The verdict

There is strong evidence showing Chinese universities are moving rapidly up the world university rankings, however there are still no Chinese universities in the top 100.

During the last decade Australian universities have also moved up the world university rankings.

It’s unclear how much universities would charge after the Government’s proposed deregulation, and whether universities would spend money on measures that would make them more internationally competitive.

On the available evidence, without Mr Pyne’s reforms, it seems unlikely Australian universities will slide into mediocrity.

Mr Pyne’s claim is far-fetched.