How to push back though, and who would do it? They are pushing astronomy out of my faculty (part of UNSW) cuz there hasn't been enough cash flow (2 Future Fellowships don't actually count) 😐 Our faculty is literally there to turn a profit, thus bluesky research does not have a secure place there.

I’m so sorry to hear that’s happening to you. And I’m afraid I don’t have a great answer as to what to do (though I think the onus is on professional societies and other powerful collections of senior folk to do the most pushback).

Usually, just after humanities physics is the first to be cut.