The University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales (UNSW), founded in 1949, is a research-focused
university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In
2013, it was ranked 52nd in the world; 1st for social sciences and management in
NSW, and equal 5th in Australia in the QS World University Rankings. The university
is a member of the "Group of Eight" coalition of leading Australian universities and is
also a founding member of Universitas 21, an international network of leading
research-intensive universities. It is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious
and selective universities in Australia.
UNSW graduates hold more chief executive positions of ASX 200 listed companies
than those of any other university in Australia. Australian Government survey data of
university graduates have indicated in the past that students who enter the Group of
Eight come from higher income families, and that graduates largely have higher paid
occupations or positions of influence, prompting claims of elitism and social division.
Aside from the main campus in Kensington, UNSW has other campuses located
throughout Sydney, including the College of Fine Arts campus in Paddington. In
addition, the UNSW Canberra campus at the Australian Defence Force Academy is
situated in Canberra.
History
The idea of founding the University originated from the crisis demands of World War
II, during which the nation's attention was drawn to the critical role that science and
technology played in transforming an agricultural society into a modern and industrial
one. The post-war Labor government of New South Wales recognised the increasing
need to have a university specialised in training high quality engineers and
technology-related professionals in numbers beyond that of the capacity and
characteristics of the existing University of Sydney. This led to the proposal to
establish the Institute of Technology, submitted by the then New South Wales Minister
for Education Bob Heffron, accepted on 9 July 1946.
The University, originally named the "New South Wales University of Technology",
gained its statutory status through the enactment of New South Wales University of
Technology Act 1949 (NSW) by Parliament of New South Wales in Sydney in 1949.
In March 1948 classes commenced with a first intake of 46 students pursuing
programs including Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering
and Electrical Engineering. At that time the thesis programmes were innovative. Each
course embodied a specified and substantial period of practical training in the relevant
industry. It was also unprecedented for tertiary institutions at that time to include
compulsory instruction in humanities.
Initially the University operated from the inner Sydney Technical College city campus
at Ultimo. However, in 1951, the Parliament of New South Wales passed the New
South Wales University of Technology (Construction) Act 1951 (NSW) to provide
funding and allow buildings to be erected at the Kensington site where the university
is now located.
In 1958 the University name was changed to the 'University of New South Wales' to
reflect its transformation from a technology-based institution to a generalist university.
In 1960 it established Faculties of Arts and Medicine, and shortly after decided to add
a Faculty of Law, which came into being in 1971.
The university's first director was Arthur Denning (1949–1952), who made important
contributions to founding the university. In 1953 he was replaced by Professor Philip
Baxter, who continued as vice-chancellor when this position's title was changed in
1955.Baxter's dynamic, if authoritarian, management was central to the University's
first twenty years. His visionary, but at times controversial, energies saw the
university grow from a handful to 15,000 students by 1968. He also pioneered new
scientific and technological disciplines despite the criticism of traditionalists. Staff
recruited both locally and overseas, soon established a wide international reputation.
The
new
Vice-Chancellor,
Professor
Rupert
Myers
(1969–1981),
brought
consolidation and an urbane management style to a period of expanding student
numbers, demand for change in University style, and challenges of student unrest.
The stabilising techniques of the 1980s managed by Vice-Chancellor Professor
Michael Birt (1981–1992) provided a firm base for the energetic corporatism and
campus enhancements pursued by the subsequent Vice-Chancellor, Professor John
Niland (1992–2002). The 1990s saw the addition of Fine Arts to the University. The
University established Colleges in Newcastle (1951) and Wollongong (1961), which
eventually became the University of Newcastle and the University of Wollongong in
1965 and 1975 respectively.
At present, private sources contribute 45% of its annual funding.
The University is home to the Lowy Cancer Research Centre, one of Australia's
largest cancer research facilities. The centre, costing $127 million, is Australia's first
facility to bring together researchers in childhood and adult cancer.
In 2003 the University was invited by Singapore's Economic Development Board to
consider opening a campus there. Following a 2004 decision to proceed, the first
phase of a planned $200m campus opened in 2007. Students and staff were sent home
and the campus closed after one semester following substantial financial losses.
Study Abroad
UNSW has maintained an extensive partnership with universities abroad. UNSW
sends approximately 400 students to partner institutions each semester. Some of the
universities that UNSW students are able to attend are: Princeton University,
University of Pennsylvania (inc. Wharton), Duke University, Johns Hopkins
University, Brown University, Columbia University (summer law students only),
University of California Berkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan (inc. Ross), New
York University (inc. Stern), Cornell University, University of Texas at Austin (inc.
McCombs), University College London (law students only), Imperial College London,
London School of Economics and ETH Zurich.
Faculties
The University has nine faculties:
Arts and Social Sciences
UNSW Canberra at ADFA
Australian School of Business
Built Environment
College of Fine Arts
Engineering
Law
Medicine
Science
The University also has an association with:
National Institute of Dramatic Art