Adelaide University merger is no Game of Thrones

You’ve got to hand it to the human imagination. Its ability to come up with theory in the absence of fact is sometimes astonishing.

Some recent media commentary might have you believe that there are wicked games afoot in the integration of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia as the two institutions grapple to form the new Adelaide University.

But this isn’t Game of Thrones. This is no “red wedding”, at which one clan is seeking to slaughter the other. And neither of us, the leaders of these supposed clans, is planning to knife the other in the back in a ruthless quest to ascend the Iron Throne.

The story of Adelaide University – one of the largest university amalgamations anywhere in the world this century – should never be mis-told as a tale about the pursuit of power or the flexing of academic superiority. It is so much bigger and more original than any fictional struggle for hegemony, either institutional or individual.

It is, in reality, a complex collective movement towards a mutually stronger future. Uncertainties and, at times, uncomfortable compromises are inevitable when you bring together more than 6,000 full-time equivalent staff and two deeply rooted institutional cultures that have been nurtured over decades. But there will be no shocking plot twists – not, at least, if we have anything to do with it.

Still, we recognise the danger of avoiding what could be a head-on cultural smash. We know there are contrasts in things like protocols, processes, pedagogies and, often, personal preferences between our two founding institutions. But by shedding any imaginary armour that may still exist, we can learn from one another to write a brand new playbook for how we – Adelaide University – will show up and serve our communities.

That playbook will not be written in blood, but it is certainly being written in sweat. Together with our staff, we are already designing detailed functions and have made it through about 1,200 business processes in 250 workshops to date – although there is still a long way to go. We certainly won’t be placing our faith in the whispers of Little Birds or Littlefingers to organise ourselves moving forward. We are reimagining how different disciplines and professional areas will intersect, collaborate and drive impact that will transcend the structures that enable it. And no house fealty holds sway.

Our newly articulated values of trust, inclusivity, ambition, respect and discovery are pertinent to how we navigate this transition. These values will not only underpin our everyday behaviours but will be embedded in the fabric of our decision-making and how we engage beyond our walls.

Our global launch at the Adelaide Convention Centre on 15 July was certainly no red wedding. More than 3,000 staff from our two founding institutions turned up, eager to take Adelaide University to the world together. The energy was palpable as our new brand identity was revealed for the first time. Everyone present recognised that we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and responsibility to do more for our students, our state and our nation by driving both educational excellence and equity.

If you want to talk about a real threat to our shared vision, you simply have to look at Australia’s proposed international student caps, which could stifle growth, sovereign investment and cultural diversity within our student cohorts.

Expansion is vital for our new university to meet Australia’s demand for skills. From a comparatively modest base, we have modelled responsibly managed and sustainable growth in international student numbers each year after Adelaide University’s inception. However, those models assume policy stability. Any short-sighted departures from that could have serious consequences, both for us, the wider sector and the entire nation.

Yes, there be dragons alright – but we are not their mothers.

Peter Høj is vice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide. David Lloyd is vice-chancellor of the University of South Australia.