About University of Western Australia

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is one of Australia’s leading universities and has an international reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and research. It has almost 24,000 students enrolled across four faculties. A model of broad undergraduate studies followed by postgraduate professional qualifications is designed to produce well-rounded graduates, as well as provide additional entry opportunities for a wider range of students.

As Western Australia’s premier university, UWA was equal first overall in Australia based on key measures in the Good Universities Guide 2016 including student demand, graduate outcomes, graduate starting salaries, finding a full-time job and research grants.The University aims to be counted among the top 50 universities in the world by 2050, and is currently ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world.The University continues to set the standard for other West Australian universities to follow in terms of recognition for its achievements nationally and internationally.

• History of the University
  The University of Western Australia (UWA) was established in 1911 as the State’s first university. It was also the first free university in the British Empire, actively promoting equal access to tertiary education for all social classes.The University was established due largely to the efforts of Sir John Winthrop Hackett, who had a long-standing vision and passion to provide Western Australia with a university. Proprietor and editor of The West Australian newspaper, he chaired a Royal Commission which recommended the establishment of a university. Later he was the founding Chancellor and bequeathed more than £425,000 (the equivalent of more than $32 million today) to the University.There was consensus among legislators of the time that the University not only be free, but also provide tertiary education of a practical nature to help develop Western Australia’s pioneering economy. At the time of the University’s foundation, Perth’s population was just 121,000 and its economy relied mostly on agricultural, pastoral and mining industries.As a result, the founding professorial appointments were in Agriculture, Mining and Engineering, Geology, Mathematics and Physics, Chemistry, History and Economics, Biology, and English. These were balanced to an extent by the appointment of lecturers in Classics and Ancient History, French, German, Mental and Moral Philosophy, and Veterinary Science. Overarching these 12 posts were three faculties – Engineering, Science and Arts.More than 100 years later, the University is now home to four faculties, their attendant schools, and many research institutions and centres, all of which celebrated the University’s Centenary in 2013. UWA also entered the internationally recognised Academic Ranking of World Universities’ Top 100 listing, continuing to set the standard for other Western Australian universities to follow in terms of recognition for its achievements nationally and internationally.
• Research at UWA
  ince 1911, the University of Western Australia has helped shape the careers of over 100,000 graduates.Over the years the University has acquired an international reputation for excellence and enterprise. It is regarded as one of Australia’s top research institutions, attracting researchers of world standing across the range of disciplines, with international leaders in many diverse fields.In 2018, the University sits at 93 on the Academic Ranking of World Universities produced by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Having achieved our aim of being in the top 100 by our centenary, we are now striving to be considered a top 50 university by 2050.
• Research Institutes and Centres
  The University is home to a number of industry-based research centres and institutes, and is affiliated to many others in Western Australia and across the country.
• Filming and Photography
  The University of Western Australia’s picturesque campus makes it a popular location for filming and photography.With a diverse range of locations available indoors and out, UWA has been the setting for many print advertisements, television commercials, short films and student projects.
• Brand, Marketing and Recruitment
  The Brand, Marketing and Recruitment (BMR) division provides organisation-wide brand strategy and ongoing brand management, strategic marketing and planning, marketing communications activities, digital marketing, research and segmentation.BMR provides sales and marketing planning and campaign assistance to help attract and recruit students.Marketing and recruitment activities planned and implemented by the BMR team are designed to help achieve the University’s strategic goals of brand and reputation building and attracting domestic and international students to study at UWA.The Brand and Marketing team within BMR provides strategic brand direction and ongoing brand management for the University. Marketing works across all global markets to help build the brand position and to attract business partners and students to UWA. The Brand and Marketing team consults with and across all areas of the University to implement marketing plans.