Motions

University of Adelaide

Adjourned debate on motion of the Hon. A.L. McLachlan:

That this council—

1. Notes that 2014 is the 140^th anniversary of the University of Adelaide;

2. Acknowledges the significant achievements of the university, past and present; and

3. Promotes the future of the university as a world-class institution.

(Continued from 19 November 2014.)

The Hon. T.T. NGO (17:12): I rise to congratulate the University of Adelaide on its 140^th anniversary. I also acknowledge the significant achievements of the university and to promote its future as a world-class institution. Like many other honourable members in the Legislative Council, I studied for four years at the University of Adelaide. In 1995 I completed my Graduate Diploma of Education. The university's founding goal was to 'prepare the leaders of tomorrow through education rather than birth or wealth'. To help achieve this goal the university has a history of providing scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The university also encourages and enables students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend, through it is Fairway Access and Fairway Equity schemes. It also continues to offer support programs for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. I believe the university should continue to strive to achieve this goal.

The range of courses offered by the university has dramatically expanded over the years. When the university began teaching in 1878 it only offered a Bachelor of Arts. In 1882 it became the first university in Australia to offer a Bachelor of Science. It now offers a range of courses, including computer science and media, and I am sure that even the university's first vice-chancellor, Dr Augustus Short, who pushed the university to teach more than classics, could not have imagined the range of courses that are available at the university today.

Since its beginning the University of Adelaide has had an international element. In 1876 it gave courtesy degrees to 70 international graduates. Dr Augustus Short recruited professors from around the world. For the last 20 years we have heard our political leaders talk about Australia's need to enter the Asian century. The University of Adelaide was certainly ahead of the times in that respect.

In the 1950s the university developed strong links with Asia. Many students came to study at the University of Adelaide on Colombo Plan scholarships, including Francis Wong, Senator Penny Wong's father. Francis Wong studied a Bachelor of Architecture and received Honours. Since then Francis Wong has spent the majority of his life helping to build up educational institutions in Malaysia to train future architecture professionals. Upon returning home, countless other students made a great contribution to their communities throughout Asia.

The number of international students studying in the university has grown over the years. In 1952 there were 93 overseas students, including 52 from Malaya, 15 from Singapore, 10 from India, two from Indonesia, four from Ceylon, three from Hong Kong and one each from Pakistan, Cyprus, Malta, Lebanon, Sumatra, Sian and Palestine. Compare that to 2013 when 7,003 international students were studying at the university. They have gone from 52 to 7,000.

With around 3,000 students from China, 1,000 from Singapore, 700 from Malaysia, 350 from Hong Kong, 200 each from Vietnam, the Republic of Korea and Indonesia, and around 1,000 students from other countries, the university has had many significant achievements over that past 140 years, including being the first university in Australia to admit women and only the second university in the world, after Oxford University, to admit women. Recently it achieved its highest ever world ranking (100^th) this year. It has also had many notable scholars, including:

Edith Emily Dornwell, the university's first female and science graduate;

Sir Howard Walter Florey, Nobel Prize winner for his great work with penicillin;

former prime minister, Julia Gillard;

a number of other members of parliament at the state and federal level. There are too many to name individually, so I will not do so; and

Rebecca Richards, the first Indigenous student to receive a Rhodes Scholarship.

Its latest international rankings suggest that the University of Adelaide has a promising future as a world-class institution. Whilst I am talking about the future of the University of Adelaide, I would like to congratulate the recently appointed chancellor and former governor, Mr Kevin Scarce. I hope that under his leadership the university will continue to strive to achieve its founding goal of preparing South Australian leaders through education, not through birth or wealth. Kevin Scarce recently spoke about the importance of maintaining world links to the University of Adelaide through international students. He said:

They give our own students a sense of what's happening in the region and different parts in the world and I think that is valuable…And maybe their children and their parents will come back and either do business here or come and visit.

The University of Adelaide must continue to build strong links with the rest of the world. This is of great importance to South Australia, because it helps us to create relationships with future international business leaders. I would again like to congratulate the University of Adelaide on its 140^th anniversary. The university has had many achievements and notable scholars over this period, and I am sure it will continue to do so in the future. I would also like to congratulate the Hon. Mr McLachlan on bringing this motion to the house.

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (17:21): I thank the Hon. Tung Ngo for his contribution to the debate on this motion. The university is a jewel in the crown of the state's institutions and has played a key part in many of the state's successes, and it will play a critical part going forward to ensure the state's future. I commend the motion to the chamber.

Motion carried.