Founding member: University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide is one of Australia’s leading research-intensive universities and is consistently ranked among the top 1% of universities in the world. Established in 1874, it is Australia’s third oldest university with a strong reputation for research and teaching excellence.

Key research foci at the University reflects national and global research priorities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, health, minerals and energy, photonics and advanced sensing. Other areas of strength include biological sciences, creative arts, information technology and physical, chemical, social and behavioural sciences. 

The University of Adelaide places high priority on the student learning experience. It has a vibrant campus lifestyle with more than 25,000 students of which 30 per cent are international students from more than 90 countries. 

There are major challenges facing higher education globally. Higher education is being reshaped by globalisation and the digital revolution. There are growing pressures related to declining sources of income and rising costs. Institutions are seeing a lasting effect from the Global Financial Crisis impacting both enrolment numbers and philanthropy and students have growing demands of their educational experience. These expectations relate to educational quality, career-readiness and access to learning and service tools via digital technologies and platforms. 

The challenge universities face in this climate is how they continue to maintain and update infrastructure, facilities, resources and provide services as costs increase but funding becomes less certain.

In addition to the issues facing higher education providers globally, there are national and local concerns affecting the way that the University of Adelaide is planning for its future relevance and sustainability. 

In 2012, the Australia Government implemented a higher education reform package including uncapping of undergraduate student places, enabling unrestricted student access to a government funded place (provided basic eligibility requirements were met). This has heightened competition for students nationally and locally between universities and emerging international providers, public and for-profit— all competing for the Australian undergraduate student pool. This necessitates the need to create a distinct educational value proposition.

There is a need to further invest in building new infrastructure, most urgently, new medical, nursing and dental schools. To take the institution into the future we will need new development on campus also. The challenge is that these aspirations require more capital works funding than current forecasts predict that we will have. Therefore we will need to be imaginative and energetic in our fundraising quest.

Additionally, remaining competitive in the global student market continues to be a challenge. The combination of Australia’s increasing value of the Australian dollar, coupled with the country’s reputation for restrictive visa rules (which have since been relaxed), has resulted in lower international student application numbers and a decline in income. 

The University of Adelaide is well placed to address the challenges it faces due to the changing higher education landscape. The 10 year strategic plan released at the end of 2012 will take the university to the eve of its 150th anniversary in 2024. 

And so in this rapidly changing environment, the University of Adelaide will face its challenges with imagination and will continue to build relationships and invite support from government, industry, business, alumni and the community to share in advancing its future.