June 2011 Newsletter - Welcome from the IRU Chair, Professor Ian O'Connor

Welcome to the first edition of IRU's newsletter.  This quarterly publication will provide our members and other interested parties with updates on collaborative activities across our network as well as commentary on government policy and matters relating to Higher Education.

IRU, established in 2003, is a group of universities sharing common origins as research intensive universities, most of which  were established during the 1960s and 1970s a previous period of expansion in Australian Higher Education.

Our network has a national reach, operating in over 35 locations across the outer urban and provincial population growth areas critical to the Government's target to raise university completions to 40% of those aged 25 to 34.  Combined with the IRU's leadership in low-SES, Indigenous and rural and remote provision we sit at the heart of ensuring effective university access and attainment.

Equally, IRU is crucial to achievement of the nation's research and innovation agenda. The 2010 ERA results evidences that the IRU group of universities, has a comprehensive research footprint.  The IRU universities were evaluated in 96 of the 132 fields of education (4 digit), with research of world standard or above in over 80 percent of the fields submitted.  We have particular depth across the members in biological sciences, medical and health sciences, environment sciences, and agricultural and veterinary sciences.  In four fields an IRU university had the highest rating and in a further 21 we shared the highest rating.

Our universities are well positioned to do better in the 2012 assessment.  The 2010 results reflect research between 2003 and 2008.  Since then all our universities have strengthened their research outcomes.

In our recent discussions with Government the IRU emphasised our importance to critical issues of student learning, student access, and research excellence.  We will continue to do so as the year develops.