Unis launch ads in election campaign

Universities are making an unprecedented intervention in the federal election campaign even though they insist they're not trying to sway voters.

It's simply about reminding people of the enormous contributions universities make to the country's economic and social wellbeing, Universities Australia chairman Barney Glover says.

The organisation is launching an advertising campaign on Monday.

Australians might not realise how their lives were touched by the nation's university system, Professor Glover will say in a speech to the Futureproof 2016 tertiary education conference.

"The highly skilled teachers in their child's primary school classroom? Educated at a university. The doctor who treats their elderly parent? Educated at a university.

"Universities are absolutely essential to economic transition, to launch new ideas into the world, and to develop innovation in industry."

Universities Australia has never run ads during an election campaign before, although its "Keep It Clever" campaign has run since 2014.

The new ads will run in newspapers, online and on television.