Philanthropy is making an increasingly important contribution to our goal of being recognised internationally as a research intensive university of excellence producing benefits for society as a whole.

When the Royal Society was founded in 1660, it was possible for a knowledgeable person to be able to understand the full gamut of scientific discovery of that time.

Centuries later, it is hard to keep up with the furious pace of research advances even in one's own discipline.

In my early weeks at the University, I have been struck by the commitment of staff to achieve the University's bold ambition of being counted among the top 50 universities by 2050.

As this is my last UWA News column as Vice-Chancellor, I want to confirm what a privilege it has been to lead this University - an institution with such a strong history of support for the social and economic well-being of our State, and which has played such an important part in the personal growth and development of generations of young Western Australians.

As we near the end of another academic year, we are pleased to acknowledge the success of three UWA researchers who have been named as 2011 Scientist of the Year finalists in the Western Australian Science of the Year Awards.

The Royal visit to Perth last week for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was an opportunity to reflect on the involvement of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the history of our University.

We often talk about our University as being a ‘community' or a ‘family' and it certainly feels that way, especially when staff and students work together to ensure the success of events such as Open Day and the Parents' Welcome, or in response to emergencies such as the hail storm in March 2010.

Communication across the spectrum - from academic discourse and international relationships, to student recruitment, marketing and development - has been the focus of much activity on campus in the past two weeks.

Reflecting on almost two decades of graduation ceremonies, I'm struck by the substance behind the often used statement that ‘the strength of our University is built on its graduates'.