UNSW

Since our foundation in 1949, UNSW has aimed to improve and transform lives through excellence in research, outstanding education and a commitment to advancing a just society.

We are now one of the leading research and teaching-intensive universities in the world, known for innovative, pioneering research and high quality education with a global impact.

Our ambitious 2025 Strategy was developed in 2015. It provided the framework for UNSW to further advance our contribution in academic excellence, social impact and global engagement, as a servant of our society.

ur history tells the story of a University forged by a commitment to discovery, creativity and challenging the status quo. We chronicle milestones from UNSW’s earliest foundations in 1949, and celebrate trailblazers such as our first international student in 1950, our first female graduate in 1952, and Australia’s first Indigenous law graduate in 1976 — to name just a few.

Our University has since been shaped by the addition of new schools, centres and institutes, by changes to the physical campus and strategic planning processes. Today UNSW is building a legacy of transformative and positive impact.

The achievements so far are impressive across the spectrum of research, education, thought leadership, equity, diversity, knowledge transfer and global impact. The pace of change required to deliver this progress has been intense and we are grateful to all who have made a contribution. We are now able to move into a phase where we can build on our achievements.

This update reflects the experience of the first few years of implementation, feedback from the recent consultation process and changes in the external environment. It provides revised priorities against which we can assess, track and measure progress over the next few years.