The University of Sydney is Australia’s founding higher education establishment. For generations it has influenced the development of the nation through its teaching and research; the provision of advice to industry, government and the wider community; and its contribution to public debate.
Situated in Australia’s largest city, the university has 10 main teaching campuses in the Sydney area, as well as a number of research and teaching institutes elsewhere in Australia.
The university also has close links with the Australian National University. In early 2005 the two universities signed a partnership agreement that paves the way for joint planning of long-term research initiatives, cross-credit of courses, and shared marketing presentations overseas.
There are almost 2,500 academic staff at the University of Sydney and more than 47,000 students, about three-quarters of whom study full time. International students account for about one-fifth of the student population.
More than 490 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are offered in 18 faculties: agriculture, food and natural resources; architecture; arts; the Australian Graduate School of Management; dentistry; economics and business; education and social work; engineering; the Graduate School of Government; health sciences; law; medicine; Sydney College of the Arts; Sydney Conservatorium of Music; nursing and midwifery; pharmacy; science; and veterinary science.
The university’s teaching, research and cultural efforts are supported by extensive facilities, including the largest university library collection in the Southern Hemisphere and museums that hold collections of international significance. These facilities will be enhanced by the university’s Campus 2010 + Building for the Future project, which will provide new buildings for student services, law and information technologies, as well as improved grounds and extensive landscaping. Sydney is also the leading sporting university in Australia and offers students an outstanding extracurricular experience.
Pacific rim to global network
As a comprehensive, research-intensive global university, the University of Sydney has a network of partner institutions covering research collaboration, joint teaching projects, and staff and student exchanges across countries in Europe, North America and Asia.
The university is member of Academic Consortium 21, an international network seeking to further global cooperation in higher education and collaborative research. It is also a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, which fosters cooperation to advance the economic, scientific and cultural wellbeing of Pacific rim economies.
Outstanding research
As a result of its commitment to excellence in research, the University of Sydney has a proud record in national competitive grant funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. This commitment also underpins an approach to research-led teaching that has been acclaimed for its excellence.
The university hosts two ARC Centres of Excellence-the Centre for Autonomous Systems and the Centre for Ultrahigh Bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems-and is involved in the Centre for Quantum Computer Technology and National ICT Australia. It also hosts ARC centres in polymer colloids, field robotics, microscopy and microanalysis, transport management, and design computing and cognition; additionally, it is home to the ARC Special Research Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities.
There are three National Health and Medical Research Council centres of clinical research excellence-liver disease, renal medicine, and clinical and health ethics-and the university participates in more than 20 federal government-funded cooperative research centres. Three of the Australian Government’s major national research facilities-the Nanostructural Analysis Network Organisation, the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility and the Gemini and Square Kilometre Array-are also based at the university.
Sydney has attracted 15 of the Australian Government’s prestigious Federation Fellowships.
Distinguished achievers
Graduates of the university can be found at the top of many fields throughout the world. Among those who have gained international recognition are four prime ministers of Australia (Barton, McMahon, Whitlam and Howard); former President of the World Bank James Wolfensohn; filmmakers Phil Noyce, Jane Campion and Bruce Beresford; designer Marc Newson; soprano Yvonne Kenny; conductor Simone Young; writers Germaine Greer and Clive James; Nobel Laureates Sir John Cornforth (chemistry), Sir Robert Robinson (chemistry) and Emeritus Professor John Harsanyi (economics); and President of the Royal Society Lord May.
Website: www.usyd.edu.au Organisational Structure:
www.usyd.edu.au/about/organisation_administration/structure.shtml
