The University of Melbourne is a global leader in higher education. Across our campuses we convene brilliant minds from different disciplines and sectors to come together to address important questions and tackle grand challenges. In a disrupted world, that capacity has never been more important.
Our vision is to equip our students with a distinctive, future-facing education personalised around their ambitions and needs, enriched by global perspectives and embedded in a richly collaborative research culture. As active citizens and future leaders, our students represent our greatest contribution to the world, and are at the heart of everything we do.
We serve society by engaging with our communities and ensuring education and research are inspired from the outset by need and for the benefit of society, while remaining committed to allowing academic freedom to flourish. In this, we remain true to our purpose and fulfil our mission as a public-spirited organisation, dedicated to the principles of fairness, equality and excellence in everything we do.
We strive for an environment that is inclusive and celebrates diversity.
Beyond our campuses we imagine an Australia that is ambitious, forward thinking and increasing its reputation and influence globally. We are committed to playing a part in achieving this – building on our advantageous location in one of the world’s most exciting cities and across the state of Victoria, in a region rapidly becoming a hub for innovative education, research and collaboration.
Islamic finance has grown and expanded rapidly in recent years. It was recently announced that, following in the footsteps of some of its European neighbours, Germany will soon have its first Islamic bank…
Wind and solar power appears to have been behind a drop in wholesale power prices in South Australia, leading to a proposal to reduce retail prices for consumers.
Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power appear to be the impetus behind a South Australian proposal to substantially drop electricity prices, just as other states are hiking theirs. The Essential…
As far as flavours of the month go, this is one I can delight in. One I can Turkish delight in. Boom boom. Waiting for Taken 2 to start and there was a preview for the new Bond film, Skyfall. Filmed in…
Romney won the first presidential debate (on a 12-round boxing score card I scored it 115 to 105). He did so, in part, because he was so good, in part, because Obama was so poor. Most incumbents perform…
Positive psychology is not and has never been a “positive thinking” movement.
Łukasz Strachanowski
Perhaps because the word positive automatically brings to mind the insufferable yellow smiley face, the field of positive psychology is struggling to get the respect that it deserves. Two articles in the…
In previous posts I have sung the praises of my little Max who was sleeping and feeding like a champion – but a few weeks ago all of that changed! Not the feeding part. He has continued to eat so well…
We need to keep questioning the justifications for depriving those with severe mental health problems of their liberty.
Shanon Wise
Each Australian state and territory has a Mental Health Act that enables those with severe mental health problems to be detained and treated without their consent. While the criteria differ, generally…
Despite being bombarded with messages promoting being thin, not all women respond in the same way.
AAP
Eating disorders that stem from a desire to be thin can be blamed in part on genetics, according to a new US study. The study, published this week in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, found…
Ranking universities is useful for only understanding the bigger picture.
University image from www.shutterstock.com
The release of The Times Higher Education World University Rankings will be welcomed by many people in the Australian university sector. See the full list of The Times Higher Education World University…
A focus on research has paid off for the University of Melbourne.
Steel Wool/Flickr
Research funding has never been more important to Australian universities say experts, after Australia gained ground in the annual Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The University of Melbourne…
President Obama’s charm offensive in the Middle East has been overtaken by the Arab Spring and growing instability in the region.
EPA/Khaled El Fiqi
When Barack Obama and Mitt Romney commenced their presidential campaigns, Middle East policy was not a top issue. But the Middle East has a propensity to thrust itself on US politics. True to form, the…
The GST is off-limits for both political parties, but a restructure could result in an increase in national productivity and incomes.
Image from www.shutterstock.com
With appropriate investment in design and explanation, a larger GST reform package could be one of the most effective and easiest options to help reverse Australia’s lagging productivity growth. Changes…
AEMO is modelling the path to 100% renewables.
Stefan Gara
The Federal Government (presumably under pressure from the Greens) has given the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) the job of coming up with a 100% renewable energy scenario for 2030 and 2050. The…
Three months into the brave new world of carbon pricing, and we can see some dramatic trends in the latest data from the National Electricity Market - or NEM. In particular, the latest data shows the demand…
Mid 20s HR professional Catherine finds herself in the perfect relationship. Hunky Lee is gorgeous and devoted and protective. Apparently he’s everything a woman could want in a bloke. At least until he…
Finnish education leader Pasi Sahlberg discusses what works and what doesn’t in education.
pasisahlberg.com
The Finnish education system is one of the best performing and most equitable in the OECD. With Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s promise to make Australia one of the best five performing countries for education…
John Hattie: Welcome to The Conversation. My name is John Hattie from the University of Melbourne and I have here today, Pasi Sahlberg from the Department of Education in Finland. It’s certainly exciting…
Research heads are hoping to avoid another round of government funding cuts.
AAP
The likelihood of research funding freezes or cuts by the Federal Government is worrying, says incoming Australian Research Council executive director Brian Yates, but is more likely to be a cyclical problem…
Courtney Cox shocked America in 1985 when she became the first person to say “period” on TV. Period, at least, in the context of menstruation and not punctuation. Flash forward a couple of decades and…
Infrastructure lobbyists are pushing for more funding to fill the “infrastructure gap”, but the investment doesn’t make sense.
Indiana Public Media
Every Australian State and Territory has an ongoing roads program and a “wish list” which it brings to the Federal Government for funding. The current extent of the multi-billion dollar program can be…
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne