From the Vice Chancellor: Of Stories and Sequels

INSIDE UNISA

Well, this is it. It’s here. The final edition of UniSA News issuing just as we are poised to transition UniSA’s operational structures to those of the new Adelaide University – and my final contribution to this publication. Looking more broadly, as we transition to Adelaide University, we’ve entered what Swedish glam rock band Europe’s frontman, Joey Tempest (great name, even better hair, questionable fashion sense), memorably sang in the late ’80s: “The final countdooown.”

Only a handful of working days remain until the effective date of 19^th December when we ‘cut over’ from foundation university structures to those of AU, and only a handful more until Adelaide University officially opens its doors on Monday 5^th January. The last lines of UniSA’s amazing chapter in the book of South Australian tertiary education are now being written. (Albeit with an epilogue entry until the end of March 2026 as we complete the last of UniSA’s enrolled student cohort, before riding off into the setting sun with the end credits rolling).

As we draw closer to the end of 2025, it’s hard not to dwell on the sense of finality that has accompanied these last few months – the same feeling that has accompanied many of our traditions, events, and milestones throughout the year. Our UniSA ‘lasts’, as I’ve come to call them. These significant moments will continue on through the first quarter of 2026, including those final graduation ceremonies and honorary awards, for example, and will end in March when I close up shop.

Now, with this final edition, UniSA News has become one of these lasts. This publication has long been an invaluable platform upon which we have shared the University’s important stories.  

I first contributed to UniSA News in early 2013, shortly after becoming Vice Chancellor. The photo of me beside the piece in question demonstrates just how long ago that was – I was still in my 30’s back then! At the time, while learning to survive my first Australian summer (there was a 42-degree differential between Dublin and Adelaide that January), I was also immersing myself in our institution: who we were, where we stood, and what we aspired to become.   

In those early days and weeks, I met with industry, government, and community leaders, as well as colleagues from other universities. But it was one cohort in particular that helped me most in this pursuit. To conclude my very first column, I wrote: “Of all the meetings I’ve attended thus far, it’s meeting with our staff and students that resonates most strongly.”

Quoting oneself is always a little perilous, but that sentiment remains as true today as it was then. The essence of UniSA has always been its people, and it is its people who have written its story. 

That story dates back to 1856, when the South Australian School of Art – UniSA’s oldest antecedent institution – was established. In 1991, UniSA officially opened through the coming together of the South Australian Institute of Technology and the South Australian College of Advanced Education. We were the new kid on the block. A challenger brand. Bold, ambitious, and unapologetically different.

Over nearly 35 unstoppable years, UniSA’s story has grown. We’ve expanded our campuses, forged global partnerships, strengthened ties with government and industry, and focused our research to address real-world challenges, rising to be deservedly recognised among Australia’s top ten young universities. We’ve proudly defined ourselves as Australia’s University of Enterprise, with industry-relevant curricula, career-ready graduates, a dedication to equity and innovation, and an unwavering commitment to Reconciliation.

Today, our University community comprises more than 36,000 students, more than 5000 staff, and a global alumni network of more than 250,000 graduates spread across 130 countries. Our name has become synonymous with relevance, recognised among the world’s top young universities, renowned for our industry collaboration, and respected for the employability of our graduates.

Now, as we approach the end of this chapter with that sense of finality, I’m reminded of the cyclical nature of stories, of endings and new beginnings. After all, Tolkien didn’t give The Hobbit its alternative title – There and Back Again – on a whim. And as my friend, and UniSA honorary doctor, the late Sir Terry Pratchett, once wrote:

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours… Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

We embark on this next journey changed by what we’ve learned along the way. This isn’t an ending, even if it sometimes feels like one – and we shouldn’t think of it as such. Rather, the best parts of UniSA – its people, its values, its purpose – are being carried forward. They will help shape the next great story – the sequel, if I may stretch the analogy (to its limits), that is the new Adelaide University.

What a sequel it will be. Think The Dark Knight, or Toy Story 2-level good. Or, of course (and no I haven’t forgotten), Star Trek reboot level-good. The Empire Strikes Back-level good. I could go on…(and on). I have every confidence in its box office success because I have every confidence in those that are working to make it a reality – its cast and crew.

It is a huge understatement to say that this year has been tremendously busy. We are all experiencing a range of emotions as we navigate the transition and prepare for 2026. Our staff have worked incredibly hard, our students have stayed focused, and our alumni and stakeholders have supported us every step of the way. UniSA is drawing to a close with an enviable scorecard of institutional success and achievements – and is ready for its next incarnation.

I am immensely proud to be a part of this extraordinary community, and I can’t wait to see what happens next – to see what this sequel has in store for you all.

The next story’s unwritten – but we know it’ll be a real page-turner.

Professor David Lloyd
Vice Chancellor and President

Other Stories

• What a journey … Meet three of UniSA’s longest-serving staff
• A standing ovation
• Work starts on Aboriginal Knowledges Centre
• Social media ban: How parents can help kids stay connected
• From the Vice Chancellor: Of Stories and Sequels
• Closing the chapter
• Time Capsule celebrates UniSA community
• Achievements and Announcements
• New Yarning Circles complete
• In Pictures: 2025 Unstoppable Awards and Celebrating staff service
• The latest books from UniSA researchers