Australia's first university
The University of Sydney, founded in 1850, has an international reputation for outstanding teaching and research excellence.
Top-level academics and students come here from around the world to research and study across the broadest range of disciplines in Australia, from the most theoretical to the most applied. We are committed to finding the best in people of potential from all social backgrounds.
Sydney plays a major role in the local, national and international communities. In fact the University has an impact on the lives of those who never enter its classrooms or laboratories as academics or students. Its award-winning researchers are leaders in addressing issues that impact everyone in areas such as public health and environmental sustainability. The University contributes to Australia’s artistic life through its museums and cultural institutions and produces some of Australia’s top sportspeople.
Global reputation
Sydney is ranked among the world’s top 40 universities (UK Times Higher Education Supplement, October 2008), with its humanities teaching and research ranked in the top 20.
International networks
The University of Sydney is a key member of:
- the Group of Eight, which is a coalition of leading Australian universities, intensive in research and comprehensive in general and professional education
- Academic Consortium 21 (AC21), an international network of educational, research and industrial organisations
- the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), a group of more than 40 prestigious universities drawn from Asia, the United States and South America
- the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), an international alliance of 16 leading research universities.
A commitment to quality
The University of Sydney measures its organisational performance by benchmarking against world class peers and industry. Key benchmarking activities include:
- benchmarking of student data with Oxford, Queensland and Melbourne universities
- the provision of expert advice to parallel programs at University College London, and Edinburgh and Hong Kong universities
- ICT policy development in collaboration with the Open University.
The benefits from such benchmarking activities are clear. The Learning Community Scale was developed in conjunction with Oxford University. The development of the MEd (Higher Education) program was a result of benchmarking with Edinburgh University.
Professional accreditation is another way the University’s professional faculties benchmark themselves and the quality of their programs. The University has relationships with 41 accrediting bodies, including six international bodies.
Service, leadership and the community
The University is committed to the communities to which it belongs internationally, nationally and locally. Numerous community links have been forged by academic and research disciplines as well as dedicated units such as the Koori Centre and Yooroang Garang, which work closely with Indigenous communities.
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney College of the Arts, the University Museums and the Seymour Theatre Centre open the University’s cultural life to the community. Around 50,000 people visit the University’s outstanding museums each year, while more than 22,000 attend Conservatorium performances. A further 21,000 people participate each year in community education courses offered by the Centre for Continuing Education.
The Sydney Ideas International Public Lecture series has recently featured leading figures such as environmentalist and former Australian of the year Tim Flannery, actor and director Steven Berkoff, and novelist and commentator Tariq Ali.
Many student organisations, such as the debating club and drama society, have long traditions of enriching student life and providing a springboard for future careers. High profile Australians such as Prime Minister John Howard, Justice Michael Kirby and radio presenter Adam Spencer have been University of Sydney debaters.
Sydney sportspeople excel in the national and world arenas. Recent achievements include:
- The University's rugby club has won a record four successive Sydney grade premierships – the premier club tournament in NSW rugby.
- Twenty University athletes participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, seven of them winning medals.