The University of Melbourne’s enduring purpose is to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research.

Advancing Melbourne will enable the University to contribute to advancing the state and national interest and make vital contributions to Australia’s standing on the world stage. We seek to be a leading force in advancing Australia as an ambitious, forward-thinking country while increasing its reputation and influence globally.

Advancing Melbourne covers five key focus areas – Place, Community, Education, Discovery and Global – and was developed after extensive consultation with our staff, students, alumni and key stakeholders.

As demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Melbourne will continue to do what it does best: educating students to an extremely high standard, in the context of outstanding research across a wide range of disciplines, and partnering with industry and the community to deliver tangible benefits for society.

In these extraordinary times, the University’s purpose – to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research – is more important than ever.

By 2030:

  • We will offer students a distinctive and outstanding education and experience, preparing them for success as leaders, change agents and global citizens.
  • We will be recognised locally and globally for our leadership on matters of national and global importance, through outstanding research and scholarship and a commitment to collaboration.
  • We will be empowered by our sense of place and connections with communities. We will take opportunities to advance both the University and the city of Melbourne in close collaboration and synergy.
  • We will deliver this through building a brilliant, diverse and vibrant University community, with strong connections to those we serve.

Advancing Melbourne is structured according to five intersecting themes which represent our key focus areas over the next decade: place, community, education, discovery and global.

Advancing Melbourne

The following strategies and plans continue to support the delivery of Advancing Melbourne.

Our Advancing Students and Education Strategy for 2023-2030 enacts an institution-wide transformation for our students, supporting major initiatives in our curriculum, our teaching and our student experience.

Murmuk Djerring, the University’s Indigenous Strategy 2023–2027, reinforces and extends the University’s commitment to Indigenous self-determination and improved social, economic, and cultural outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Advancing Students and Education Strategy 2023–2030 lays out our collective goal to create transformative, institution wide change. It's vision is to strengthen, build and nurture a vibrant, diverse and inclusive scholarly community, and support major initiatives in our curriculum, our teaching and our student experience.

The University aspires to be a place where all people are valued and respected, have equal access to opportunities and are encouraged to fulfil their talents and potential.

Our vision is for a thriving, fair and diverse University community, working together respectfully to make a difference to each other and in the world.

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2030 sets out our aspirations for 2030: what we want to become and how we will achieve our vision.

The Advancing Melbourne Globally Strategy sets out the University’s global agenda to 2030.

From Indigenous knowledge to artificial intelligence, from climate change to cultural preservation, the University of Melbourne is adding to human knowledge and understanding so that society can thrive. It is also translating discovery into meaningful, practical impact to benefit all of us.

We value research as a fundamental form of learning, empowered by a sense of place, and the people we work with. Success requires collaboration, not just between scholars, but with community, industry and government. Our research strategy underpins this work.

Our engagement strategy guides our contributions to intellectual, cultural, social and economic life, fuels our interactions with our alumni and supporters locally, nationally and internationally, and deepens the relevance and impact of our academic mission.

The Sustainability Framework guides and governs how we integrate leadership and action on issues of global sustainability and climate change across all areas of University activity

The Scholarly Information Futures Strategy articulates how emergent thinking in the development of next generation scholarship can support the University’s commitment to excellence in research, learning and teaching.

The mission of the Enterprise Strategy is to enrich our discovery and teaching environments by weaving relationships with business, industry and government into the fabric of our institution to address the major challenges of our time.

Embedded in our city of origin, we aspire to a shared global future with the communities we serve. Our Estate Plan will guide the development of our campuses and innovation precincts, in alignment with our strategic ambitions, for the next 50 years and beyond.