Australian National University

The Australian National University (ANU) is a world-renowned research-intensive university located in Canberra, Australia’s capital city and seat of government.

Established in 1946 as a nation-building institution, Australia’s only national university has a distinct mission, and a reputation that places it among the finest universities in the world.

With a long institutional tradition of doing research of national and international significance, ANU makes major contributions to Australian public policy debate. ANU scholars have shaped key aspects of the Australian higher education, immigration, and citizenship systems, as well as regional economic policy development and even United States’ nuclear strategy.  

The University’s global influence is amplified through its membership of the International Alliance of Research Universities which includes Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, Berkeley, ETH Zurich, the National University of Singapore, and the universities of Peking, Tokyo, Cape Town and Copenhagen. ANU is a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, as well as the Group of Eight, a coalition of Australia’s leading universities.

ANU research quality is unsurpassed in Australia. In the most recent Excellence in Research for Australia exercise—a key benchmarking tool for Australian research—ANU topped the nation with 95 per cent of broad-field research and 91 per cent of specific discipline research ranked above or well above world standard.  

A young university by global standards, ANU already counts six Nobel Laureates among staff and alumni. Current ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt was an astrophysicist at ANU when he was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The University’s reputation attracts people from around the world, with one third of students and many staff coming from overseas. More than half the student body study at postgraduate level, and all students enjoy small class sizes and direct access to world-class scholars.

Up to 5,000 students live on campus, receiving full pastoral, academic and social support to optimise their success.  ANU consistently ranks highest in Australia, and exceptionally high internationally for graduate employability by the Times Higher Education Global Employability University Ranking.

ANU alumni of note include John Bryant, CEO of Kellogg Company; Cheong Choong Kong, Chairman, Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation and former CEO of Singapore Airlines; Stephen Gageler, Justice of the High Court of Australia; Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister of Australia; and JuE Wong, President of Elizabeth Arden Brands.