Vice-Chancellor's introduction
This plan builds on our enviable history and outlines an ambitious set of goals for the future.
The Australian National University (ANU) was established in 1946 to be of enduring significance in the post-war life of the nation – to support the
development of national unity and identity, to improve Australia's understanding of itself and its neighbours, and to contribute to economic development and social cohesion. Our mandate was to "advance the cause of learning and research ... and take its rightful place among the great universities of
the world".
In the decades since our establishment, ANU has built an international reputation for excellence in research and education. ANU is a resource for the nation, with a high concentration of internationally renowned scholars. The University is totally committed to the values of academic freedom in the pursuit of knowledge, integrity in all our activities, collegiality in our relationships, diversity in our staff and students and engagement with our communities and the nation.
This plan builds on our enviable history and outlines an ambitious set of goals for the future. It aims to build on the distinctive excellence of ANU both as Australia's national university and Australia's finest university. These aims will be manifest in the excellence of the University's research, education and public policy. The plan recognises the increasingly competitive national and global environment, and the imperative for ANU to continue to innovate in order to remain the university of choice for the best staff and students, government, business and other groups.
The plan is both aspirational and pragmatic. Excellence is clearly defined in terms of challenging goals which can be evaluated and, to a significant extent, quantitatively measured. Importantly, the building blocks and strategies required to achieve excellence are also clearly articulated. The plan sets clear, long-term aims describing ANU by the year 2020. But it also acknowledges that there are shorter-term imperatives for the University and sets, as well, interim aims to be achieved by 2015.
Most importantly, the plan is about people: our academic and general staff, our students and our alumni. It is through the outstanding contributions of our people that we will achieve our aims. Excellence is a much overused word today: to create true excellence requires remarkable people – the people this plan will nurture and attract at ANU.
By 2020 ANU will be an even more vibrant community of scholars than it is today – focused on the critical issues that will shape Australia and the world in the 21st century. The founding principles of our great national university are as relevant today as they were in 1946.
Ian Young
Vice-Chancellor
August 2011
