Adelaide’s vision for a university of the future

Adelaide University is already set to be Australia’s largest domestic educator: it will have more than 70,000 students and a projected domestic student base in excess of 70 per cent.

The new Adelaide University co-chancellors Peter Hoj, left, and Professor David Lloyd, right. Picture: Tom Huntley

The world has changed and Australia faces an immense opportunity and a corresponding challenge – to be better.

Heightened ambition is necessary, as is the need to prioritise progress.

The Australian Universities Accord provides something of a North Star, orienting the sector towards the advancement of equity and access to quality education, and a stronger research system.

For too long, higher education has clung to a “chalk and talk” approach, which is increasingly at odds with diverse and modern learners and the realities of the future – where analogue will be unknown and technological fluency will be the norm.

We also know that Australia’s comparatively low levels of business investment into research is, by OECD standards, a problem. The total for all R&D spending in Australia is currently hovering around $40 billion.

About one third of that investment comes from universities.

The establishment of a new university, Adelaide University, for the future presents an extraordinary opportunity to do more for future generations of Australians and to shore up our nation’s enduring sustainability and success.

Adelaide University will unlock the power of education and research at a substantial scale in the pursuit of greater social cohesion and prosperity. It will stand as an exemplar for the delivery of excellence and equity – two concepts that some believe are mutually exclusive but which we intend to prove are truly harmonious and mutually re-enforcing.

This is not an initiative fuelled by necessity but by opportunity.

The new institution will derive strength from combining the esteemed University of Adelaide and the enterprising University of South Australia, to bring about one of the largest university mergers in global history.

Adelaide University co-Vice Chancellors Professor Peter Hoj (left), and Professor David Lloyd (right). Picture: Dean Martin

The old maxim that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts still holds true today.

Together, we can think and invest in a bigger and bolder fashion, and move beyond the realm of perceived possibilities and thereby address the multigenerational challenges before us.

By generating and liberating significant resource, we can widen participation and inspire more lifelong learners and expand research partnerships that will assist Australia in driving much needed improvements in its R&D performance and accelerate its reputation and position as a global incubator for innovation and technology translation.

We estimate that our activities will contribute about $4.7 billion a year to the Australian economy.

Leveraging our nation’s natural advantages, we can deliver transformative outcomes in sustainable energy transition, sovereign defence capabilities, the global space economy, personal and societal health, hi-tech, agriculture and advanced manufacturing and creative and cultural exploration.

The creation of a new major university also allows us to rethink and redefine the contemporary teaching and learning experience – coupling the best of face-to-face learning with a sector-leading digital underpinning.

Media-rich content will go hand in hand with meaningful experiential learning and global mobility.

Once rivalled academics and teaching innovation staff are developing 1500 new courses, co-designed with employers to prepare all students across all disciplines for a world enabled by entrepreneurship and shaped by AI so they can be at the cutting edge of jobs for the future.

Let’s consider the impact of these innovations.

Adelaide University is already set to be Australia’s largest domestic educator: it will have more than 70,000 students and a projected domestic student base in excess of 70 per cent.

By delivering both on-campus and 100 per cent online degrees aligned to industry and student demand, we can meet the needs of today by providing an exceptional in-person experience as well as driving greater connectivity across the country.

Having a sustainable mix and balance of international students will also play an important role in Australia’s future.

High national employment means that talent attraction is becoming increasingly difficult, so there is an ongoing need within industry to fill critical gaps. International students guard against skills shortages and support economic growth in line with our national interest, while also delivering benefits to their local communities.

Both of us were the first in our families to attend university and we have experienced how that can change lives for the better. Strong societies are underpinned by outstanding education and innovation systems and through the creation of a new university in Australia’s Group of Eight, we are delivering something transformational and we are shaping the relevant shifts our society needs.

Adelaide University will open in January 2026.