Mission and Focus
A 21st century university for Adelaide.
At the University of Adelaide, we embrace our role and purpose as a future-maker—for our state, our nation and our world.
We pursue meaningful change as we celebrate our proud history: applying proven values in the pursuit of contemporary educational and research excellence; meeting our local and global community’s evolving needs and challenges; and striving to prepare our graduates for their aspirations and the needs of the future workforce.
Our focus is informed by the manifold changes confronting today’s society, including the:
- need for economic transition—to new industries and jobs
- imperative of social transformation—demanding more accessible, lifelong learning
- impact of globalisation—making global opportunities available locally
- pervasive nature of technological disruption—redefining socio-economic constructs
- pursuit of sustainability—socially, economically and environmentally.
The University is uniquely positioned to design and drive a prosperous, entrepreneurial future for South Australia built on knowledge, innovation and collaboration.
We’re a dynamic participant in society, leading our community in leveraging change for social and economic benefit. We listen to industry. And we connect with diverse community groups far and wide to deliver education and research of the highest value and impact.
Five pillars to excellence
In a globalised economy, access to the world of ideas is critical for local socio-economic benefit. As a truly global institution, our university has unique potential within South Australia to leverage culturally diverse staff and students—and an outstanding reputation reflected in all three leading world rankings—to connect our state to the world.
Recognising that our destiny will be shaped by those who choose to work or study with us, we invest significant resources in making our university a global destination of choice for the very best minds. Here in our nurturing community they teach and discover side-by-side, infused by a culture that connects, inspires and energises. Excellence demands nothing less.
Research excellence has defined our history. In a world rapidly transitioning to an information-based economy, so will it define our future. We strive to build an ever-stronger nexus between our research and local economic needs, leveraging creativity and knowledge to create abundant economic opportunities. And we continually enhance links between research and education to help shape a new generation of entrepreneurs able to translate new knowledge into societal benefit.
In the interests of improving lives and delivering better societal outcomes, we constantly seek ways to increase our community’s access to the ever-growing store of human knowledge. We’re making an Adelaide education more relevant to an even more diverse range of students; and aligning our programs with the creativity and power of research. The result is an education tailored to the enquiring mind, and graduates highly sought for their intellectual flexibility and rigour.
The majority of our students and staff study and work on Kaurna land in the centre of Adelaide, a beautiful and affordable city regularly ranked among the world’s top 10 for liveability. This location affords us a unique ability to engage with, and shape, the life of the city. More than any other institution, we build and nurture connections between our next generation of leaders, industry collaborators, world-class teachers and researchers, sporting bodies, and major cultural and entertainment events.