University of Wollongong

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is a public research university located in Keiraville, a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, about 80 kilometers south of Sydney. Established initially in 1951 as a division of the New South Wales University of Technology (now the University of New South Wales), it became the Wollongong College of UNSW in 1962. The institution gained full independence in 1975, when the New South Wales Parliament incorporated it as an autonomous university. Michael Birt was appointed as its first vice chancellor, and Justice Robert Marsden Hope became chancellor the following year. Over time, UOW expanded rapidly, including the amalgamation with the Wollongong Institute of Higher Education in 1982, which laid the foundation for further growth.From its modest beginnings with just 300 students, the university now enrolls over 33,000 students, with international students making up more than 37 percent of the population, representing over 150 countries. It has conferred more than 120,000 degrees, diplomas, and certificates since its founding. The main campus covers 82.4 hectares north-west of Wollongong’s city center and consists of 94 permanent buildings. UOW has also developed a multi-campus structure, with regional campuses in Bega, Batemans Bay, Moss Vale, and Shoalhaven, as well as three campuses in Sydney. Internationally, it operates campuses in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, and maintains partnerships with institutions in China and Singapore.UOW has a history of innovation, including early developments in computer science such as creating one of the first non-PDP Unix versions in the 1970s. Notably, Tim Berners-Lee sourced crucial TCP/IP software from UOW, which became fundamental to the development of the World Wide Web. Over six decades, UOW has grown from a regional college into a prominent global university with a diverse academic community and extensive research contributions.