The University of Adelaide was one of the first campuses in the world to open its doors to women (some 50 years before Cambridge and Oxford).
The city has produced three Nobel Prize winners – more than any other Australian capital.
And in 2006, Australia’s first foreign university, the prestigious Pittsburg-based Carnegie Mellon University, opened its doors in the centre of the city.
For the past four years, Adelaide has also been setting the pace in terms of international education, outstripping the national average with the growth of its overseas student population.
Last year, the city’s international student numbers rose 14.1 per cent to 20,580 – and Indian students showed their love of the city by increasing their numbers by 42 per cent (to almost 2100).
So why are an increasing number of Indian students choosing Adelaide?
Undoubtedly, a major factor is the longstanding tradition of excellence forged by renowned institutions including The University of Adelaide and Finders University, and continued by relative newcomer the University of South Australia, which leads the pack in terms of international student numbers and its direct links with the Australian business community.
Five bonus migration points are also offered to graduates who complete more than two years of study in Adelaide.
Adelaide’s schools sector (both government and private) punches well above its weight in attracting international students, and it’s also the fastest growing city in the world (outside Canada) for the International Baccalaureate program.
If the culinary world is your oyster, Adelaide is also the perfect study destination, establishing itself as the only place in the world offering French, Swiss and Australian hospitality/culinary undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications, through Regency TAFE, the International College of Hotel Management and Le Cordon Bleu.
But the Adelaide experience is must more than simply study.
As a student, you’ll get so much more out of life by living in South Australia.
For starters, figures from the Economist Intelligence Unit show that its much cheaper to live in Adelaide than much of the rest of the nation (actually, it’s 18 per cent cheaper than Sydney, 17 per cent cheaper than Melbourne and six per cent cheaper than Perth or Brisbane).
You’ll also receive a warm welcome in Adelaide. The city’s 1.1 million residents hail from more than 200 nations, and around 12 per cent speak a language other than English at home. So they are many layers to Adelaide’s multicultural mix – and the locals are very used to welcoming newcomers.
And students are made to feel welcome in more ways than one: every year, StudyAdelaide plans a year-long program of social activities and events that begins with a huge welcome party in the Adelaide Town Hall hosted by The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of Adelaide Michael Harbison.
In Adelaide (and unlike Sydney and Melbourne), international students receive the same public transport concessions as students, and have access to free buses that loop around the city.
In 2007, more than 11,000 new international students will receive a StudyAdelaide welcome backpack, complete with a 60-page Survival Guide to Adelaide detailing everything from how to rent accommodation and where to go on holiday, to finding part-time work and where to find the best shopping bargains.
As part of a StudyAdelaide Letters Home competition organised last year, hundreds of students shared their letters home with the South Australian community – and the overwhelming theme was the friendliness of locals.
As one Indian student wrote: “Here, every individual is valued. I feel valued here. Everyone is so helpful and friendly. No one differentiates whether you’re Asian or African, Black or White. Everyone is treated the same.
Adelaide’s study options
Whether you want to gain an internationally-respected degree or vocational qualification, engage in post-grad research or send your young children to school, Adelaide has an option to suit. There are a range of internationally-recognised universities (see the nearby panel for more on education options), an extensive Vocational Education and Training (VET) system and a highly regarded primary and secondary school sector. There’s also a range of flexible foundation studies and English language programs – and learning English is made even easier in a small(ish) friendly city like Adelaide. And because our academic institutions enjoy a high level of integration, it’s easy for you to move (or graduate) from one to another.
How to get there
A number of major airlines fly directly into Adelaide from Asia, including Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. And because Adelaide is located halfway between Sydney in the east and Perth in the west, you are never too far from other Australian cities. A flight from Adelaide to Sydney, for instance, is around two hours and can cost less than AUD$100.
Adelaide at a glance
- State capital of South Australia, founded in 1836
- Population: 1.2 million (1.52 million in South Australia)
- Climate: Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters, typically ranging from 16°C in July to 28°C in February.
- One of the least expensive cities in the world, according to global economics consultants Mercer Consulting Group
- Rated by KPMG as Australia’s most competitive business city
- Tagged as ‘possibly the last well-planned and contented Metropolis on earth’ by The New Yorker magazine.
- Renowned for its easy lifestyle: great food & wine; and a series of festivals & events that celebrate everything from the arts and car racing to outback cattle drives and cycling.
