The role of Monash University in greenwashing the activities of Woodside and other fossil fuel companies has been revealed by journalist Royce Kurmelovs in climate-focused publication Drilled and Crikey.
Kurmelovs' report reinforces Australia Institute research highlighting the crisis of integrity in the governance of Australia's universities.
Upcoming Australia Institute research will further outline Monash and other universities' links to the fossil fuel industry.
"It's past time for Australia's universities to stop greenwashing companies like Woodside," said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.
"Monash not only names buildings and hosts conferences for Woodside, it has multiple Woodside-funded scholarships and partners with Woodside in research grants.
"While scholarships provide financial support to individual students, this funding pales in comparison to the profits of Woodside.
"The $99,000 Woodside Monash Energy Partnership Research Scholarship represents just 0.00002% of Woodside's 2024 profit of $5.6 billion, and just 0.0003% of Monash University Group's $308 million consolidated net result in 2024.
"It gets worse. Monash has four projects funded by the Australian Coal Association Research Program, which aims to prolong the coal industry. Those grants are worth under $1 million.
"This is how cheaply the integrity of our universities is bought by malevolent companies like Woodside.
"It is time for universities to cut all ties with the fossil fuel industry as they did with the tobacco industry.
"This would have a negligible effect on university finances but provide a badly-needed boost for public confidence in our universities."
