Australian university recognised

The University of Sydney has been ranked among the top 20 of the world's leading research universities. Recognition of Sydney's research excellence comes from the United Nations and its Secretary General, Kofi Annan.

Professor Gavin Brown, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sydney, recently flew to the United States after being invited by Kofi Annan to participate as one of only 15 non-U.S. universities in a top level colloquium of the world's leading research universities.

The University of Sydney is the only Australian university invited to participate in the Secretary General's Global Colloquium of University Presidents.

Other leading international universities that attended include the University of Oxford, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) Paris, the University of Tokyo, Yale University, New York University, Princeton University and Columbia University.

Secretary-General Annan chaired the plenary discussions which focused on two key issues; the meaning and extent of academic freedom in the pursuit of research and educational missions and secondly, the global public policy issue of how to promote the best interests of international migrants and the countries they leave, transit or enter.

"This is a significant honour for the University of Sydney, and recognition of our excellent research record and expertise," said Professor Brown.

In a paper presented at the UN Global Colloquium, Professor Brown outlined the tensions that exist in the Australian system where academic freedom at universities can be subject to political regulation or influence as well as financial pressure.

"On balance, I believe that there remains a workable amount of substantive, procedural and organic autonomy (for universities). That does not imply that there are no sharp clashes over academic freedom," Professor Brown says.

The Secretary General's Global Colloquium of University Presidents took place at Columbia University, New York City on January 18 and 19, 2005

This international recognition of the University of Sydney's research excellence follows its recent ranking by IBIS Research, published by BRW magazine, as Australia's number one university for the deployment of its resources and its AA+ credit rating from Standard and Poor's.