2026 Higher Education Awards: Entries now open!
Honouring and celebrating professional excellence within the Higher Education sector.
Latest
A sector we all benefit from as it helps shape our future
The feast of submissions for these awards is a reminder of just how deeply our institutions contribute to the nation’s social, cultural and economic fabric.
UQ uses microbes to help big business address climate change
Favourable intellectual property deals are key to the success of University of Queensland’s Bio Hub.
The university institute helping Indigenous students feel at home
University of Newcastle’s Wollotuka Institute wins the Equity and Access category.
Work on rare childhood cancers earns Emerging Leader award
Matt Dun of the University of Newcastle is a driving figure in a major clinical trial spanning the US, Australia and Europe.
Academics dived into action after devastating floods
Work to help communities build back better has earned Living Lab Northern Rivers this year’s UniSuper Think Great Award.
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August 2025
University innovators show how to give everyone a crack
At a time of upheaval and structural reform in the tertiary sector, these awards highlight the very best of what can be achieved.
The video game teaching students hard life lessons (and economics)
To pass their introductory classes, students at the University of New School Wales spend as much time playing a game as they do studying their textbooks.
Unlocking the full potential of our universities in a world of change
High public trust should give the sector the confidence it needs to take the bold, courageous action required to evolve.
Anti-drug program helps teens say no to the lure of vapes
Griffith University’s Blurred Minds initiative has won the Financial Review Higher Education Awards in the Community Engagement category.
How these two universities cracked the code to commercial success
Monash University and the University of Adelaide have successfully navigated the path to commercialisation with projects from mental health to defence.
Joint winners recognised for boosting graduate employability
The University of Sydney and University of Queensland have tied for first place in this year’s Higher Education Awards for their stellar student programs.
Kim Carr, champion of innovation and a fairer Australia
Three decades as a Victorian senator dedicated to the science and research communities has earned him the Lifetime Achievement Award for ‘enduring advocacy’.
Meet the winners of the Financial Review Higher Education Awards
Our category leaders embody the excellence across a sector that contributes so much to the nation.
August 2024
The winners of the Higher Education Awards
Meet the winners of the 2024 Higher Education Awards, across eight categories.
La Trobe’s pioneering model to transform healthcare
The winner of the industry engagement award used COVID and a pinch of serendipity to create a world-leading virtual medical emergency model in Melbourne.
Winning strategy: Setting guardrails for generative AI
Comment provided by the winner of the Teaching & Learning Excellence category, UNSW.
Winning strategy: A virtual lifeline for emergency departments
Comment provided by the winner of the Industry Engagement award, La Trobe University.
Winning strategy: Remarkable results lifting HSC scores by 50pc
Comment provided by the winner of the Community Engagement category, the University of Newcastle.
A 50pc improvement: Unis turn the tide on disadvantage
The winner of the community engagement category is reversing the fortunes of disadvantaged children in a partnership that has lifted HSC results.
Winning strategy: Matching students with industry partners
Comment provided by the joint winners of the Employability award, Monash and Swinburne.
Job-ready skills for the fast-changing workplace
The joint winners of the employability category embed career experience in study programs to give graduates an edge in the competitive job market.
Winning strategy: Giving students the best chance of success
Comment provided by the winner of the equity and access award, University of Newcastle.
‘They do it tough’: Universities welcome disadvantaged Australians
Bridging courses pave the way to university for students without high-school qualifications, and the Equity winner has been doing it for decades.
Winning strategy: Love hormone research bears multimillion-dollar deal
Comment provided by the joint winners of the Research Commercialisation award, the University of Sydney and UNSW.
