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Government of South Australia - Department of State Development

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    14th Jul 2025
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    Research and Innovation

    From 0 to 100 – the making of Adelaide University

    With six months remaining until the official opening of the new Adelaide University, anticipation continues to grow for what promises to be a transformative institution in the landscape of South Australia’s higher education sector.

    As Adelaide University debuts in the top 100 global universities ahead of its opening, DSD Director of Higher and International Education, Ms Karen Hunt, explains the university’s importance to the future of South Australia, highlighting its potential to drive innovation, foster academic excellence and strengthen the state's global standing.

    While the creation of Adelaide University over the last few years has been an enormous undertaking, the idea of merging universities has been on and off the table since the University of South Australia was first created – through the merger of two institutions – back in 1991.

    Following formal and informal discussions over many years, in 2022, all three public universities were invited to take part in conversations about how the university sector could best serve the state. From the outset, Flinders University chose to forge its own path and remain focused on implementing the strategy that was already delivering significant success, leaving the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia to progress discussions.

    The signing of the Heads of Agreement between the South Australian Government and the two universities in 2023 was followed by extensive consultation to develop legislation and give stakeholders a voice in the formation of the new university.

    Professor Emeritus Ian O’Connor AC, former Vice Chancellor of Griffith University in Queensland, was appointed as the Higher Education Independent Advisor to provide expert advice on matters relating to the establishment of Adelaide University. His role includes engaging with key stakeholders and providing quality independent advice on progress of the implementation, possible impacts to staff and students, and risk management measures.

    Built into Adelaide University’s founding legislation is that one of its functions is to contribute to realising South Australia’s economic development priorities. The new university will unlock the benefits of scale, which will enable transformational investments in teaching and research.

    This will mean a more contemporary curriculum, with a particular focus on programs which respond to South Australia’s skills shortages and are integrated with industry. From a research perspective, it will enable work across the full value chain of research, from discovery to translation and commercialisation, to deliver world-class research in areas of critical importance to our state. For students, it means a learning experience that emphasises individual flexibility, with a focus on accessibility and employability.

    And we’re already seeing the benefits, with the university debuting in the top 100 universities before it has even opened, according to recently released QS World University Rankings.

    Coming in at 82 – out of more than 1,500 universities worldwide included in the rankings – this outstanding result is a powerful endorsement of the university’s vision and builds real momentum as it prepares to open next year.

    Adelaide University is expected to open with 70,000 students, making it the fifth biggest in the country, and with other large universities having a higher proportion of international students, it will also have the largest number of domestic students of any Australian university.

    This is important, as while the value of international education cannot be understated – not just as our state’s biggest export, but also for the cultural enrichment and global perspectives international students bring to our community – having a large number of domestic students supports our state’s workforce needs, increases access and participation in higher education, and offsets some of the fluctuations that can occur in the international education sector.

    Leading the new university into the future will be Professor Nicola Phillips, who was recently appointed as Vice Chancellor and President of Adelaide University following a comprehensive global search.

    Professor Phillips comes to South Australia from the University of Melbourne, where she is currently Provost and has served as both Acting and Interim Vice Chancellor. Her career spans 30 years in the higher education sector across Australia and the United Kingdom.

    Founding co-Vice Chancellors, Professors Peter Høj AC and David Lloyd, will continue to lead Adelaide University until Professor Phillips starts, at which time they will transition the leadership to Professor Phillips and wind down the two foundation universities.

    In addition to its top 100 global status, Adelaide University aims to be ranked as the best university in Australia for student employment outcomes, in the top five for student experience, and maintain a sustainable ranking in the top one per cent of universities globally.

    These are bold ambitions, but by bringing together some of our state’s - and indeed the world’s - best teachers and researchers, Adelaide University is expected to contribute an additional $500 million per year to the South Australian economy, transforming education, research and innovation, and boosting our state’s prosperity.

    As for Flinders University, it will continue building its unique brand and delivering innovative teaching and research. Flinders is already on a positive trajectory, having seen strong growth and excellent outcomes in research income and student experience in recent years. Flinders remains committed to continuing to deliver exceptional outcomes for students, staff and the people of South Australia.

    Importantly, alongside Adelaide University, Flinders will help drive a healthy, diverse and competitive university sector that offers South Australians choice. Both universities will continue their significant contributions to sustaining a robust, high quality and engaged higher education sector in our state.

    Karen Hunt is the Director, Higher and International Education in the Department of State Development.

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