IRU Australia was formed in 2003 and draws together six internationally recognised, student-focussed, and research-intensive universities who share common aims, standards and values. The IRU Australia is committed to the promotion of collaboration in research and education among its members.

Our member universities and date of establishment are:

• The University of Newcastle (1965)
• Flinders University, Adelaide (1966)
• La Trobe University, Melbourne (1967)
• James Cook University (1970)
• Griffith University, Brisbane (1971)
• Murdoch University, Perth (1973)

Focus & Aims
Located in capital cities, or in two cases in major regional centres, the member universities were originally on single-campus sites in outer suburban areas. From the start each university was placed in an environment of intense competition against one or more universities already operating in the same state that had accumulated substantial resources, business and community networks and reputations.

The six universities have deliberately developed ways of making themselves distinctive by embracing innovative approaches to teaching, research and community engagement, adopting alternative organisational structures, and actively recruiting students from more diverse backgrounds than are typically found in the longer-established universities.

Building on this basis, IRU Australia will use the resources of the six universities to increase and extend the activities of the member universities in research, teaching and learning, international programs, commercial enterprises, regional initiatives and engagement with business, professions and communities.

All six universities stress the importance of a strongly student-focussed learning environment, with schemes to promote access, equity, and diversity, and place emphasis on multiple modes of delivery, integrating the new educational technologies into high quality face-to-face teaching. Research performance and innovation will feature prominently in joint projects being planned by the group.