From the Vice-Chancellor

The University of Adelaide is regularly recognised for the contribution it makes to society. Often this recognition is in the form of awards or prizes given to our staff, students or the University as a whole, and a flurry of awards in recent weeks perfectly illustrates the impact we continue to make across a wide range of areas.

At the 2005 Business SA Export Awards, we were recognised twice for our international achievements. The first award was the Education Adelaide Education Award, given for our strong international focus on students, staff and the wider University community. Had we received this award on its own, we would have been quite pleased - but to cap off the night, we also received the most prestigious award on offer, the Premier's Award for Excellence and High Achievement in Exporting.

To win this award - which effectively makes us "Exporter of the Year" - ahead of all the other worthy nominees from South Australian industry and business is an exceptional performance. It reinforces that while we are based locally, we are unquestionably a global player in education. It shows that we offer a world-class education product in Adelaide which attracts thousands of students from more than 80 countries around the world. And it highlights the excellent work of our staff in providing a quality teaching and learning environment for international students. It is a great result and one of which we should all feel proud.

The Elder Conservatorium of Music also received its own prestigious award recently. It won a Classical Music Award from the Australian Music Centre and the Australasian Performing Rights Association for its contribution to Australian music, and in particular, for its presentation of new Australian works alongside major works of Beethoven during the 2004 Adelaide Festival. The Conservatorium is another example of a local entity having an increasingly wide impact, and I congratulate all its students and staff.

Our scientists, too, continue to garner numerous accolades. We were successful in three out of the five categories in the Premier's Science Awards, as well as having finalists in all five categories. It is also interesting to consider the categories in which we were successful: Research and Leadership (Professor Peter Rathjen), Excellence in Research for Commercial Outcomes (SA Cereal Breeding Team at our Waite Campus) and Excellence in Research for Public Good (in association with SARDI). Our young scientists also performed well in the South Australian Tall Poppy Science Awards, winning five out of the eight available awards. This strong showing is encouraging, given that these are predominantly early career researchers who will undoubtedly make further contributions in their chosen fields.

The State Government also recognised our staff and volunteers at the Urrbrae House historic precinct, awarding them the Heritage Volunteers category of the Edmund Wright Heritage Awards. This is a prestigious award and one especially pleasing to receive, as the time and effort put in by the many volunteers and staff creates a strong engagement with the local community and helps to preserve one of the University's most historic landmarks.

Awards are one way of quantifying what we do at the University of Adelaide. There are many other ways, and simply because we don't receive awards in some category or area doesn't automatically mean we don't do that particular thing well. Nor does winning awards change what we want to do as a University: delivering the best outcomes for our students and graduates, and providing a stimulating and nurturing environment for our staff. Receiving awards, however, does show that we are successfully engaging with the community and society around us, and that they recognise and appreciate what we do.

PROFESSOR JAMES A. McWHA
Vice-Chancellor