annual report/2006 - University of Melbourne

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Professor David Boger demonstrating a Boger fluid – a class of fluids named after him in
recognition of his work in defining their novel properties. Professor Boger’s research has had
a significant impact on the petroleum, food, polymer and minerals industries.
The University’s international network
was further extended in 2006 with
its admission to membership of the
Association of Pacific Rim Universities,
a group that includes UC Berkeley,
Stanford and other famous institutions.
Pushing against the national trend
of declining international student
enrolments, the University was once
again successful in attracting a large
number of students from overseas.
Of the 44,000 students enrolled at the
University, over 10,000 (25.9 percent
of the student cohort) are international
students from more than 100 countries.
The University of Melbourne Annual Report 2006
These are exciting times for the
University. Melbourne has a great
educational vision, closely integrated
with bold aspirations in research and
knowledge transfer. The change to
the Melbourne Model is not however
without risk. It represents a major
shift in curriculum and educational
philosophy. The transformation of the
University may see a fall in demand
as the market adjusts to the ending
of undergraduate double degrees and
a changed student profile. It may take
some years for the University to regain
its current market position and standing.
But once the change is complete,
Melbourne will be the leading university
in Australia with a strong graduate
school profile, and be well positioned
for the coming decades to compete
for students from Asia, Europe and
the Americas.
The Finest Undergraduate
Education in Australia by 2011
By 2011 Melbourne will be offering
the finest undergraduate education in
Australia. Coherent and well-crafted
courses with depth and breadth will
offer majors allowing immersion
in a discipline and University-wide
subjects creating a number of common
conversations across undergraduate
degrees. Student load will be a stable
population of around 40,000 students,
moving towards a balance of half-andhalf
undergraduate and postgraduate
coursework and research students.
By 2011 information technology systems
will be integrated to produce seamless
interaction across the University.
Administrative resources will serve,
effectively and efficiently, the needs of
students and staff. The University will
be part-way through implementing a
10-15 year plan for upgrading physical
infrastructure with new building stock
and renewal of existing facilities.
Undergraduate students will have
access to more innovative new learning
spaces and student-centric services
built around their needs, both on the
web and in person, through new ‘onestop-shop’
centres for administrative
support. Responding to student demand,
academic programs will make more
flexible use of the 12-month calendar.
By 2011 many students will stay on for
a graduate education, taught with the
rigour and to an intensive timetable
appropriate for training the best and
the brightest. Professional graduate
schools will be well-established across
the University, building their own
international reputations, drawing
students from Melbourne’s own
graduates, from other Australian
universities, and from the region.
Renowned for the quality and
distinctiveness of its programs,
Melbourne will have consolidated