Founding institutions

University of Canberra

The University of Canberra is Australia's Capital University.  The University reflects the different facets of Canberra: the nation’s capital, the seat of government, the home of national cultural, scientific and sporting institutions, a designed and landscaped city and a local community committed to a sustainable, educated, healthy, prosperous life. There are currently more than 12,000 students representing 100 countries studying at the University of Canberra.  The University specialises in delivering professional education and applied research. Research and education are delivered by seven faculties: Applied Science, Arts and Design, Business and Government, Education, Health, Information Sciences and Engineering, and Law.

The University’s researchers are dedicated to finding solutions to real-world challenges. In addition to research within and between faculties, there are two ‘university research centres’, which are leaders in their field: the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) and the Institute for Applied Ecology.  NATSEM specialises in modelling the consequences of policy changes and is regularly called upon by governments, political parties and industry to provide insights into how the future might look. The Institute for Applied Ecology works to mitigate the threats faced by the environment in Australia and overseas: areas of focus include the health of our rivers, tracking down invasive species and understanding how sex is determined in lizards.  Other areas of research expertise include forensic science, virology, sport, governance, biometrics, planning, communication and education.

The Australian National University

Established in 1946 to be a national hub of cutting-edge research, the Australian National University (ANU) is one of the foremost research universities in the world. ANU is the most research-intensive university in Australia and is also a strong leader in tertiary education and training at both undergraduate and higher degree levels. The University’s seven colleges encompass a broad range of research and teaching disciplines from medicine and science through Asian & Pacific studies to law and economics.

One of the University’s strongest credentials is its ability to effectively conduct interdisciplinary research by drawing on the wealth of expertise from the University’s seven colleges. In 2009 the ANU Climate Change Institute (CCI) was formed with the aim of tackling critical climate change issues both locally and internationally, through stimulating disciplinary work and enabling the development of new integrative research programs such as the CCI’s integrated climate change response options for Canberra and the region program. The ANU is also devoted to practical environmental management and was recently awarded, at a ceremony in Switzerland, the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) Impact award for the most sustainable campus.

The ANU is an attractive research and teaching university because of its enviable geographical position and its unique environment. The ANU is only a short walk from the centre of the national capital, Canberra, which combines the friendly atmosphere of rural Australia with the excitement and sophistication of an international city. Beyond its central city campus, the university has campuses at Mount Stromlo near Canberra as well as a research centre at Kioloa on the New South Wales south coast.