University of Melbourne

Overview

The University of Melbourne is the leading public research university in Australia. It was established in 1853 in Parkville, a suburb to the north of Melbourne’s central business district. Its founders molded it after the ideals of mid-nineteenth century higher education institutions that espoused a non-religious approach to education.

Aside from Parkville, the institution runs six other campuses spread across the state of Victoria: Southbank, Burnley, Hawthorne, Werribee, Creswick, Shepparton, and Dookie.

The university’s academic division is split into 10 subject areas. Some of these are Architecture, Building, and Planning; Arts; Business and Economics; Fine Arts and Music; Law; and Science. These are further broken down into 30 faculties and schools, all of which are further connected to the university’s 24 research platforms. A few of these are the Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, Social and Cultural Informatics Platform, Melbourne Biomedical Imaging Capability, and the plant growth facilities.

The institution supports multidisciplinary research. To that end, it established five institutes dedicated to the study of disability, energy, knowledge, social equity, and sustainable society. There is also the Indigenous Knowledge Institute, which is committed to uncovering more about the indigenous people’s knowledge systems. It is especially committed to developing curricula that integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

The University of Melbourne carries out a project it calls the Hallmark Research Initiatives. This project tackles challenges in affordable housing, the nutritional needs of the growing global population, environmental sustainability in the building sector, and stateless groups of people. One of the ongoing research in this initiative looks at mycelium as a sustainable building material.

Those who want to collaborate on research beyond Australia can do so through the institution’s international research partnerships. The university works with scientists and researchers in China, India, several countries in Europe, Turkey, Israel, Namibia, Peru, and the United States. For example, researchers from the university and their Turkey counterparts are engaged in preserving artefacts from Gallipoli.

To support its students and researchers in their academic endeavors and scientific inquiries, the institution set up 11 libraries and 12 museums that are spread across its seven campuses. The University provides avenues for leisure activities through its more than 200 clubs or societies. And if the students are into sports, they can play lacrosse, fencing, badminton, soccer, hockey, and more. They can even go mountaineering, skiing, and surfboarding with the assistance of Melbourne University Sport.