The Australian National University has recorded its worst ever result in the latest global academic rankings. While a slide down the Times Higher Education ladder is dramatic enough in isolation, this trajectory over almost a decade should make policymakers sit up and take notice.
The institution has plummeted 30 places from its peak position of 47th in 2017 to 77th today. This tectonic shift coincides with a deeply troubled period in the university's history. It is the consequence of multiple systemic failures, not a statistical blip.
