The University of Sydney
CHANGING SOCIETY
The University of Sydney is a leading, comprehensive research and teaching university committed to the transformative power of education and to fostering greater knowledge and understanding of the world and its people.
Located in the heart of Sydney, we are unique among Australia’s leading universities in the breadth of disciplines we offer our 50,000 students, providing them with the opportunity to learn from world-class researchers, and to challenge themselves both intellectually and personally. Our international students, from more than 130 countries, make up almost a quarter of the student body.
Our people help to shape national and international agendas and to find solutions to real-world problems, and we are proud to celebrate the achievements of our worldwide network of 170,000 alumni, which includes prime ministers, Nobel laureates, Oscar-winners, Olympic athletes, business leaders, social activists and medical pioneers.
A WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
We push the frontiers of knowledge to increase our understanding of the world around us. The University consistently ranks among the top 100 universities in the world, and the federal government’s 2010 Excellence in Research Australia initiative rated more than 90 percent of our fields of research at world standard or above. We also excel at developing the research leaders of tomorrow: we received more awards than any other university in the Australian Research Council’s 2011 Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards.
We are making it easier for researchers to reach across disciplinary boundaries to get to grips with some of the most pressing issues of the 21st century. Our new Charles Perkins Centre is tackling the epidemic of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while our China Studies Centre aims to improve Australia’s cooperation and relations with China and better understand its impact on the world.
Work such as this makes a real difference by informing decisions in government, industry and the wider community. We collaborate closely with external partners and regularly take part in government, parliamentary inquiries and policy reviews.
DEGREES OF INSPIRATION
By studying alongside world-class researchers, our students are exposed to excellence and taught to think critically. We challenge them to succeed as leaders in whatever career field they choose.
To build aspiration among young people from all backgrounds, we are committed to providing the best access, facilities and support. The University of Sydney student experience is vibrant and unique – we encourage our students to get involved in life outside the classroom, participate in our 200+ social clubs and share their views in University decision-making.
We also contribute to Sydney more widely through our championship-winning sports teams, groundbreaking art and music, and fascinating museums which house the largest collection of antiquities in the southern hemisphere. More than 10,000 people came to our Sydney Ideas public lecture series in 2011 to hear globally prominent speakers discuss the key issues facing the world, from human rights to climate change.
In creating the first tertiary education institution in Australia more than 150 years ago, the University’s founders recognised the power of education to change society. We hold that belief just as strongly today.
Website: sydney.edu.au
Organisational Structure: sydney.edu.au/about/leadership/organisation.shtml