An Auckland University professor fears more may be at stake than lost jobs as more universities downsize.

Victoria University and the University of Otago have proposed significant redundancies to cover deficits and declining enrolments.

Dr Nicola Gaston from the University of Auckland expressed concerns about the long-term effects downsizing may have on institutions, staff, and academic research.

"Everything from health research to climate change mitigation research or in the work I do with the MacDiarmid Institute and people inventing smart devices and technologies and taking them to market, creating companies, creating jobs."

LISTEN ABOVE