CANBERRA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard has led a chorus of criticism against one of Australia's most prestigious universities for abandoning plans to teach a degree in Western civilization.

Supporters of the degree, planned for Canberra's Australian National University (ANU), have been angered by the university's decision to scrap the course, which was due to commence next year.

The backdown follows intervention by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Australian National University Student Association, which had claimed the program would push a "racist" and "radically conservative agenda".

The proposed bachelor of Western civilization was understood to be the first course of its kind in Australia and was the brainchild of late healthcare mogul Paul Ramsay.

Howard, the Ramsay Centre chairman and former prime minister, said on Saturday that talks with ANU were progressing well until threats of a revolt last month.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham also described the decision as disappointing.

"It is essential that universities are not only open to but enthusiastic about the study of the values that helped to create both them and the modern society in which we now enjoy unparalleled opportunities," said the minister on Saturday.

"I hope that other universities in discussions with the Ramsay Centre resist ill-informed or politically correct objections and find a way to ensure this generous bequest enables valuable study into the foundations of our society."