From the Vice-Chancellor

Welcome to this special Open Day issue of the Adelaidean.

I'm going to take a side-step from my usual monthly columns in this issue because now is a perfect opportunity either to encourage you to attend our Open Day (on Sunday 17 August) or - if you're one of the thousands of people reading this issue having already picked it up on campus during Open Day - to say a few extra words about the University of Adelaide.

For those unfamiliar with the University of Adelaide, we are Australia's third oldest university and now have more than 20,000 students, with more than a quarter of those being international students.

We were established in 1874 and have a long history of groundbreaking research and academic excellence. Our University is a member of the prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities in Australia. We have five campuses: North Terrace, Waite, Roseworthy, Thebarton, and also a campus in Singapore.

At the University of Adelaide, we are proud of our heritage and history but we are also at the cutting edge of new research and innovation, which means our students benefit from - and help to create - the latest thinking.

One of the things we are most proud of is the impact that our students, staff, graduates and affiliates make on the lives of people around the world. Students at our University are taught by some of the world's experts in their field. We are committed to producing graduates recognised for their creativity, knowledge and skills, as well as for their culture and tolerance. As a result, graduates of our University can be found in positions of leadership in all fields of endeavour.

The University of Adelaide prides itself on providing a quality education, but being a student at our University is not just about academic studies - it's also about building those broader life skills and social networks that can last a lifetime. Students discover opportunities that will assist them in developing leadership and communication; they will engage with others from a diverse range of cultures with different backgrounds and agendas, all helping to enrich the experience. What students gain from a university such as ours goes beyond the classroom and will stand them in good stead for their future careers, and their lives.

This issue of the Adelaidean contains some information about Open Day in order to give you a taste of what you can expect on the day. It also gives you a taste of what you should expect from an educational experience at the University. For more information about Open Day (17 August) or the Roseworthy Campus Careers & Information Day (15 August), please visit our website: www.adelaide.edu.au/openday

This publication also contains many stories about the excellent work being done here by our staff, students, graduates and friends. But this is just the tip of the iceberg - there are thousands of other good news stories at the University of Adelaide, and I hope you get the chance to learn about some of these stories at Open Day.

PROFESSOR JAMES A. McWHA
Vice-Chancellor and President