Shining the Light On Australia’s Brightest: 25 years of the Australian Technology Network of Universities

This is the story of how the Australian Technology Network of Universities was established, its journey, the role of its visionary leaders, and successes over the past 25 years of advocacy. Several key moments in the timeline need to be noted, recognised and, therefore, placed in print.

In November 2023, on the eve of the 25th anniversary, Frank Coletta sent me an email, enquiring if I was available and interested in writing a story on the ATN group. As someone who has been employed in Australia’s higher education for the past 35 years, I had no hesitation, this piqued my interest, so I told him yes that same day. I usually write commentary pieces which draw insights from history, past performance, and provide a view towards the future. The story that is now published emerged from a couple of conversations with Frank and Luke Sheehy (now at the helm of Universities Australia) and is largely drawn from material which I retrieved in December 2023, using the Factiva database. I retrieved newspaper stories about ATN and developments in higher education published in Australia’s mainstream media between 1996 and early December 2023. During the holiday period, I read all those stories and then I sat down and wrote most of this story in the summer months of 2024. I also conducted extensive web searches of information about ATN and group advocacy in Australia’s higher education. Truth be told, the public evidence is, at best, patchy, partly because websites tend to be updated and information that is deemed outdated is removed. To deepen our understanding of the changing environment of Australia’s higher education, preserving the evidence of activity is crucial.

Over the years, I have been exploring the proliferation of university networks and the extent to which universities seek to establish and belong to networks. Being a member of an alliance is a key means to influence public policy through lobbying, advocacy on policy matters, and the provision of expertise. In Australia’s context, there are four national networks, all of which emerged during a period of turbulence within the national umbrella organisation. Each of those networks was established to influence public policy and derive outcomes to the benefits of their members. Over the past 25 years, Australia’s higher education has undergone significant policy reviews and the ATN has worked to ensure the best possible outcomes for all. I hope that the perspectives presented in this story will contribute to the development of policy and inform debate as well as improve practices regarding Australia’s higher education.