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Australian University Groupings
There are four main groupings of Australian Universities. These have been formed to promote the mutual objectives of the member universities. There are a number of objectives in this including marketing advantages, practical benefits of collaboration, and the increased lobbying power that comes from being part of a group. The four main groupings currently active are:
- Group of Eight (go8) (group of 8)
- Australian Technology Network (ATN)
- Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU Australia)
- New Generation Universities (NGU)
Membership of any of these groups does not in itself signify anything special about the member universities. There are universities that are not part of any of these groupings that have their own set of strengths and foci. Most universities have international connections that might be more important to them than any domestic groupings. However, the groupings do represent universities that have a similar style and focus and the formation of these groups will most likely accentuate these similarities.
Group of Eight (go8)
The Group of Eight (go8) markets itself as the group of 'Australia's Leading Universities'. They support this claim by referring to statistics relating to variables such as research outputs, industry links, graduate outcomes, and the competency of their academic staff. The group of 8 member universities are:
- The University of Adelaide
- The Australian National University
- The University of Melbourne
- Monash University
- The University of New South Wales
- The University of Queensland
- The University of Sydney
- The University of Western Australia
Each of these member universities is well regarded in a number of different areas and together they form a powerful bloc. There have been discussions about some formal recognition of the status of this group in ways such as increased government support or from the group itself developing its own standards framework. Nothing has come of these discussions yet, although it is likely that something will emerge as the competition in the higher education sector becomes more intense. Click on the link to visit the Group of Eight (go8) website (opens in new window).
Australian Technology Network (ATN)
The Australian Technology Network (ATN) is a coalition of five Australian universities that share a common focus on the practical application of tertiary studies and research. The network claims they have a special strength in the way each of the member universities is focused on producing practical outcomes through their academic activity. The result is graduates and research that is closely aligned to the needs of industry and the wider society. The member universities of this network are:
- Curtin University of Technology
- University of South Australia
- RMIT University
- University of Technology Sydney
- Queensland University of Technology
These universities share a common background in the way they distinguished themselves as technical colleges before becoming accredited universities. It is from this background that the universities have been able to develop a framework of flexibility and innovation that continues to deliver practical results. Click on the link to visit the Australian Technology Network (ATN) website (opens in new window).
Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU)
Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU Australia) is a group of six universities that share a common mode of operation and who believe that by coming together they will be better able to deliver value to their stakeholders. Most importantly, the group believes that they will be able to establish research concentrations and investment across the universities. There will also be opportunities to benchmark against each other along with collaborating in professional development initiatives, e-learning and new information and communications technology, income generation, and industrial issues. The member universities of IRU Australia are:
- Flinders University
- Griffith University
- La Trobe University
- Macquarie University
- Murdoch University
- University of Newcastle
These six universities share a common background having been founded in the 1960s and 1970s as research universities and it is estimated that collectively they have about 15 percent of total university enrolments in Australia. Each of the universities has developed highly regarded areas of specialisation and the formation of the group will result in all the member universities becoming stronger. Click on the link to visit the Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU Australia) website (opens in new window).
New Generation Universities (NGU)
In broad terms membership of the New Generation Universities (NGU) grouping is limited to institutions that have received university accreditation since 1970. However, NGU members also share a number of features including a flexible and dynamic program offering and an ability to operate in response to and in close cooperation with community, business and government. The member universities of the NGU (New Generation Universities) grouping are:
- Australian Catholic University
- Central Queensland University
- Edith Cowan University
- Southern Cross University
- Victoria University
- University of Ballarat
- University of Canberra
- University of Southern Queensland
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- University of Western Sydney
NGU members have a distinctive approach to university operations in the way this is based on the interactions of learning, teaching, research, and community engagement.
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