On Tuesday 2 September, Minister for Universities, Hon Dr Shane Reti, announced a package of initiatives to modernise the sector and ensure taxpayer investment delivers real impact for New Zealanders.

The changes will develop the skilled workforce New Zealand needs and drive cutting-edge research that powers economic growth.

The reforms include 5 initiatives:

• A new Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) will be developed, in conjunction with the Minister for Vocational Education, Hon Penny Simmonds, aligning teaching and research with New Zealand’s future skills and innovation needs.
• Establishing a University Strategy Group to strengthen collaboration between universities, government, industry and global experts.
• Replacing the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) with a streamlined, cost-effective Tertiary Research Excellence Fund (TREF).
• Strengthening the regulatory system for university quality assurance, programme approval, and student mobility.
• Introducing a code of governance standards and a new monitoring and intervention framework to ensure universities are well-led and uphold academic standards.

Minister Reti thanked the members of the University Advisory Group (UAG), led by Chair Sir Peter Gluckman, for their vision and recommendations for the future direction of New Zealand universities.

The initiatives will be rolled out in consultation with universities, students, industry, and communities. More details will be announced in the coming months.

2025 Government priorities for the university portfolio