Zlatko Skrbis | Australian Catholic University

In this episode of the Broken Education Podcast, Joel Di Trapani sits down with Professor Zlatko Skrbiš, Vice-Chancellor and President of Australian Catholic University (ACU), for a thoughtful conversation about the role of universities in shaping ethical futures, flourishing lives, and thriving communities.Drawing from his own journey as an international PhD student who came to Australia through a Commonwealth scholarship, Professor Skrbiš reflects on the transformative power of education and why universities must continue fighting for their social purpose in an increasingly skeptical world. The conversation explores ACU’s Vision 2033 strategy, the growing devaluation of higher education in public discourse, the importance of mission-led institutions, and why universities must help shape not simply react to the future of AI and knowledge creation.At the heart of the episode is a powerful belief that education remains one of society’s most important forces for trust, progress, and human flourishing and that universities must continue defending that role with clarity, courage, and purpose.