Racism@Uni Study

The Racism@Uni Study

The Australian Human Rights Commission is leading a landmark study to examine the nature, prevalence and impact of racism at Australian universities. The report titled Respect at Uni: Study into antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experience of First Nations people will include findings from the Study and make recommendations to universities and the Australian Government to help make universities safer for everyone.

Background

The Commission was tasked by the Australian Government in May 2024 to undertake this project, previously titled Respect At Uni.

After establishing a government working group and expert advisory committee, the Commission conducted initial consultations with relevant tertiary education organisations as well as organisations representing diverse cultural communities including people from First Nations, Jewish, Muslim and other negatively racialised communities.

The four parts of the Study:

A national online survey: The Commission engaged The Centre for Social Policy Research (POLIS) at the Australian National University to conduct the national Racism@Uni survey. The survey was sent by participating universities to all staff and students. 

Focus groups: The Commission engaged research consultancy Think Change Resolve, in collaboration with Langton & Partners, to conduct focus groups. These took place nationally and were developed using a co-design approach with targeted communities and relevant personnel from the university sector.

Literature review: The Commission engaged Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, and the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, at The University of Technology Sydney to conduct a comprehensive literature review of domestic and international research on the prevalence, nature and impact of individual and systemic racism within universities.

Policy Audit: The Commission reviewed policies related to racism across Australian universities and will showcase examples of good practice and make recommendations to strengthen policy.

Participation

National online survey

University students and staff from participating universities were invited to take the survey and received a survey link in their university email account from week commencing 11 August 2025. Find out more about the survey here.

Focus groups

• University students and staff were invited to participate in focus groups that took place across Australia in May and June 2025. Staff and students were able to share their lived experiences of racism in university settings.

Interim report findings

An interim report for the project was delivered in December 2024 to update the Australian Government on the study's progress.

• Initial findings revealed that both interpersonal and structural racism are pervasive and deeply entrenched in Australian universities, and racism affects various communities differently, including Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and Middle Eastern students and staff. First Nations students and staff also reported profoundly negative impacts.
• Students shared that their experiences of racism make them feel unsafe and unwelcome, which adversely affects their engagement and performance at university.
• Staff reported feeling 'othered' and less confident in expressing their opinions or identity, with high levels of casual employment and a hierarchical academic structure exacerbating these issues.
• Low racial literacy – the ability to name, understand, and confront racism – was noted as a key obstacle to anti-racism efforts across universities.
• A final report containing relevant recommendations is scheduled to be delivered to the Australian Government in December 2025.

Some of the findings from initial consultations with various communities include:

First Nations students and staff: First Nations participants report enduring structural and interpersonal racism, including undermining of their achievements by characterising them as “special treatment” rather than merit based. Limited understanding of historical and systemic discrimination remains a barrier to equity.

Jewish students and staff: Jewish students and staff cite a rise in antisemitism since October 2023, including extremist propaganda, intimidation, and exclusion. Concerns over safety were compounded by insufficient university responses.

Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and staff: Participants described hostility, threats, and discriminatory practices, including restrictions on cultural expression and prayer spaces. Many feared academic repercussions for speaking out.

African and Asian students and staff: African students and staff frequently encountered severe racism, often feeling the need to moderate their natural ways of expressing themselves. Asian participants reported being stereotyped as high achieving but limited to specific academic disciplines.

International students: Reports of exclusion, social isolation, and fears of visa repercussions were common. Many felt reduced, viewed as "cash cows" for universities.

Rights on campus

The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) protects people from unfair treatment, vilification, or harassment on the basis of their race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin. These protections also extend to people because of their migrant status. These rights are applied evenly in all sections of Australian society, including at our universities.

Students and staff have the right to feel safe on campus, and to flourish in an environment that has robust systems in place to maximise their chances to succeed.

Additional reading

• Download the Study Terms of Reference (PDF) 262KB or   Study Terms of Reference (Word) 100KB

• Commission delivers interim report on racism at Australian universities

• Commission to lead historic anti-racism study into universities 

• Learn more about the Race Discrimination Commissioner's work.