01 January 2016
It has launched the careers of thousands of teachers, nurses, engineers and health professionals; graduated more than 150,000 students; attracted more international students to South Australia than any other university; invested almost one billion dollars in capital works and changed the face and the heart of education in South Australia – and today the University of South Australia turns 25.
Celebrating this important anniversary, UniSA is planning a year of events that will acknowledge the history of the University but also focus squarely on its future as Australia’s University of Enterprise.
The special year kicks off with some very special scholarships for high achieving students.
The 25th Anniversary Outstanding Achievement Scholarships worth up to $40,000 each are available to students who achieve an ATAR score of 99.95. A second round of anniversary entry scholarships for excellence, each worth $5000, will be available to students with an ATAR of 99.
UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd says he is delighted to be at the helm of the University for such a significant anniversary.
“The institution has had a stellar lead in to its 25th birthday,” Prof Lloyd says.
“In December we were appropriately ranked 25 in the world by QS for universities under 50 years old.
“That same month saw the University return a fantastic result in the Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA) ratings, where 16 fields of research at UniSA were given the highest possible rating (well above world class) and 97 per cent of all our assessed research rated world class or above.
“We have also strengthened our partnerships and patronage across the year. We entered into a significant relationship with the University College London to establish our Future Industries Institute and became the recipient of an incredibly generous contribution from the late, great, Sir Terry Pratchett, a perpetual scholarship fund worth more than $1 million.
“We also opened the Innovation Collaboration Centre at City West in partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and forged a partnership with one of China’s largest drug manufacturers Yabao Pharmaceuticals to develop and bring to market new cancer treatments .
“These are certainly things to celebrate but, importantly, this year UniSA is celebrating something even bigger in terms of achievement, its continuing role in supporting transformation for both individuals and the community.”
Prof Lloyd says the University was established with notions of equity, excellence and enterprise at its core.
“I pay tribute to all the former Vice Chancellors and Chancellors who made a huge contribution and a deep commitment to UniSA’s evolution and success,” Prof Lloyd says.
“UniSA was the first university in Australia to make a statement of commitment to Reconciliation and the first in SA to launch a Reconciliation Action Plan, building deeper engagement and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and providing them more opportunities.
“We were the first Australian university to embed graduate qualities as a measurable part of all our degrees.
“UniSA has always been the ‘University of Choice’ for non-traditional students – those who are the first in their families to take part in higher education, those who return to study to improve their careers and those who overcome impediment to seek out the opportunities of education.
“Our students come from every walk of life and all of them cherish the power of that education to broaden the way they see the world and to give them the necessary tools for future success.”
Prof Lloyd says UniSA has built an exceptional and solid reputation for delivering graduates who are work-ready and for more than five years, about 90 per cent of graduates have gone on to work full time in a professional career within four months of completing their degrees.
“Their enterprise, their belief that change is possible, that excellence is worth striving for, resonates with our institutional values,” he says.
“We are a young and ambitious university, but we also carry the wisdom and experience of the pioneering institutions that are a part of our DNA – one of the nation’s first art schools, the first teacher training and kindergarten teacher education colleges, the School of Mines and the SA Institute of Technology.
“UniSA has touched the lives of most people living in South Australia, as an educator, an employer, a research or business partner. We very much are the University for South Australia and we plan to continue to flourish and to grow our contribution to the state and the nation.
“We have a full calendar of events this year – including an Art, Movie and Culture Festival in October, a special Gala Dinner, iconic lectures and art exhibitions.
“I’m hoping everyone will join us for some of these events and help us celebrate our 25th birthday.”
All the information about the University’s 25 Birthday celebrations is available online at www.unisa.edu.au/25years.
Media contact: Michèle Nardelli office +61 883020966 mob 0418823673 email michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au
