The University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a world-class tertiary education and research institution committed to delivering high quality and distinct learning, teaching and research experiences. The University is centred on: discovering new knowledge, pursuing innovation, preparing the educated leaders of tomorrow who are independent, creative thinkers with an international perspective.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Research institute
- Industry Type:
- University / Academia / Research
- Market Focus:
- Internationally (various countries)
- Year Founded:
- 1874
About Us
Learning and Teaching
Learning and teaching encompasses the broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees offered at the University.
Students are provided with a unique and holistic education experience and graduate attributes are aligned to career outcomes. Our degrees are relevant to the changing requirements of employers and the needs of industry and the community.
Degrees are delivered across our five faculties:
Research
Research
The University has an international reputation for world-class research across a wide spectrum of areas leading to high impact, tangible outcomes.
We are consistently ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide and are a member of the Group of Eight; a coalition of Australia's foremost research intensive universities.
Research is conducted at postgraduate level, and by early, mid and late career researchers.
Engagement
Engagement
As an institution that fosters the production and dissemination of knowledge, sharing information and inspiring through talent has always been central to our philosophy. As such, public lectures have been held since our early beginnings.
This tradition of community engagement continues today through a range of activities including public lectures such as Research Tuesdays and through music concerts, public tours and exhibitions and our radio station, Radio Adelaide.
Our biggest day of the year is Open Day where over 12,000 members of the community explore the North Terrace campusand learn more about our learning, teaching and research.
The University also works with the community in other ways through strategic partnerships and alignments with business and enterprise, government bodies, other research institutions, NGOs and industry groups. This is reflected in an extensive international partnership network.
Mission
The University of Adelaide draws strength from its founding values as it fulfils its future research and teaching aspirations.
The University is an international institution that distinctively embraces the ideal of the research university, where the excitement, vitality and passion of the search for new knowledge is one in which all students participate; as an enlightened and tolerant community where able students can find support, whatever their background or circumstances; and as a place where the Kaurna people, original custodians of the land on which the campuses now rest, are acknowledged and their culture respected.
Our Distinctive Features
- A student body of democratic breadth
- A staff of international distinction
- A spirit of freedom to investigate new fields
- A sense of importance to the community
- A goal to prepare educated leaders.
The University of Adelaide commits to a distinctive approach that recaptures the ideal of the research university, and seeks an internationally-focused staff and a tolerant, progressive student mix, which will prepare students for global citizenship in an increasingly borderless world. It will be a university true to its historical roots, yet passionately committed to its role in producing graduates designed to play leading parts in the Asian Century.
History
The University of Adelaide was founded with a noble goal: to prepare for South Australia young leaders shaped by education rather than birth or wealth in a settlement free of old world social and religious inequalities.
The University was established in 1874 and teaching began in 1876. The first official lecture was in Latin and the Bachelor of Arts the first degree offered.
However, the University's first Vice-Chancellor, Dr Augustus Short, had a vision for a university open to investigate new fields such as the sciences, modern literature, art and moral philosophy; subjects other than the narrow classics curriculum offered at Oxford University at the time. This vision would be realised in 1882 when the University became the first in Australia to grant degrees in science.
The spirit of enquiry was further embraced and the freedom to explore non classical subjects continued. Before reaching the 1900s the University offered degrees in arts, science, law, medicine and music. Additionally mathematics, philosophy, languages and mining engineering were taught. These flagship degrees and disciplines continue at the University today.