Flinders University welcomes the announcement that The University of Adelaide and University of South Australia have agreed to proceed towards a merger.

The merger of these two institutions marks a significant milestone for South Australia’s higher education sector, with the new entity to complement the existing strengths of Flinders University.

Flinders University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Stirling, wishes both universities well as they embark on the complex task of delivering the merger by 2026. The Malinauskas Government is also to be congratulated on this progress towards their vision for the sector and their ambitions for its growth.

Flinders University will continue to deliver the innovative teaching and research for which we are renowned.

“While Flinders remains focused on implementing the strategy that has delivered significant success in recent years, we also remain committed to ensuring the university sector is strong, internationally competitive, and offers distinctive choices for students wishing to study in South Australia,” Professor Stirling says.

“Flinders University will remain unwavering in our commitment to providing our students with an exceptional education and an outstanding university experience. We will also continue to pursue our research strategy that has enabled us to grow our research income 2.4 fold in just five years. We look forward to continuing to deliver exceptional outcomes for our students, our staff, and the people of South Australia.

“Higher education is the engine room driving South Australia’s social and economic growth while creating the skills and knowledge necessary to drive the state forward. It is critical that the South Australian university sector is strong and internationally competitive and at Flinders we look forward to continuing to play our part.”