RMIT University

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology is one of Australia’s original and leading educational institutions, producing some of Australia’s most employable graduates. As an innovative, global university of technology, with its heart in the city of Melbourne, RMIT has an international reputation for excellence in work-relevant education and high quality research, and engagement with the needs of industry and community.

With more than 60,000 students studying at RMIT campuses in Melbourne and regional Victoria, in Vietnam, online, by distance education, and at partner institutions throughout the world, the University is one of the largest in the country. It has built a worldwide reputation for excellence in professional and vocational education and research. A vibrant alumni community now stretches across more than 100 countries.

History

In 1881, prominent grazier and philanthropist, The Hon. Francis Ormond, proposed that a technical college would serve "useful" to City of Melbourne. Ormond - who had donated the majority of funds towards the foundation of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne - offered £5,000 towards the establishment of a college on the proviso that the public contribute a "like sum".

A considerable sum was raised by the Council of the Melbourne Trades Hall, which rallied support amongst its membership of unions. Construction of "The Working Men's College" then began in 1886, on a site provided by the Colony of Victoria, next to the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, and adjacent the Melbourne Public Library on La Trobe Street. The College was officially opened during a gala ceremony on June 4, 1887 and, on the night of its opening, took 320 enrollments which increased to over 1000 within its first 12 months of operation. Ormond - who was a staunch believer in the values of education and a tireless campaigner for the College - served as its President till his death in 1889.

The College began offering full-time courses in 1899, and was incorporated under the "Companies Act" as a private college in 1904. Around the turn of the century, it began developing courses in engineering, applied science, chemistry, metallurgy and mining. Between the 1900s and the 1920s, the College expanded beyond its foundation building, and constructed two new buildings on nearby Bowen Street, a new Art School and also acquired the neighbouring, and recently decommissioned, Melbourne Gaol site for expansion.

During the 1930s, the College underwent further expansion with the completion of an Engineering School and a Radio School, and two more buildings constructed on Bowen Street. In 1934, the College officially changed its name to the "Melbourne Technical College" (incorporating The Working Men's College), after a representation from its Student's Association

In 2007, RMIT University proudly celebrated 120 years since we opened our doors on 7 June, 1887, as the Working Men’s College. RMIT University is today one of Australia’s leading educational institutions, with a commitment to applied education, training and research.

From an encouraging intake of 600 students, RMIT University has grown to a global university of more than 63,000 students, including 21,000 international students drawn from more than 100 countries - an institution recognised internationally for the quality of its graduates and the excellence of its research.

Academics

College of Business
RMIT School of Accounting and Law
RMIT School of Business Information Technology
RMIT TAFE School of Business
RMIT School of Economics, Finance and Marketing
RMIT Graduate School of Business
RMIT School of Management

College of Design and Social Context
RMIT School of Applied Communication
RMIT School of Architecture and Design
RMIT School of Art
RMIT School of Creative Media
RMIT TAFE School of Design
RMIT School of Education
RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles
RMIT School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning
RMIT School of Property, Construction and Project Management

College of Science, Engineering and Technology
RMIT School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
RMIT School of Applied Sciences
RMIT School of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering
RMIT School of Computer Science and Information Technology
RMIT School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
RMIT TAFE School of Engineering
RMIT School of Health Sciences
RMIT School of Life and Physical Sciences
RMIT School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences
RMIT School of Medical Sciences

RMIT University ranked 200 in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is a public university with approximately 22,000 students, located in the coastal city of Wollongong, which is 80 kilometres south of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.

The University of Wollongong is located approximately 3 miles northwest of the coastal city of Wollongong in the foothills of Mt. Keira and is accessible by direct bus line from all areas of the city. Wollongong is situated 90 minutes south of the Sydney Central Business District along the coast of New South Wales and has easy access to the city by rail or car.

The campus combines a tranquil bushland setting with modern, state-of-the art facilities and infrastructure that create the perfect learning environment. The campus is a sanctuary for native wildlife, its parklike environment encourages students to enjoy the surrounding beaches, rainforests and mountains. The university’s casual, laid-back atmosphere reflects a relaxed and friendly setting while its live music venues, numerous cafés, market days and parklands create a lively interactive student scene.

History

The University of Wollongong was founded in 1951 when a Division of the then New South Wales University of Technology (re-named the University of New South Wales in 1958) was established in Wollongong. After ten years the Division became the Wollongong University College.

In 1975, the University of Wollongong was incorporated by the New South Wales Parliament as an independent institution of higher learning. In 1978 the computer science faculty developed a version of Unix for the Interdata 7/32 called UNSW 01, this was the first non-PDP Unix. In 1982, the University amalgamated with the Wollongong Institute of Higher Education, which, in 1962, had originated as the Wollongong Teachers’ College. The merger formed the basis of the contemporary university.

Overseas expansion

In 1993, UOW opened what was to become the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) in the United Arab Emirates. Initially called the Institute of Australian Studies (IAS), this centre made UOW the first foreign university to open a campus in the UAE, and the first Australian tertiary institution represented in the Persian Gulf.

IAS initially offered English language programs, before becoming a 'feeder college' by 1995, where students completed part of a degree in Business or IT in Dubai before coming to Australia to complete their studies. In 1999, it was the first foreign-owned institution in the world to be issued a licence from the Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates, and was formally opened as University of Wollongong, Dubai Campus in October 2000. It was officially incorporated as University of Wollongong in Dubai in 2004.

Academics

Faculty of Arts
School of English Literatures, Philosophy & Languages
School of History & Politics
School of Social Sciences, Media & Communication 

Faculty of Commerce
School of Accounting & Finance
School of Economics
School of Management & Marketing  

Faculty of Creative Arts
School of Music and Drama
School of Art & Design
School of Journalism & Creative Writing  

Faculty of Education  

Faculty of Engineering
School of Civil, Mining & Environmental Engineering
School of Engineering Physics
School of Mechanical, Materials & Mechatronic Engineering

Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences
Division of Health & Behavioural Sciences: 
School of Health Sciences
School of Nursing, Midwifery & Indigenous Health
School of Psychology
Graduate School of Medicine

Faculty of Informatics
School of Electrical, Computer & Telecommunications Engineering (SECTE)
School of Computer Science & Software Engineering (SCSSE)
School of Information Systems & Technology (SISAT)
School of Mathematics & Applied Statistics (SMAS)  

Faculty of Law  

Faculty of Science
School of Biological Sciences
School of Chemistry
School of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Graduate School of Business
Sydney Business School

University of Wollongong ranked 199 in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

Queensland University of Technology

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is located in Brisbane, Queensland, and is one of Australia's largest universities.QUT is marketed as "A university for the real world". The university is a member of the Australian Technology Network, a network of Australian universities that are strongly focused on technological research.QUT's Gardens Point campus is adjacent to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens and Queensland Parliament House. The university also has campuses at Kelvin Grove, Carseldine and Caboolture.

History

QUT is a leading Australian university with a colourful history dating back to the beginning of technical and teacher education in Queensland when the Brisbane School of Arts was established in 1849.

In 1908 the Central Technical College began offering technical education courses on the site of QUT's present Gardens Point campus, continuing the Central Technical College's tradition of vocation-linked education. 

In the same decade, training colleges in Queensland began providing career-centred education for the teaching profession. The institutions which evolved from the teacher training colleges combined in 1982 with the North Brisbane College of Advanced Education to become the Brisbane College of Advanced Education. 

Thus, QUT's emphasis of combining a scholarly ethos with effective professional training builds on its predecessor institutions' long record of providing professional education in Queensland. 

Some of Queensland and Australia's most important artists trained at the Central Technical College's art department, and the history of the 13 predecessor institutions also includes radicalism, sit-ins, a College principal who built a boxing ring at what is now Kelvin Grove campus and drama productions closed down by community groups.

The eventful history of QUT's predecessor institutions is examined through lively accounts and photographs in the book A Class of its Own: A History of Queensland University of Technology.

The Central Technical College's courses became the responsibility of the Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) in 1965 when it was established to meet the growing needs of industry. 

While still an institute of technology, QIT had a strong research and development profile as well as a record of effective teaching. The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was created in January 1989 by redesignation of the Queensland Institute of Technology. 

In May 1990, QUT amalgamated with the Brisbane College of Advanced Education (BCAE) which specialised in courses in arts, business, education and social sciences. The institution resulting from the amalgamation of BCAE with QUT retained the title Queensland University of Technology. 

Today, QUT has an enrolment of around 40,000 students. Its prime concerns are the quality of its teaching, the employability of its graduates and the application of its research for the benefit of the community. 

Academics

Faculties and Schools

Built Environment and Engineering
School of Design 
School of Engineering Systems 
School of Urban Development 

Business
School of Accountancy 
School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations 
School of Economics and Finance 
School of Management 
Brisbane Graduate School of Business 
QUT Languages Centre 

Creative Industries
Acting and Technical Production 
Communication Design 
Creative Writing and Cultural Studies 
Dance 
Fashion 
Film and Television 
Journalism 
Media and Communication 
Music and Sound 
Performance Studies 
Visual Arts 

Education
School of Early Childhood 
School of Cultural and Language Studies in Education 
School of Learning and Professional Studies 
School of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 

Health
School of Human Movement Studies 
School of Nursing 
School of Optometry 
School of Public Health 
School of Psychology and Counselling 
Social Work and Human Services 

Law
School of Law 
School of Justice 
Legal Practice Unit 
Law and Justice Research Centre 

Humanities Program

QUT International College

Science and Technology 
School of Information Technology 
School of Life Sciences 
School of Mathematical Sciences 
School of Natural Resource Sciences 
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences 

Institutes

Institute of Creative Industries and Innovation 
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation 
Institute for Sustainable Resources 
Information Security Institute 

Queensland University of Technology ranked 195 in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

Macquarie University

Macquarie University is an Australian public research university located in Sydney. Its main campus is in Macquarie Park and also has overseas campuses in Hong Kong and Singapore. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney. Macquarie’s 126 hectare park-like campus belies its setting within the high-technology corridor of Sydney’s north-west.

Macquarie has an especially strong reputation in the business and commerce area, such as the actuarial studies and linguistic programme. According to the 'Good University Guide' of Australian University, starting salaries for Macquarie graduates have been ranked as the highest in Australia for ten conscutive years (1998-2007) and university made 5 star ratings in seven different performances categories (2007).Macquarie also continues to be one of Australia's most postgraduate universities, more than 30% of students at Macquarie are taking their graduate/postgraduate degrees and almost 1/3 of them are supported by government and/or university scholarship. Macquarie is currently reviewing its academic structure, with its 32,000 students to be located within four faculties – Business and Commerce; Humanities; Human Sciences, and Science.

Macquarie University's linguistics department developed the Macquarie Dictionary, the copyright on which it still owns. The university also contained a NASA research lab.

History

The idea of founding a third university in Sydney was flagged in the early 1960s when the New South Wales Government formed a committee of enquiry into higher education to deal with a perceived emergency in university enrolments in New South Wales. During this enquiry the Senate of The University of Sydney put in a submission which highlighted ‘the immediate need to establish a third university in the metropolitan area’.

After much debate a future campus location was selected in what was then a semi-rural part of North Ryde, and it was decided that the future university be named after Lachlan Macquarie, an important early governor of the colony of New South Wales.

Macquarie University was formally established in 1964 with the passage of the Macquarie University Act 1964 by the New South Wales Government. The University first opened to students on 6 March, 1967 with more students than anticipated. The Australian Universities Commission had allowed for 510 effective full-time students (EFTS) but Macquarie had 956 enrolments and 622 EFTS.

Between 1968 and 1969 enrolment at Macquarie increased dramatically with an extra 1200 EFTS with 100 new academic staff employed. 1969 also saw the establishment of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, MGSM.

Macquarie grew during the seventies and eighties with rapid expansion in courses offered, student numbers and development of the site. In 1990 the University absorbed the Institute of Early Childhood Studies of the Sydney College of Advanced Education, under the terms of the Higher Education (Amalgamation) Act 1989. In their book Liberality of Opportunity, Bruce Mansfield and Mark Hutchinson describe the founding of Macquarie University as ‘an act of faith and a great experiment’

There have only been four Vice-Chancellors in the University’s forty-four year history. The first Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University was Alexander George Mitchell who held the position until December 1975 when he was replaced by Edwin Webb who served until 1986. Di Yerbury was appointed to the position in 1986 and was the first female Vice-Chancellor in Australia.

Faculties

Effective from 2009 the old Faculty System has been replaced by this system:

Faculty of Business and Economics
Applied Finance Centre
Department of Accounting and Finance
Department of Actuarial Studies
Department of Business
Department of Business Law
Department of Economics
Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM)

Faculty of Arts
Department of Ancient History
Department of Anthropology
Department of English
Department of Indigenous Studies – Warawara
Department of International Studies
Department of Law
Department of Media, Music and Cultural Studies
Department of Modern History and Politics
Department of Philosophy
Department of Sociology

Faculty of Science
Department of Biological Sciences
Department of Brain Behaviour and Evolution
Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences
Department of Chiropractic
Department of Computing
Department of Environment and Geography
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Department of Mathematics
Department of Physics and Engineering
Department of Statistics

Faculty of Human Sciences
Department of Education
Department of Linguistics
Department of Psychology
Institute of Early Childhood
Institute of Human Cognition and Brain Science
Australian School of Advanced Medicine (ASAM)

Macquarie University ranked 168th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

Macquarie University ranked 182nd in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

Macquarie University ranked 189th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Western Australia

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a leading Australian research university and has an international reputation for excellence, innovation and enterprise. A member of the Australian 'Group of Eight' research universities, it is also among Australia's leading research universities. The University's Vice Chancellor is Professor Alan Robson supported by a five member Executive.

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia. Established in February 1911, it is the only university in the state to be a member of the prestigious Group of Eight, as well as the Sandstone universities. The University was established under and is governed by the University of Western Australia Act 1911

Sitting on the banks of the Swan River, the UWA Crawley campus is the oldest in Western Australia and among the most picturesque in the nation with its grand sandstone and terracotta buildings sitting among elegant heritage-listed gardens.

Graduates Prospects

UWA has the highest quality undergraduates of any university in Australia. This is underpinned by the fact that the proportion of UWA graduates accepted into full-time employment within five months of completing their course is the highest of all Western Australian universities and among the highest in Australia.

Coupled with this success is our high-quality intake of students. Western Australia's top-achieving school leavers choose to study at UWA as do high-calibre undergraduate and postgraduate students from around Australia and the world, particularly South-East Asia.

Education Standard

UWA is ranked second in Australia for the quality of its undergraduate programs. Our students benefit from the strong knowledge base and experience of teaching staff, many of whom have substantial international experience.

The University's strong foundation in research and teaching creates a scholarly environment which promotes the pursuit and rigorous critical interpretation of new information as well as the acquisition of knowledge.

Apart from regular delivery of information (lectures, tutorials, supervised research, field trips and student placements), the University also provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge on collaborative projects with business, industry, government and the wider community.

UWA students are also involved in more than 75 student exchange or study abroad programs in north America, Asia and Europe

Faculties

The university offers comprehensive learning programs for undergraduates and postgraduates across nine faculties and the School of Indigenous Studies.

The faculties are:

• Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts
  
• Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
  
• Business School
  
• Education
  
• Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
  
• Law
  
• Life and Physical Sciences
  
• Medicine, Dentistry and Health Services
  
• Natural and Agricultural Sciences.
  

Our offshore teaching programs are attended by more than 700 students in Singapore, China (including Hong Kong) and the Philippines.

Research

UWA is one of Australia's leading research universities, ranked second for research in Australia (taking account of its size). Responsible for almost 70 per cent of the university-based research and development in Western Australia, UWA is committed to the achievement of the highest quality research and scholarship by international standards.

While research covers the full range of disciplines within the university, our specialist areas include:
exploration, production and exploitation of minerals, oil and gas
management of agricultural and natural ecosystems
the humanities and social sciences
health and bio-medicine
genetic epidemiology
indigenous issues
information technology, telecommunications and computer science and
international management and business studies.

International Community

Our campus is a multi-cultural and multi-faith community which includes more than 3,000 international students from 80 nations. We actively promote a culture of inclusiveness and respect.

The University also participates in a number of international scholarship programs, principally through AusAID, which manages the Australian Government's overseas aid program.

Research strength and Rankings

As a result of its strong research culture, the University recently attracted more competitive research funding - on a per capita basis of staff involved in research - than any other Australian university.

Annually the University receives in excess of $71 million of external research income, expends over $117 million on research and graduates over 250 higher degree by research students, mostly doctorates.

The University has over 80 research centres, including the Crime Research Centre, the Centre for Forensic Science, the Centre for Water Research and the Centre for Oil and Gas Engineering.

A recently announced project is the Zadko Telescope. A local businessman, James Zadko, and his family contributed funds for the purchase of a robotically controlled 1-metre modified Ritchey-Chrétien telescope (F/4 equatorially mounted flat field). The telescope will be co-located with the UWA's Gravity Discovery Centre and Southern Cross Cosmos Centre 70km north of Perth on Wallingup Plain near the town of Gingin. Its operation will be harmonised with detection of major supernova events by some of the European Union's satellites.

The university consistently ranks among the top universities in the world. Newsweek ranked UWA 78th in the world in its 2005 global rankings and the THES ranked UWA 80th in the world,and in 2007 THES ranked UWA as 64th best university in the world.

The Academic World University rankings conducted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked UWA's Life and Agricultural Science programs 34th in the world and the best in Australia, as well as being ranked between 51st-75th in the world and equal 1st in Australia in the Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy Category.

Its overall ranking in the Academic World University rankings compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University was between 101-150th in the world and equal 3rd in Australia.

University of Western Australia ranked 64th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Western Australia ranked 83rd in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Western Australia ranked 84th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Western Australia ranked 89th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Western Australia ranked 73rd in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide (colloquially Adelaide University or Adelaide Uni) is a public university located in Adelaide. Established in 1874, the university is the third oldest in Australia. It has produced five Nobel laureates, 101 Rhodes scholars and is a member of the prestigious Group of Eight, as well as the Sandstone universities.

Its main campus is located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in the city-centre alongside prominent institutions such as the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the State Library of South Australia. The university also has four other campuses throughout the city: Roseworthy College at Roseworthy; The Waite Institute at Glen Osmond; Adelaide University Research Park at Thebarton; and the National Wine Centre in the Adelaide Park Lands.

Academics

The University is divided into five faculties, with various subsidiary schools:

Faculty of Engineering, Computer & Mathematical Sciences: Australian School of Petroleum (ASP); School of Chemical Engineering; School of Civil & Environmental Engineering; School of Computer Science; Education Centre for Innovation & Commercialisation; School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering; School of Mathematical Sciences; School of Mechanical Engineering.

Faculty of Health Sciences: University of Adelaide School of Dentistry ; School of Medical Sciences; Medical School; School of Paediatrics & Reproductive Health; School of Population Health & Clinical Practice; School of Psychology.

Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences: Elder Conservatorium of Music; School of History & Politics; School of Humanities; School of Social Sciences; Wilto Yerlo Centre for Australian Indigenous Research & Studies.

Faculty of the Professions: Graduate School of Business; School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture & Urban Design; School of Commerce; School of Economics; School of Education; Law School.

Faculty of Sciences: School of Agriculture, Food & Wine; School of Chemistry & Physics; School of Earth & Environmental Sciences; School of Molecular & Biomedical Science.

Through forward thinking strategies, the University of Adelaide has capitalised on a number of opportunities to commercialise its research. It engages in extensive contract research and collaborative work in conjunction with local and international companies, as well as Federal, State and Local Governments. This activity is managed by the University's commercial development company, Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd (ARI).

Some examples of recent influences to the University's teaching and research priorities are the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) in Adelaide's northern suburbs to which the University provides many physics, engineering and IT graduates, the growth in South Australia's wine industry which is supported by the Waite and National Wine Centre campuses producing oenology and agriculture/viticulture graduates.

In addition, the university participates in the Auto-ID Labs.

Brief Explanation

Since its establishment in 1874 the University of Adelaide has been amongst Australia's leading universities. Its contribution to the wealth and wellbeing of South Australia and Australia as a whole - across all fields of endeavour - has been enormous.

Studying at the University of Adelaide means being part of a rich tradition of excellence in education and research, with world-class academic staff and a vibrant student life.

Adelaide has a fine tradition of exemplary scholarship and ground-breaking research, and its unique relationship with industry and other organisations ensures that our research expertise is translated into tangible benefits for the global community.

Adelaide's research is at the leading edge of knowledge, with research earnings consistently the highest per capita of any university in Australia. Analysis of the impact of publications and citations shows that the University of Adelaide is ranked in the top 1% in the world in 11 research fields.

An innovative and forward-looking University, Adelaide has major strengths in wine and food, health sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, information technology and telecommunications, environmental sciences and social sciences.

At the heart of the University's vision, achievement and impact is our commitment to excellence, our sense that a focus on the experience of the student is fundamental, and our belief that research intensity and innovative, high quality teaching have a symbiotic relationship that underpins and characterises the finest universities in the world.

We are committed to producing graduates recognised worldwide for their creativity, knowledge and skills, as well as their culture and tolerance. Our graduates make an impact on the world.

The beginnings

In 1872, the Baptist, Congregational and Presbyterian churches in the province of South Australia founded a Union College "to provide young men with an education beyond school level". Courses were offered in Classics, Philosophy, English Literature, Mathematics and Natural Science.

That same year, a wealthy grazier and copper miner, Walter Watson Hughes, proposed a donation of 20,000 pounds to the new college — an immense sum in those days, and more than enough to found a university.

So the University of Adelaide came into being, with a Bill "for an act to incorporate and endow the University of Adelaide" receiving the Governor's assent on 6 November 1874. The University began teaching in March 1876, with the Bachelor of Arts the first degree offered. The University was formally inaugurated on 25 April 1876, and fully constituted on 2 May 1877, when the admission of 73 graduates of other universities to degrees ad eundem gradum of the University of Adelaide enabled the Senate to be established.

A progressive institution

Adelaide is the third-oldest university in Australia and older than all but a handful of universities in England.

From the start, it was a progressive institution. It was the first Australian university to admit women to academic courses — in 1881, ahead of Oxford (1920) and Cambridge (1948). It was the first Australian university to grant degrees in Science — its first science graduate was also its first woman graduate, Edith Emily Dornwell. It was the first Australian university to establish a Conservatorium of Music, a Chair of Music, and a Doctor of Music, and the first to grant that degree to a woman (Ruby Davy in 1918). Adelaide graduated Australia's first woman surgeon (Laura Margaret Fowler), the first woman elected to a university Council in Australia (Helen Mayo), and the first Australian woman to be a Queen's Counsel, South Australian Supreme Court Judge, Deputy Chancellor and then Chancellor of an Australian university, and Governor of an Australian State — the redoubtable Dame Roma Mitchell.

A reputation for excellence

The University of Adelaide was quick to establish a reputation for excellence in education and research. Teachers and graduates soon made an impact that was felt not only in South Australia but also in national and international arenas.

An early Professor of Mathematics and Physics was Sir William Bragg, who went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1915 for his work on X-ray crystallography. He shared the honour with his son, Sir Lawrence, a graduate of the University.

Another graduate honoured with a Nobel Prize (1945) was Lord Howard Florey, who pioneered the application and manufacture of penicillin.

The early Antarctic explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson, had a 50-year association with the University, including 31 years as Professor of Geology and Mineralogy.

In more recent times, mechanical engineering graduate Dr Andy Thomas was Payload Commander aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on its 10-day mission in 1996. He was also chosen by NASA for the Shuttle-Mir research project, and is now Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office.

Today, the University's Creative Writing students have the opportunity to benefit from the advice of Nobel Laureate for Literature 2003, JM Coetzee, who in 2002 accepted appointment as an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow within the University.

The Nobel Prize in Medicine 2005 was awarded to Dr J. Robin Warren, who graduated MB BS from the University of Adelaide in 1961. He shares the prize with Barry Marshall "for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease," and becomes the fifth person directly associated with the University of Adelaide to win a Nobel Prize.

An international institution

The University of Adelaide has built a rich tradition of excellence to become a leader in Australian higher education and research. Since its foundation, it has produced 100 Rhodes Scholars, and the University is now known internationally for the quality of its programs and its high-calibre graduates, whose skills go beyond the workplace to make an impact on the world.

The University of Adelaide extends across four campuses and accommodates more than 19,000 students, including approximately 4,500 international students from 90 countries. The 1200 high-quality teaching and research staff come from all parts of the globe.

The academic enterprise, by its nature, is not limited by national boundaries, and the University works to ensure that the many informal linkages that exist between its academic staff and their colleagues worldwide are complemented by a series of formal relationships with other universities, as well as non-university institutions, government bodies, NGOs and industry groups, to benefit both its research programs, and the learning and teaching experience of its students.

At the time of writing, the University of Adelaide had in place formal linkages with 138 universities in 25 countries.

Good governance

The University of Adelaide is governed by its Council, which is established by the University of Adelaide Act. The Council's responsibilities are to oversee the management and development of the University, devise or approve strategic plans and major policies, and monitor and review the operation of the University.

Council has 21 members, is chaired by the Chancellor, and is advised by seven standing committees. Other Management Committees advise the Vice-Chancellor and President and senior managers.

The University's Chief Executive Officer is the Vice-Chancellor and President. He is supported by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Academic) , Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Research) and Vice-President (Services & Resources).

The University's academic activities are grouped into five Faculties: Engineering, Computer & Mathematical Sciences; Health Sciences; Humanities & Social Sciences; Professions; and Sciences. Each Faculty is headed by an Executive Dean.

University of Adelaide ranked 62nd in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Adelaide ranked 106th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Adelaide ranked 81st in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Adelaide ranked 103rd in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Adelaide ranked 92nd in the 2011 QS World University Ranking