The University of Wollongong (UOW) is an Australian public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney. With an enrolment of over 32,000 students, including more than 13,000 international students from 140 countries, UOW is one of Australia’s largest and most multicultural universities. The university has been ranked among the world’s top 400 universities by all major ranking bodies – Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2019), Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (2020), and Academic Ranking of World Universities (2020).
Founded in 1951 as the Wollongong University College with just 112 students, the university has since grown to become a comprehensive multi-campus institution offering over 180 undergraduate and postgraduate courses across a broad range of disciplines. The main campus is situated on a hill overlooking the city centre and harbour, and features several architecturally significant buildings. In addition to its main campus in Wollongong, UOW also operates campuses in Sydney (Beacon Hill), Dubai, Malaysia (Batu Pahat) and Hong Kong.
UOW has a strong research focus and is internationally recognised for its work in a number of areas including materials science, nanotechnology, information technology, climate change science and medicine. The university is home to two Nobel Laureates – Brian Schmidt, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011 for his work on dark energy;and John Sulston, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2002 for his contributions to genetic mapping. In total, UOW has produced 12 Fields Medalists,, 7 Australians Of The Year, 72 Fulbright Scholars, 67 Rhodes Scholars, 35 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, 12 Oscar/Academy Award winners, 2 Golden Globe Award winners, 1 Emmy Award winner, 1 Tony Award winner, 3 BAFTA winners , 4 Grammy Award winners , 5 AACTA awardees , 10 ARIA Music Awards winners , 11 Helpmann Awards recipients and numerous other prestigious national and international awards.