Labor says the loss of thousands of university sector jobs was not inevitable and has urged higher education leaders to speak up.
Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek will use a speech to the AFR Higher Education Conference on Thursday to launch a blistering attack on the Morrison government over its treatment of universities.
"No other industry of this size has been treated with the contempt that universities have been shown by Scott Morrison," Ms Plibersek will say.
"No industry employing 260,000 Australians has been thrown under the bus this gleefully.
"If any other important export industry - such as coal, gas, iron ore - was facing a crisis like this, Scott Morrison would, quite rightly, be falling over himself to help save jobs."
She says the "culture war" on universities is now Liberal policy.
However, now is precisely the time to support the sector.
"Imagine Australia under COVID without strong universities - no trained public health officials to design our response, no epidemiologists to track and predict our cases, no nurses and doctors to treat the infected," she will say.
"No researchers striving for a vaccine."
Pledging greater support if Labor was to return to office, Ms Plibersek will call on university leaders not to be squeamish about campaigning on behalf of the sector.
"There are millions of people out there who want to support you," she will say.
"People who had their lives changed by university; people who want their kids to get opportunities they never did."
The federal budget to be delivered next week is expected to include an extra $326 million to provide 12,000 more places for domestic students.
However, universities remain concerned about the massive loss of revenue from overseas students due to travel restrictions and the impact of controversial student fee reforms aimed at funnelling university students into particular degrees.
