The University of Canberra's vice-chancellor, Bill Shorten, says he wants to examine if his university would be better combined with the Canberra Institute of Technology.
"I think that we're better together, providing one pathway, because in 2026, the future's complicated for our kids and for our adults wanting to retrain, and let's come together to be stronger," Mr Shorten said.
Mr Shorten said the time was right to consider combining the two organisations, a dual-sector university would secure jobs and the move would return money to Canberra's taxpayers.
"This proposal's been around in different forms for a very long time and now I think the time's right for UC, CIT, the Canberra community and the ACT government to talk about can we be better together: one pathway for all Canberrans post-school," he said.
Mr Shorten said a combined institution had the potential to be greater than the sum of its parts.
"It seems to me that whilst CIT with its 13,000 students and Canberra with its nearly 20,000 students are doing well separately, it just seems to me there's synergies," he said.
"Why do we have two separate digital systems for post-school enrolment? Why do we have two different sets of marketing?
"Both of us have got land. Why can't we utilise our land more efficiently so we can put more of the resources into teaching, research and industry engagement."
Mr Shorten said he believed a combined institution would offer cheaper education.
"This is not a completely radical idea. It's already working successfully ... You've got to say that if you've got ongoing financial problems something's got to give," he said.
"The taxpayer can't be a tap that you just leave on constantly and we ignore the problems."
ACT Skills Minister Michael Pettersson said the government would turn its eye to the possibility of a merger and would release a discussion paper on possible future models for the Canberra Institute of Technology.
"The government, following the Assembly inquiry recently completed into matters at CIT, have commenced a governance review of arrangements at CIT. We understand that current arrangements are not instilling confidence," Mr Pettersson told ABC radio.
"We know that we need to do something different. That is what we are exploring. And a conversation across the community is what is needed."
There were potential challenges and benefits to any changes to the structure of CIT, he said.
Mr Shorten said CIT was a "jewel in the crown for the ACT educational system" but pointed to the institute's near $30 million loss last year and its 16 per cent share of vocational education enrolments in the ACT as a sign it needed an overhaul.
The vice-chancellor said his university would make a submission to the governance review.
"We'll make the financial case, we'll talk to people. The other thing is it wouldn't be a takeover because what it would be instead is a merger of boards, you know, you'd have to have the TAFE voice at the highest level," he said.
A push for the University of Canberra to take over the embattled Canberra Institute of Technology has gained momentum, with the federal Education Minister declaring a merger should be considered.
Jason Clare joined a chorus of high-profile supporters eager for the ACT government to consider combining its two public higher education institutions.
"This is an idea we should explore. We need to break down the artificial barrier between TAFE and uni," Mr Clare said.
Both ACT senators, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and independent David Pocock, backed looking at a potential merger, along with former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell and the Australian Tertiary Education Commission's chief commissioner, Barney Glover.
David Smith, the Labor member for Bean, said he fully endorsed a move to merge the two institutions.
"It is a great opportunity to bring together our two key tertiary education institutions. It is a great opportunity to provide stronger higher education opportunities in southern Canberra and Bean," Mr Smith said in a statement on Thursday.
Laura Nuttall, the ACT Greens' education spokeswoman, said her party was open to a merger if consultation showed staff and students at both UC and CIT backed the plan.
"It's very clear that right now both the University of Canberra and the CIT need to do more to centre students' and staff's experience, and that needs to be the first priority, regardless of any discussions of a future merger between the institutions," Ms Nuttall said.
"We particularly reiterate our calls for the ACT Government to begin work on implementation of the crucial and practical ten reforms proposed by the NTEU for UC governance."
Since taking over at the University of Canberra in early 2025, Mr Shorten has Mr Shorten has called for an end to the "monopoly of the three-year degree as the primary unit of educational currency" and introduced guaranteed direct entry to degrees for Canberra Institute of Technology students in high-demand fields.
"I admire people who have got elitist aspirations but I certainly don't feel the need to imitate the elitist universities. The people I'm interested in are the school leavers who want to get a job. I'm interested in adults who might have thought that university wasn't for them," Mr Shorten told The Canberra Times at the start of the year.
A landmark review of the ACT's public service and government recommended merging the University of Canberra with CIT in 2011, which was backed by a follow-up examination of amalgamation.
But the ACT government walked away from the recommendation in late 2011 and then in 2012 dropped a plan for the two institutions to establish a third, jointly run education provider.
