Lumen Spring Summer 2023 - Flipbook - Page 19
Heads of agreement signing. Front row l-r: Ms Pauline Carr, Chancellor, UniSA; The Honourable Peter Malinauskas, Premier of South Australia;
The Honourable Catherine Branson AC KC, Chancellor, University of Adelaide. Standing l-r: Professor David Lloyd, Vice-Chancellor and President, UniSA;
The Honourable Stephen Mulligan, Treasurer of South Australia; The Honourable Susan Close, Deputy Premier; Professor Peter Høj AC, Vice-Chancellor
and President, University of Adelaide
committed to ensuring the new university
has the highest quality, most contemporary
curriculum in the country with modernised
content for the digital future.
These commitments directly align with the
intent of the Universities Accord, as outlined
in the interim report released in July.
Combining the two universities provides
an opportunity to maximise technological
resources, with quality curricula that are
tailored for future industries, and research
strategies that mean our advances will
not just benefit our societies, but will
transform them.
The new Adelaide University can only
become a reality under new legislation.
A parliamentary committee inquiry is
examining the business case and draft
legislation and is due to report by 17
October. I am confident that the business
case will stack up under such scrutiny.
We know from objective rankings
simulations that the new Adelaide University
will either sit inside the global top 100 from
day one – or be knocking at its door – with
a view to be well inside it on an ongoing and
sustainable basis. Adelaide University has
been invited to become a Group of Eight
university upon its creation.
The University of Adelaide and UniSA
bring differing, overlapping and mutually
reinforcing strengths. Adelaide University
will combine our universities’ resources,
augmented by State Government
investment. Along with achievable growth
in student numbers, we know that we can
improve student experiences, revolutionise
our curriculum and commit transformative
resource to advance our research activities.
We have modelled student demand that
will be bigger than we have now. With
confidence, we can expect that we will create
jobs both in the university and in associated
industries, and we will generate another
$500 million for the South Australian
economy each year – once we’re wellestablished and operating.
An undertaking of this size is resource
intensive and not without risk and we
accept that not all will agree with this
ambition. However, with the backing and
investment provided by the South Australian
government and the detailed planning
undertaken, we believe that the risks are
more than offset by the opportunities being
created for South Australia for decades
to come.
Indeed, we have concluded that the greatest
risk in front of us is in not acting to realise
this outstanding opportunity for our
wonderful state and generations of future
learners. Adelaide University gives us a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to further enhance
the prosperity – both economic and social –
of South Australians.
Realising our goals will take planning,
courage, and resource. Above all, it will take
great people – staff, students, alumni and,
importantly, our community partners – as
we seek to deliver a new university for
South Australia.
LUMEN – SPRING/SUMMER 2023 19
