“Monash is proud to play a leading role in strengthening Australia’s quantum ecosystem – developing talent, enabling international collaboration and ensuring our research has a meaningful pathway from the lab to the real world.”

The collaboration’s research program will be based at Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology.

Monash’s Faculty of Information Technology Dean Professor Ian Burnett welcomed the initiative and said the Faculty was excited to build on its deep expertise across AI, cybersecurity and advanced computing.

“This collaboration will bring our various multidisciplinary technology research strengths together in quantum computing, creating new opportunities for our researchers and students to contribute to advances in quantum algorithms, software and machine learning while working alongside leading experts from industry and Australia’s national science agency,” Professor Burnett said.

CSIRO Technology Director Dr Katja Digweed said this innovative collaboration can help accelerate the development of advanced quantum computing technologies in Australia.

“Connecting deep scientific capability with the right software and algorithms can bring quantum computing  closer to practical use in areas like cybersecurity, health, and climate science,” Dr Digweed said.

“Together we can build the skills, infrastructure and partnerships across research and industry, and between Australia and Japan.”

Fujitsu in Oceania CEO Peter Grassi said by bringing together Fujitsu’s leading quantum technologies, Monash University’s research excellence and CSIRO’s applied science expertise, new opportunities will be created to accelerate innovation, develop future talent and translate quantum breakthroughs into real-world outcomes.

“As a company with deep Japanese heritage and over half a century supporting organisations in Australia, Fujitsu is uniquely positioned to help connect the strengths of both countries’ quantum ecosystems,” Mr Grassi said.

“This collaboration will deepen research and innovation links between Australia and Japan while expanding access to advanced quantum technologies and expertise to help solve society’s most complex challenges.”

This article is a media release from Monash University. Read the original media release here.

Industry, News

New technology could turn dirty factory exhaust directly into useful fuel

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The breakthrough, published in Nature Communications, overcomes one of the biggest challenges facing carbon capture technologies: the complex mix of gases found in industrial flue, a major source of global CO₂ emissions.

A scientific team led by the Université de Montpellier and Adelaide University has developed a system that uses a special organic liquid to efficiently convert CO₂ from industrial emissions into carbon monoxide (CO), a key building block used to manufacture fuels and chemicals.

Industrial flue gases typically contain only small amounts of CO₂ alongside large quantities of nitrogen and oxygen. These impurities have long hindered efforts to convert captured carbon into useful products because they trigger competing chemical reactions that reduce efficiency.

Most existing carbon capture technologies require CO₂ to be separated and purified before it can be converted into useful products, making the process both costly and energy intensive.

Adelaide University Chemical Engineering Dean, Professor Yan Jiao, said the team has developed an organic solvent mixture that weakens hydrogen bonding, suppressing unwanted side reactions, while favouring CO₂ conversion.

“Our work shows it is possible to use CO₂ directly from industrial exhaust streams without extensive purification, making carbon utilisation much more practical and potentially more economical,” Prof Jiao said.

“This could help heavy industries such as steel, alumina refining, cement, chemicals, and energy production move toward cleaner and more circular production.”

Using a simulated industrial flue gas containing 15% CO₂ and 8% oxygen, the researchers achieved almost 100% conversion selectivity to carbon monoxide. The process consumed 30.7 gigajoules of energy per tonne of CO produced, placing it among the most competitive direct carbon capture and conversion approaches reported to date.

The technology also demonstrated strong durability, operating continuously for more than 100 hours while maintaining high performance.

To explore its renewable energy potential, the team coupled the system with a high-efficiency solar cell. The integrated setup achieved a solar-to-fuel efficiency of approximately 5.5%, comparable to many systems that rely on purified CO₂ feedstocks.

Dr Damien Voiry from the Université de Montpellier said the findings highlight a promising pathway for transforming industrial emissions into valuable products while reducing the need for energy-intensive carbon capture infrastructure.

“We found that controlling hydrogen-bond interactions is the key to suppressing unwanted reactions and enabling highly selective carbon dioxide conversion,” Dr Voiry said.

“This opens a new direction for carbon utilisation technologies and could help accelerate the transition towards sustainable fuel and chemical production powered by renewable energy.”

‘Hydrogen Bond Network Disruption Enables Efficient Direct Reactive Capture of CO₂ from Flue Gas’ is published in Nature Communications. The paper is authored by researchers from the Université de Montpellier, Adelaide University, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, and Southwest Jiaotong University. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-74647-z

This article is a media release from Adelaide University. Read the original media release here.

Image credit: Shutterstock. Yarwun Alumina Refinery in Gladstone, Queensland. Image selected for illustrative purposes only.

Industry

Swarm robots inspired by bees and ants could transform the future of mining

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Published in Natural Sciences, this research looks at how social insects work together to find and transport food, and applies those same ideas to teams of small robots. The robots work together without needing a single control centre, allowing them to respond more effectively to changing conditions.

Mining is becoming more challenging as companies move into deeper, more remote and harder-to-access locations. While automation has improved safety and productivity, many existing systems are expensive, inflexible and can be vulnerable if a central control system fails.

To explore a different approach, the Adelaide research team investigated whether the teamwork seen in nature could help solve some of these challenges.

Using small Zumo 2040 robots in a laboratory set-up designed to mimic a mine, the researchers tested three different approaches:

  • a basic system where robots collect ore and immediately return.
  • an ant-inspired system where robots share tasks. 
  • a honeybee-inspired system where robots first explore and map an area before collecting resources more efficiently.

Instead of relying on one central controller, the robots operate as a swarm, making their own decisions while working together. This allows the system to keep operating even if individual robots stop working.

Learning from nature

Lead author, Dr Joven Tan. Image: Courtesy of Adelaide University.

Lead author Dr Joven Tan, who carried out the research as part of his PhD at the School of Chemical Engineering, said the study shows the value of learning from nature.

“Social insects have developed very efficient ways of solving problems together,” Dr Tan said.

“By applying these ideas to robotics, we can create systems that are more efficient, adaptable and reliable for industries such as mining.”

The results were striking, with the honeybee-inspired approach performing best in all tests. By first exploring the area and remembering where resources were located, it:

  • reduced travel distance by up to 80%;
  • reduced energy use by about 50%; and
  • completed ore delivery tasks up to 60% faster than the basic approach.

The ant-inspired approach also improved performance by dividing the work between robots, with one robot finding resources while another transported them.

Replicating real-world mining operations

The research was not limited to computer simulations. The team tested the approaches using real robots in a laboratory environment that replicated mining operations, demonstrating that the concepts can work in practice.

Project leader and co-author Dr Noune Melkoumian from the School of Chemical Engineering said the findings show how ideas from nature can be turned into practical technologies.

“Nature has spent millions of years developing efficient ways for groups to work together,” Dr Melkoumian said.

“By learning from these systems, we can develop new technologies that are more flexible, reliable and efficient.”

The researchers say there are still challenges to overcome before the technology can be widely used in mines, including improving sensors, extending battery life and adapting to unpredictable underground conditions.

Industry applications: from safety to space

Despite these challenges, the potential applications are significant.

“Swarm robotic systems could be used in dangerous or difficult-to-reach mining areas, reducing risks for workers while improving productivity,” Dr Melkoumian said.

“They could also play an important role in future space mining missions, where fully autonomous systems will be essential. Our research shows that swarm robotics is no longer just a theoretical idea. These systems can be built, tested and operated in real environments, with the potential to change how resources are explored, excavated and transported.”

‘Bio-Inspired Swarm Robots Design for Mine Automation is published in Natural Sciences. DOI: 10.1002/ntls.70049

This article is a media release from Adelaide University. Read the original media release here.

Hero image: AI-generated images demonstrate how bees and ants could improve mining operations in remote areas. Courtesy Adelaide University.

Energy, Innovation, News

Floating solar could help power nations with limited land

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Photovoltaic systems that float offshore and on inland water bodies could help decarbonise the energy sectors of land-restricted nations.

But are they as effective as conventional solar arrays which remain fixed to the ground?

In a new study published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers from Taiwan’s National Taipei University of Technology addressed this question by comparing a land-based solar farm with the island’s first large-scale commercial offshore floating photovoltaic installation.

The system located at Changhua Coastal Industrial Park has a maximum power output under standard test conditions of 181 megawatt-peak (MWp).

The researchers carried out a lifecycle energy assessment on the system after mathematically adjusting this capacity to align with the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park’s 100 MWp land-based photovoltaic system.

“This normalisation approach allowed us to directly compare performance metrics – such as energy yield, efficiency and environmental impacts – under equivalent system capacities, eliminating bias due to size differences,” says co-author Ching-Feng Chen.

“What we found is that offshore floating solar systems can generate more electricity over their lifetime – about 12% more than land-based systems under the same conditions.

“Because of this higher energy output, they also achieve greater carbon emission reductions. In simple terms, even though both systems use similar technology, placing solar panels on water can make them more effective.”

This is partly due to the cooling effect of the surrounding water, which conducts heat away from the solar panels more efficiently than air. The electrical efficiency of solar cells decreases as ambient temperatures increase, so this effect is particularly helpful in warm climates.

“Taiwan’s pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050 requires innovative deployment strategies, not just more of the same technologies,” says Chen.

“From a broader perspective, our work shows that offshore floating solar is not just a technical alternative but a strategic solution for other countries with limited land resources that can help expand their renewable energy capacity while still meeting environmental and land-use constraints.”

– Written by Imma Perfetto

This article first appeared in CSIRO Publishing’s ConnectSci. Read the original article here.

Innovation, News, Technology

Australia’s reliance on Big Tech leaves room for new opportunities

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Globally, users of digital media are increasingly locked into a handful of operating systems, app stores, and communication platforms. Most of us must choose between Apple, Windows, or Android. All of these are owned by American tech giants.

Much of private and government IT infrastructure – websites, mobile banking, nearly anything online you can think of – uses cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare or Microsoft Azure. They might have locations worldwide, but these are also US companies.

Mobile phones, laptops, smartwatches and more are mostly made by American or Chinese companies. And it’s getting worse as tech companies embed artificial intelligence (AI) assistants directly into everyday devices, such as Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Copilot. They’re doing this in ways designed to further entrench users within particular ecosystems.

When a single cyber security update brought down Windows computers the world over in 2024, it was a stark reminder nobody should put all their IT eggs in one basket.

But what might that actually look like? The “digital sovereignty” movement in the European Union (EU) can show us the way. European countries are gradually breaking up with American tech giants and pushing for local AI development, all in the name of achieving digital autonomy.

What exactly is ‘digital sovereignty’?

A state’s sovereignty means to be able to govern itself. Extend that to the digital era, and we arrive at a concept that’s difficult to pin down, but broadly means being in charge of your own digital infrastructure.

Let’s take the European digital sovereignty strategy. It provides a roadmap for creating, owning and governing computer hardware, AI, software, and social media within the EU. Any tech providers would have to comply with core EU values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

The ultimate goal here is digital autonomy. It means reducing reliance on systems vulnerable to growing geopolitical and economic risks. If you make your own devices and host your data locally, you’re not at the mercy of multinational corporations whose interests may not align with your own.

Several prominent EU institutions have already ditched the Microsoft Office suite for official communication. Instead, they use European software such as Office EU or free open-source alternatives.

The EU is also making progress on Gaia-X, a local alternative to global cloud providers.

But these efforts come with major challenges. Large tech companies such as Alphabet (Google), Microsoft and Amazon are not watching idly. By promising local governments and organisations greater control, they’re tapping into the digital sovereignty discussion.

Researchers call this “sovereignty-as-a-service”. Through it, big tech is shaping digital sovereignty on terms that are favourable to them.

Alternatives already exist

Europe’s digital sovereignty strategy is a long-term, multi-country initiative that involves major financial, industrial and policy changes. Outside of the EU, countries including India, Brazil, Nigeria and South Africa are also pursuing digital sovereignty plans.

But for everyday users, much of it comes down to turning to viable alternatives to dominant tech platforms. Many already exist.

Decentralised social media ecosystems allow independently operated communities to communicate across shared protocols without being controlled by a single corporation. One such example is the Fediverse, which includes platforms like micro-blogging site Mastodon and video sharing site PeerTube.

Similarly, the AT protocol, which powers micro-blogging sites Bluesky and Eurosky, aims to separate social networking from platform ownership. It enables users to move identities, content and communities between services more freely.

Open-source office suites such as LibreOffice have provided alternatives to Microsoft Office for more than two decades.

It’s also increasingly possible to run AI systems locally on personal devices or private networks. This reduces reliance on cloud-based AI services controlled by big tech.

In other words, many of the technical foundations for greater digital autonomy already exist. The challenge lies with adoption and coordination. When Twitter was bought by Elon Musk, many users fragmented to other sites – from Mastodon and Threads to Bluesky and others. If your friends are all on different social media sites, which do you choose?

What can Australia learn from this?

Australia is in a similar position to the EU. We’re heavily reliant on foreign-owned digital infrastructure. We’re also increasingly exposed to the geopolitical tensions surrounding it.

Australia could take a leaf out of the EU’s book and develop its own roadmap for digital sovereignty. This would have to operate at both the policy and public levels.

Australia’s digital policy shouldn’t be dictated by large platforms or external geopolitical actors. There’s also a pressing need to promote local innovation for the future, such as investing in quantum computing.

Publicly funded organisations have already demonstrated Australia can invent globally significant technology. After all, Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, patented the technology that led to wifi. Universities and publicly funded institutions should be at the core of future tech innovation as well.

Most importantly, Australia is home to First Nations communities. Their governance systems have long operated through decentralised, relational, and autonomous forms of organisation.

Groups such as Maiam nayri Wingara and the HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons have already developed internationally significant frameworks for Indigenous data sovereignty. These cover data governance, stewardship, collective benefit, and the rights of communities to control data about their peoples, lands and cultures.

We can learn from these. Respecting Indigenous sovereignty may also open a pathway for all Australians to rethink what our shared digital futures can look like.

– By Ashwin Nagappa, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, Queensland University of Technology, and Daniel Angus, Professor of Digital Communication, Director of QUT Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology

This article first appeared in The Conversation. Read the original article here.

Agriculture, News

Liquid gold: The potential – and risks – of turning human urine into sustainable fertiliser

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A recent review, led by a multi-disciplinary research team from Griffith, analysed 35 global studies examining microbial risks associated with urine-derived fertilisers (UDF).

With growing pressure on global food systems and fertiliser supply chains, urine recycling represented a promising – but still developing – solution for more sustainable agriculture, off-grid communities and water-scarce regions for use in spaces such as private gardens or public-use areas.

Such technologies have been piloted in Australia and several countries, including Switzerland, Germany and New Zealand.

For example, VUNA (Valorisation of Urine Nutrients in Africa) was an implementation project aimed at developing an improved sanitation system enabling complete nutrient recovery from urine.

The urine-based fertiliser derived from this project, Aurin, received official approval in Switzerland, however, the project encountered challenges in expanding its scale due to scale, collection, community awareness, and acceptance.

The team found that while urine was a highly efficient source of nutrients, containing up to 80% of nitrogen and 50% of phosphorus in wastewater, its safe reuse remained uncertain.

Doctoral researcher Johanna Engels said the biggest risk was not urine itself, but contamination from faecal matter during collection and storage. This cross-contamination could introduce harmful pathogens capable of causing illness.

“Urine has enormous potential as a renewable fertiliser, but our review shows we don’t yet fully understand the health risks,” Ms Engel said.

The study found that storing urine could reduce the danger through a natural process called urea hydrolysis, which produces ammonia and helps kill pathogens.

However, the effectiveness of this process varies widely depending on environmental conditions such as temperature, pH and dilution with water – making it difficult to control in real-world settings.

The research team also warned viruses – likely present but rarely studied – may persist longer than bacteria, meaning current risk assessments could underestimate potential health impacts.

Despite challenges, the research highlighted the strong potential for urine reuse to support circular economy goals.

“By recovering nutrients from waste streams, urine-derived fertilisers could reduce reliance on energy-intensive synthetic fertilisers and help address global resource shortages,” said Associate Professor Md Sayed Iftekhar, the ARC NiCE Hub Griffith Node Lead.

However, the authors stressed further research was essential before the practice could be scaled, including exploring better data on pathogen levels, improved treatment methods, and standardised safety guidelines.

“Addressing these uncertainties is critical to building public confidence and enabling safe, large-scale use,” Associate Professor Iftekhar said.

The review ‘The potential health risks of stored urine used as fertilizer– what evidence do we have?’ has been published in Water Reuse.

This is an edited extract of an article by Griffith University. Read the original media release here.

Australian University Science, Collection 15, Highlight, News, Opinion

Sounding the alarm on Australia’s future workforce

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– By Anna-Maria Arabia OAM

The Australian Academy of Science has sounded an alarm that policymakers can no longer afford to ignore. Its landmark Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035 report identifies 8 critical science domains where gaps in workforce, infrastructure and coordination will cripple our ability to meet future challenges: agricultural science, AI, biotechnology, climate science, data science, epidemiology, geoscience, and materials science.

The diagnosis is sobering. The prescription demands urgent attention from those who shape higher education policy.

A vision of science in 2035

Read the report, Australian science, Australia’s future: Science 2035. Image: Australian Academy of Science.

Why does the Science 2035 report matter? Because capability gaps are not just a skills problem, they are a sovereignty problem.

Since 1990, 90% of global technological advancement has been rooted in fundamental science, yet Australia has spent decades allowing its STEM workforce to be determined haphazardly.

We are now at risk of compromising our ability to adequately respond to climate disruption, the critical minerals transition, or the AI revolution.

A nation that cannot generate its own scientific knowledge or secure diverse international research collaborators, becomes dependent on others to solve its problems, a dependency fraught with risk in a volatile world.

Future workforce needs

The report unambiguously shows that a critical misalignment persists: the current pipeline and study choices of students are not aligned with the needs of our future workforce. And declining STEM participation, shortages of in-field teachers, and unfocused international STEM mobility threaten national capability.

Fixing this requires active intervention: curriculum signalling; targeted incentives for students entering priority disciplines; alignment of workforce and immigration policy objectives; and partnerships between universities and industry to make career pathways visible and attractive well before students reach Year 12.

Universities are Australian assets

This is precisely where Australian universities must be understood as unique and strategic national assets, not credential factories. Universities can do something that no technical training program can replicate: they deliver research-led education.

When a student is taught by a practicing researcher working at the frontier of geoscience or epidemiology, they do not merely learn what is known, they learn how knowledge is created and challenged. That depth is exactly what the public and private sectors need when it confronts problems that have no established answers.

Industries that employ PhD graduates derive significant adaptive capacity from these employees through improved innovation, advanced problem-solving, and the ability to navigate complex, data-driven environments. And we know innovative industries are profitable and productive ones too.

The future with AI

A purely technical training response to the Science 2035 findings would be a mistake. Training people to operate today’s tools prepares them for yesterday’s challenges.

The AI landscape of 2035 will not be navigated by graduates taught only to use current software, it will be shaped by graduates who understand the underlying mathematics and can innovate when those tools evolve or become obsolete. Research-led science education builds that adaptability.

Follow the roadmap

The Science 2035 report gives policymakers something rare: a map of what needs to be done, backed by evidence. The response must match that ambition.

Sustained investment in university research and research-led teaching is not a cost, it is the essential infrastructure on which Australia’s future standard of living depends.

Anna-Maria Arabia OAM
Visiting Fellow, Australian National University
Former Chief Executive of the Australian Academy of Science (Oct 2016 to April 2026)

Image: Australian Academy of Science

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Australian University Science, Collection 15, News, Opinion

Universities must be the beating heart of Australia’s economy

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– By Professor Robyn Murphy, La Trobe University

Australia’s prosperity depends on a strong, steady flow of world-class science, to translate it into economic, environmental and social value. The Australian Academy of Science’s Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035 report identifies looming capability gaps that limit this progress.

We need to train more graduates in biotechnology, climate science, data science, agricultural science, geoscience and materials science – fields that are the lifeblood of national resilience and productivity. However, the current pipeline of science graduates is built largely on the study choices of students, rather than being aligned with the needs of our future workforce or the broader system it sustains. 

We must commit to attracting and training a future workforce that can sustain and strengthen this system and meet the aspirations of the country.

The heart of the process: from research to jobs

Research translation is a practical necessity for Australia’s economy. Turning discovery into new technologies, improved policy, and industry partnerships turns scientific expertise into jobs and provides public benefit. 

Universities sit at the heart of this process. They circulate fundamental research, training talent, and translation pathways – through industry collaboration, including co-design of curricula and work-integrated learning.

Vital workforce development

Universities function at the intersection of research and workforce development. Research-led education trains graduates for today, but also with deep disciplinary understanding and critical thinking for translation across vast problems. 

Science is advancing at a tremendous rate. Students’ resiliencies and adaptabilities are essential capabilities as fields of education and research are shaped by artificial intelligence, climate transition and advanced technologies. Technical skills matter, but without strong scientific foundations, they date quickly. 

By embedding translation of science into training, students are provided with experiences to see themselves as contributors to solutions.

Multiple, connected pathways

A future-ready system needs multiple, connected pathways – partnering education with industry, and exposing students to the complexity of science applicable beyond the laboratory. 

We need to enable students to learn to define problems in messy, real-world systems; to work across disciplines; to communicate with non-specialists; and to balance scientific rigour with practical constraints. These are precisely the capabilities industry consistently seeks and that future scientific roles will increasingly demand. 

Getting the future scientific workforce right is crucial to keeping this system strong. It is needed to strengthen the connections between discovery, education and industry, allowing Australia to generate knowledge and apply it at scale. This will develop and sustain the scientific workforce our future demands.

Professor Robyn Murphy
Dean, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

Australian University Science, Highlight, Thought Leaders

Can STEM graduates be Australia’s lifeline?

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Education and research are the twin engines of Australia’s future – powering a highly skilled workforce and driving the innovations needed to meet local and global challenges.

The Federal Government’s 2024 National Science and Research Priorities make this clear: advancing national security, protecting our environment, elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, and progressing to net zero all depend on the talent and discovery generated through our universities.

The opportunity before us is to build a policy and funding environment that accelerates momentum. By creating the invitation and incentives for industry and universities to co-design education programs and research initiatives,
government can help establish a stronger pipeline of talented students who contribute to research and innovation.

There are some models already in existence which point the way forward. Our Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship at the University of South Australia – delivered in partnership with the Government of South Australia and major industry partners such as BAE Systems – allows our students to earn and study simultaneously, a (l)earning program – while providing industry with direct access to highly skilled graduates.

These enrolled students are paid a wage and their university fees are paid – by their employer. The content of their five-year honours degree has been crafted with inclusion of industry content and curated with that industry. With national policy settings that encourage replication, this kind of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) model could be scaled, boosting STEM capability and delivering benefits for students, universities and industry.

The same opportunity applies to equity. Ensuring that universities – particularly those in rural, regional and low-income communities – have access to baseline research funding to build partnerships will mean more
students can access high-quality science education.

Initiatives such as the Regional Research Collaboration Program already demonstrate the value of targeted investment.

So, by extending and deepening these programs, we can widen participation and ensure academic excellence and career success for many, rather than a select few.

Science education should not be determined by geography or legacy. It should be a national commitment – driven by collaboration and open to all. By prioritising career-ready models and strengthening equitable university/
industry partnerships, Australia stands to build a more resilient and inclusive science ecosystem; to meet challenges from climate change to public health with a collective ambition – and with the means to enact sovereign solutions.

Professor David Lloyd
Vice Chancellor and President
University of South Australia

In addition to roles at the University of South Australia, Professor Lloyd is co-Vice Chancellor of the new Adelaide University, Australia’s newest major university that combines the strengths of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. He is also former chair of Universities
Australia, a member of the Australian Universities Accord Implementation Advisory Committee and has served on the Australian Research Council’s Advisory Committee.

First published in Australian University Science Issue 14.

Environment, News

Data dungeons and dragons

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By Carrie Bengston 

Unearthed from the dungeon-like depths of a government building in Hobart, photographic data from aerial surveys is helping to protect the underwater forest home of Tasmania’s dragons. This dragons’ tale is a data reuse success story set against the threat of a warming world.

Giant kelp (Mycocystis pyrifera) grows in magnificent undersea forests, where it thrives in nutrient-rich, cool waters. Kelp forests can be 30 m high and reach the sea surface to sunbake as a floating canopy 40 m across, clearly visible from the air. Giant kelp is the foundation species for its ecological community, providing habitat to weedy sea dragons, big-bellied seahorses, abalone, sponges, corals and myriad other marine species.

These richly biodiverse habitats were thought to be in decline off Tasmania’s east coast but actual data was lacking. Professor Craig Johnson and Dr Piers Dunstan, researchers from the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), found the raw data they needed in archives of aerial survey photos going back to the 1940s. It was then that state governments began using ex-WW2 aircraft and photographic reconnaissance equipment to map coastlines, mostly for planning.

Fellow IMAS researcher Dr Neville Barrett used the same imagery in the late 1990s to undertake the first seabed habitat mapping of Tasmanian waters for marine protected area planning. “It’s classic data reuse. Those aerial surveys were done to map Tasmanian land-based features but we found we could also use the survey photos to study marine habitat,” Barrett said. “Craig and Piers dug up all the aerial photos of the east coast they could find and estimated the percentage of kelp cover in every bay, year by year. They identified a 90% decline in kelp cover between 1945 and 2000.”

Warmer oceans

Why the decline? Climate change is thought to be the main culprit. Oceanographic shifts first seen off Tasmania’s east coast in the 1970s coincided with IMAS’ observations of reduced kelp forests. During the period studied, noticeable strengthening of the East Australian Current created warmer ocean temperatures and reduced nutrient load, conditions which are unfavourable to kelp growth.

Kelp forests are among the most dynamic and productive ecosystems on Earth, yet are unknown to many Australians. Most people could name iconic terrestrial forests like the Daintree in Queensland but would struggle to name a comparable marine equivalent. In 2012, thanks to the work of the IMAS researchers and others, the giant kelp marine forests of southeast Australia became the first marine ecological community to be protected with an endangered listing under Australia’s national environmental laws.

New types of data, including image data from robotic submersibles (autonomous underwater vehicles or AUVs) and satellite data from advanced sensors, are aiding in conserving and managing marine environments. For example, a recent University of Tasmania project measured kelp beds from hyperspectral satellite data exploiting the species’ unique spectral signature.

Studies on restoring kelp communities are underway and, in a twist to the dragons’ tale, the original archive of irreplaceable aerial photos that helped protect their home has now been digitised. The data is now reusable by researchers anywhere.

“Wonderful outcomes like this become more and more possible every year as ANDS and other organisations enable access to more data and share it more readily,” said Barrett.

But, in the end, if we’re to preserve these iconic forests, we need to tackle the root cause, which is the changing ocean conditions. How the forests will ultimately fare in this warming world is a tale whose next chapter is yet to be written.

Story provided by Refraction Media. 

Originally published in Share, the newsletter magazine of the Australian National Data Service (ANDS).