Australian Universities Required to Prevent Racism and Antisemitism Under New Standards

Australian universities will be legally required to prevent racism and antisemitism under new standards announced by Education Minister Jason Clare. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion began a week of in-person evidence in Melbourne on July 12, 2026. The commission is examining the experiences of Jewish students and staff at universities since October 7, 2023.

A secular Jewish academic at the University of Wollongong, using the pseudonym ZR, received a six-page typed letter containing antisemitic content fourteen months before July 12, 2026. The academic reported the letter to police. After the Bondi terror attack in December 2025, the academic escalated safety concerns to the university.

Documentation from March 2026 shows the University of Wollongong acknowledged an unacceptable delay in providing a personal protection plan. Fourteen months after reporting the letter, the academic had no contact from university leadership, according to ZR. The academic has submitted a confidential witness statement to the Royal Commission and now works remotely when possible.

Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight universities, said tensions across society had played out on campuses. The Group of Eight engaged Dr Alan Finkel after the Bondi attack to examine antisemitism. Dr Alan Finkel's report found progress since the peak of 2024 campus protests but stated more work remained.

The Australian Union of Jewish Students and the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism are expected to appear before the Royal Commission. AUJS president Jeremy Suss said many Jewish students avoided campus and rated the sector response as quite poor. Alisa Pincus, chief executive of the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism, rated overall performance as poor.