Former Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney has been appointed to the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Council, with state and university leaders framing the move as a step towards strengthening Aboriginal participation and tackling inequity in higher education.
The NSW Government confirmed the appointment in a ministerial release, stating that Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan “has appointed the Hon. Linda Burney to the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Council.” Burney, a Wiradjuri woman, is widely recognised as the first Aboriginal woman elected to the federal House of Representatives and has spent decades advocating for stronger education outcomes for First Nations students.
In comments reported by The Guardian, Burney said she was honoured to accept the role and described her priority as confronting inequity across the sector. Reflecting on her earlier work as a teacher, she said: “I still remember the students I had when I was young. I think I learned more from the students than they learned from me” and described education as “opening up worlds for those kids they wouldn’t normally see.”
They also noted Burney helped develop Australia’s first Aboriginal education policy in the 1980s, a foundation for mandating broader teaching about Aboriginal society. Burney said her ambition extends beyond participation numbers and into curriculum change, including embedding Aboriginal perspectives in key professions.
UTS, in its own announcement, said the appointment supports its broader governance and community commitments. The university points to strategic targets to increase Indigenous representation among staff and students over the coming years, and the Council appointment is positioned as part of that effort.
The appointment comes amid a period of institutional scrutiny for UTS, with broader debate about university governance, workforce changes and the financial pressures across the sector. Supporters argue that Aboriginal leadership at the highest levels is essential not only for representation… but for practical decision-making that affects access, student support, curriculum design and cultural safety.
Burney’s role on Council will be watched nationally as universities face increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable progress for First Nations learners and to ensure those efforts are shaped with, not just about, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
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