Innovative Research Universities
Innovative Research Universities (IRU), formerly Innovative Research Universities Australia, is a network of seven comprehensive universities in Australia.
| Innovative Research Universities | |
|---|---|
| Data | |
| Established | 2003 |
| Members | 7 |
| Continent | Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Chair | Professor Colin Stirling
Flinders University |
| Executive Director | Conor King |
| Other Names | IRU |
Its main purpose is to undertake advocacy on issues related to higher education, research and university students.
The IRU has seven university members: Charles Darwin University, James Cook University, Griffith University, La Trobe University, Flinders University, Murdoch University, and Western Sydney University. Between them, the universities enrol over 209,000 students including around 45,000 international students.[1]
The IRU is one of the four main university groupings in Australia. The other groups are Australian Technology Network, Group of Eight and Regional Universities Network.
History
In 2003, a group of universities sharing common origins established the Innovative Research Universities a collaborative network to enhance the outcomes of higher education. The members were established as research-intensive universities during the 1960s and 1970s, a dynamic period characterised by massive expansion in higher education and extensive innovation in educational design and delivery – hence, the network name of ‘Innovative Research Universities’.
The founding six universities were: Flinders University, Griffith University, La Trobe University, Macquarie University, Murdoch University and The University of Newcastle. James Cook University joined in 2007, followed by Charles Darwin University in 2009. These additions were balanced as first Macquarie (2008) and then Newcastle (2014) left the group to pursue their future independently. In 2017, Western Sydney University joined the group.[2]
Research
Six members of the IRU are ranked in the world’s top 500 universities by the QS World University Rankings 2013/14, with some achieving rankings in the top 100–300 in specific subject areas. The group collectively attracts A$352 million per annum in research funding from national research agencies, industry and public sector agencies including local and state governments[3]. The members are core partners in half of all Australian Co-operative Research Centres (CRCs). The CRC Program links researchers with industry and government, and emphasises research application.