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Wednesday, 24 August 2011

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and former Western Australian Premier Geoff Gallop joined The University of Western Australia's Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson at a function in Sydney to celebrate their alma mater.

Dr Hawke and Dr Gallop - who were Rhodes Scholars after graduating from UWA in 1951 and 1972 respectively - attended the alumni function with about 70 fellow graduates at the University of Sydney.

Professor Robson spoke to the alumni about the University's recent successes, including the Shanghai Jiao Tong World University Rankings, which place the University at 110 th in the world.

Dr Gallop, the evening's guest speaker, described UWA as one of the State's most important institutions.  See article .

"The University of Western Australia has provided an excellent education for generations of leaders in a range of professions.  It has delivered adult education and external studies.  Its researchers have solved many puzzles and assisted many decision makers in both the private and public sectors," he said.

"It was the home to a Nobel Prize.  Its students have taken up many causes and the Camp for Kids is Perth's oldest registered children's charity.  Its Festival of Arts brings the city alive.  Through the Colombo Plan it brought overseas students to the State, many of whom have become long-term advocates for Australia.  It practised multiculturalism before the idea was popularised."

Professor Robson told the alumni that Australia's foremost independent university rating body - The Good Universities Guide - had recently rated UWA as equal first in Australia on key performance measures including graduate starting salaries, positive graduate outcomes, staff qualifications, student/staff ratio, research intensity, research grants and student demand.

UWA holds regular meetings with its graduates around Australia and across the globe.

Media references

Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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