Universities $1.8 billion consultancy spending under wraps | Four Corners Documentary

Australia's universities are paying external consultants and contractors an estimated $1.8 billion a year without disclosing which firms they are hiring and what the money is being spent on.

Consultancies have been accused of infiltrating universities, wasting scarce public funds on questionable advice about cutting courses and jobs, and undermining the sector's principles of public good.

Corinne Cortese analysed the most recently published annual reports of 38 Australian universities for Four Corners to uncover the $1.8b figure.

"It did shock me, and it shocked my colleagues too," said Professor Cortese, a professor of accounting and an associate dean at the University of Wollongong.

"As I was going through each individual one, I was like, 'That can't be right.' Then by the time I got to the end, I couldn't quite believe the total amount."
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