The Australian National University (ANU) is a leading Australian university, different from the others as ‘discovery’ pervades everything we do – academic effort is focused and research drives teaching. Our relatively small number of students (albeit with a high proportion of graduate students and the highest proportion of PhD students) are educated and trained within an intense research culture second to none. ANU research, undertaken in fields of knowledge of general importance, and of particular importance to Australia, is characterised by its focus, concentration and quality, characteristics confirmed by the findings of the 2010 Excellence in Research Australia report. In summary, our mission is to deliver internationally benchmarked, high-quality research and education for the benefit of Australia.
In 2010, we enhanced our mission as Australia’s national university and entered a new partnership era with the Australian Government. The 2010 Commonwealth Budget announcedfunding for the establishment of a range of public policy initiatives at ANU that aim to breakdown the barriers between academic experts and policy practitioners. Funding agreements were completed for the establishment of the Australian National Institute for Public Policy, the HC Coombs Policy Forum, the National Security College, and the Australian Centre on China in the World – entities that are already working successfully to provide public servants andother public sector officials with new and exciting opportunities to draw on the benefits of ANU research and education.
We also enhanced our national mission through the ANU National Alliances initiative. We have increased collaboration in undergraduate and graduate teaching with a range of Australian universities that are both very different from, and complementary to, ANU.