VC'S DESK

A University of service and engagement

In August, the University community gathered together in the Campus Hub building for the official launch of our strategic framework, Our University: A Framing of Futures. In conversation with Richard Morecroft, I set out for the university the results of a long, deep consultative process that asked the question: who are we, and where do we see ourselves in the future.

The long-term vision for our University naturally included excellence in teaching and learning, world-leading research and a strong international presence, but it also revealed a shared commitment to those things that make us unique: our lasting partnerships with industry, our ability to contribute solutions for real problems facing the world, and our shared identity as custodians of a vibrant and sustainable campus in the rapidly changing global city of Sydney.

Above all, as the consultation process developed, it became clear that our ambitions are driven by an abiding sense of our service to others and a desire to engage deeply with them in order to succeed. Teaching, research and education are the ways that we fulfil our purpose: to serve, and to engage.

Next year we will celebrate our golden jubilee, and there can be no better occasion for us to re-engage with our community and celebrate our shared success over the past 50 years. We have a stimulating calendar of events, and many opportunities throughout the year for you to return to campus and reconnect with the University.

I hope you will be able to join us during this exciting time. I encourage you to read and consider our strategic framework, which is available online. I look forward to welcoming you back to campus with great anticipation, and to hearing your thoughts on our future.