Message from the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ed Byrne AO

Professor Ed Byrne AO

In many ways, Monash began as the first of Australia's new generation of universities. It has long been a trendsetter; an organisation at the vanguard of tertiary education, and its position as a leader allows it to pursue an ambitious agenda. Today, we are a university of transformation, renowned for our desire - and our ability - to make a difference.

We consider ourselves to be agents of change, and we understand that we can only grasp new understandings and discover the answers we seek by drawing on knowledge, perspectives and experience from around the world.

We are Australia's largest university and our expansive international footprint gives us the potential to find global solutions to global problems. Our heart is in Melbourne, Australia, but we now have an active teaching and research presence across four continents, with campuses in Malaysia and South Africa, as well as a joint research academy in Mumbai and an education centre in Prato, Italy.

Our motto - Ancora Imparo ("I am still learning") reminds us that the search for knowledge never ends. We are proud of what we have achieved but not content with the heights that we have reached - we are not beholden to the status quo. And because we are unconstrained by tradition or convention, we are well placed to deliver bold alternative approaches to some of the 21st century's most pressing problems: climate change, peace and justice, lethal diseases such as cancer and malaria and flawed financial systems, to name just a few.

Since first admitting students in 1961, Monash has grown rapidly. Today we enrol approximately 60,000 students from more than 170 countries. Across the world there are another 270,000 alumni who are highly regarded by industry and whose experience and acumen remains, in many cases, a valuable source of knowledge for our current students.

Part of the reason for the strong reputation of our graduates is Monash Passport. Monash Passport is more than a combination of programs; it represents the University's approach to education. Passport allows our students to complement their main studies with industry experience, international exploration, leadership and volunteering opportunities, as well as early exposure to research. These, and the many other options Passport incorporates, give students a chance to get out of the classroom or laboratory and meet situations, people and cultures that they would not otherwise encounter.

Monash also attracts some of the most talented staff in the world and the University has research links with institutions throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.

With one of the world's most powerful microscopes now on campus, teamed with easy access to the Australian Synchrotron, the largest wind tunnel in the southern hemisphere and new laboratories worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the University has the resources at its disposal to make a profound impact on the way we live with each other - and our impact on the planet.

Monash has set itself on an audacious course. Our challenge, as it always has been, is to ensure that all those who come through our doors with a desire to make a difference are able to turn their ideas into meaningful actions.

Please join us.

Professor Ed Byrne AO
Vice-Chancellor and President