The Higher Education Standards Committee (HESC) is a statutory committee established by the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) under section 25 of the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Act 2026, to provide independent advice and recommendations to the ATEC in relation to its functions to review and advise on the Threshold Standards.
The HESC has developed a consultation paper to seek stakeholder views on whether the existing Threshold Standards provide sufficient assurance that research security, cyber security and national security risks are being appropriately managed across the higher education sector, and whether any targeted amendments may be warranted. In particular, it explores governance, capability and assurance arrangements that support the effective management of research security risks in a manner that is proportionate to the diversity, scale and risk profile of higher education providers.
Consultation opens 7 August 2026 and closes on Monday 7 September 2026.
Strengthening Research Security and National Security Expectations in the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards): consultation paper
The HESC invites feedback on how research security and national security governance expectations could be more clearly reflected within the Threshold Standards.