The University of Sydney has confirmed it will appear alongside the University of Melbourne and several other institutions at royal commission hearings into campus antisemitism.
Several academic members of the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism (5A) will be appearing.
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will hold five days of hearings in Melbourne from next Monday, July 13 to Friday, July 17.
The hearing block will examine the experiences of Jewish students and academics, the impact of antisemitism and the steps universities have taken in response. It will also consider reports, surveys and studies on the nature and prevalence of antisemitism at Australian universities and other educational institutions.
Commissioner Virginia Bell said the inquiry would hear from students, academics and educational institutions to understand the prevalence and impact of antisemitism and investigate institutional responses. JWire understands Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott will appear along with VCs representing other universities.
Evidence already presented to the commission has raised concerns about antisemitism affecting university students and staff.
The University of Sydney confirmed its appearance in a post published on its staff intranet on Friday.
“To assist with its important work, the University will appear before the Royal Commission,” the post said.
“We have made important progress over the last two years but we know our work is not yet finished.
“We will continue to engage openly and constructively with the Royal Commission and listen to our community.
“Antisemitism has absolutely no place at the University of Sydney, or in society.”
The university did not say who would appear on its behalf or when its evidence would be heard.
The University of Melbourne has also confirmed it will appear, saying it had fully engaged with the commission and would attend alongside several other universities.
The other institutions had not been publicly identified by Friday.
The Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism, known as 5A, said several of its academic members would give evidence during the hearing block.
In a submission to the commission, the group said Jewish and Israeli students and staff continued to feel unsafe and excluded on Australian campuses.
It argued there was no quick solution to what it described as normalised and deeply embedded antisemitism, and called for sustained action by university leaders.
5A chief executive Alisa Pincus said many Jewish staff and students concealed their identities because they feared discrimination, retaliation or exclusion.
“Intervention by university leaders is the rare exception, leading to a climate in which hostility, intimidation and the use of antisemitic tropes have been normalised,” she said.
The group called for universities to adopt a definition of antisemitism and apply it through their codes of conduct, policies and disciplinary procedures.
It also recommended antisemitism education for staff and students, informed by people with direct experience of antisemitism on campus.
5A urged the federal government to establish an expert group within 90 days to review the French Model Code, which governs freedom of speech and academic freedom at Australian universities.
It said the review should assess whether the code struck an appropriate balance between free expression, academic freedom and universities’ responsibility to protect the wellbeing of students and staff.
The University of Sydney has faced sustained criticism over its response to antisemitism and pro-Palestinian protests since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
A protest encampment remained on its main campus for almost two months in 2024.
The university later commissioned a formal review and introduced changes to its policies and procedures.
In comments provided ahead of the hearings, the university said it had taken action since the encampment was disbanded, including conducting the review and introducing reforms.
“We’ve seen the number of complaints related to antisemitism decline substantially from students, but we know there is still work to be done,” it said.
The hearings follow growing pressure on universities over the safety of Jewish students and staff and the handling of complaints, protests and antisemitic conduct.
When the commission first announced the university hearings, several institutions said they were willing to cooperate but had not yet been formally approached.
They included the University of Sydney, the Australian National University and the University of Western Australia, while Adelaide University said it intended to engage constructively with the inquiry.
The commission has not yet published a complete witness list or timetable for the five-day hearing block. These details are generally released one day prior to a session.