Eeva Leinonen

Widespread government reviews are causing a headache for Western Australia’s major universities.

David Flanagan will be replaced by former KPMG partner Gary Smith as chancellor of Murdoch University, following the completion of his second term in the role.

Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia have confirmed they are in the early stages of planning new campuses in Perth’s CBD, while Murdoch is also partnering with Spacecubed to launch a teaching and events space on St Georges Terrace.

WA’s university sector is concerned with the lack of federal support for international students, warning that choices made now could cause years of damage to the country’s economy and reputation.

Murdoch University has signalled it will cut staff ahead of 2021, one day after Curtin University confirmed it was considering widespread redundancies.

The pandemic has cut through university bureaucracies, but sector leaders have stressed border openings are key for Australia to maintain its competitiveness in education.

Murdoch University has confirmed it will discontinue face-to-face lectures in 2021.

Murdoch University has informed staff it will begin offering voluntary redundancies as part of efforts to seek $25 million in cost savings ahead in 2021.

Stronger relationships between WA's small businesses and universities will help students finding employment in a post-COVID-19 economy, according to Murdoch University vice-chancellor Eeva Leinonen.

Murdoch University has informed staff that vice chancellor Eeva Leinonen will step down later this year to become president of Maynooth University in Ireland.

Murdoch University has appointed provost Romy Lawson to serve as interim vice-chancellor while it searches for a replacement for outgoing vice-chancellor Eeva Leinonen.

Recovering from COVID-19 is shaping up to be a long haul for WA’s universities.

After a decade spent in Europe, Andrew Deeks’ homecoming heralds a period of renewal for WA’s second-oldest university.