Groupings of Universities Australia

There are four main groupings of Australian Universities. These havebeen formed to promote the mutual objectives of the memberuniversities. There are a number of objectives in this includingmarketing advantages, practical benefits of collaboration, and theincreased lobbying power that comes from being part of a group. Thefour main groupings currently active are:

* Group of Eight (go8) (group of Cool
* Australian Technology Network (ATN)
* Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU Australia)
* New Generation Universities (NGU)

Membership of any of these groups does not in itself signifyanything special about the member universities. There are universitiesthat are not part of any of these groupings that have their own set ofstrengths and foci. Most universities have international connectionsthat might be more important to them than any domestic groupings.However, the groupings do represent universities that have a similarstyle and focus and the formation of these groups will most likelyaccentuate these similarities.

Group of Eight (go8)
The Group of Eight (go8) markets itself as the group of 'Australia'sLeading Universities'. They support this claim by referring tostatistics relating to variables such as research outputs, industrylinks, graduate outcomes, and the competency of their academic staff.The group of 8 member universities are:

* The University of Adelaide
* The Australian National University
* The University of Melbourne
* Monash University
* The University of New South Wales
* The University of Queensland
* The University of Sydney
* The University of Western Australia

Each of these member universities is well regarded in a number ofdifferent areas and together they form a powerful bloc. There have beendiscussions about some formal recognition of the status of this groupin ways such as increased government support or from the group itselfdeveloping its own standards framework. Nothing has come of thesediscussions yet, although it is likely that something will emerge asthe competition in the higher education sector becomes more intense.Click on the link to visit the Group of Eight (go8) website (opens in new window).

Australian Technology Network (ATN)
The Australian Technology Network (ATN) is a coalition of fiveAustralian universities that share a common focus on the practicalapplication of tertiary studies and research. The network claims theyhave a special strength in the way each of the member universities isfocused on producing practical outcomes through their academicactivity. The result is graduates and research that is closely alignedto the needs of industry and the wider society. The member universitiesof this network are:

* Curtin University of Technology
* University of South Australia
* RMIT University
* University of Technology Sydney
* Queensland University of Technology

These universities share a common background in the way theydistinguished themselves as technical colleges before becomingaccredited universities. It is from this background that theuniversities have been able to develop a framework of flexibility andinnovation that continues to deliver practical results. Click on thelink to visit the Australian Technology Network (ATN) website (opens in new window).

Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU)
Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU Australia) is a groupof six universities that share a common mode of operation and whobelieve that by coming together they will be better able to delivervalue to their stakeholders. Most importantly, the group believes thatthey will be able to establish research concentrations and investmentacross the universities. There will also be opportunities to benchmarkagainst each other along with collaborating in professional developmentinitiatives, e-learning and new information and communicationstechnology, income generation, and industrial issues. The memberuniversities of IRU Australia are:

* Flinders University
* Griffith University
* La Trobe University
* Murdoch University
* University of Newcastle
* James Cook University

These six universities share a common background having beenfounded in the 1960s and 1970s as research universities and it isestimated that collectively they have about 15 percent of totaluniversity enrolments in Australia. Each of the universities hasdeveloped highly regarded areas of specialisation and the formation ofthe group will result in all the member universities becoming stronger.Click on the link to visit the Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU Australia) website (opens in new window).

New Generation Universities (NGU)
In broad terms membership of the New Generation Universities (NGU)grouping is limited to institutions that have received universityaccreditation since 1970. However, NGU members also share a number offeatures including a flexible and dynamic program offering and anability to operate in response to and in close cooperation withcommunity, business and government. The member universities of the NGU(New Generation Universities) grouping are:

* Australian Catholic University
* Central Queensland University
* Edith Cowan University
* Southern Cross University
* Victoria University
* University of Ballarat
* University of Canberra
* University of Southern Queensland
* University of the Sunshine Coast
* University of Western Sydney

NGU members have a distinctive approach to university operationsin the way this is based on the interactions of learning, teaching,research, and community engagement.

Sources: http://www.australian-universities.com/groupings-of-australian-universities.php

So that means g08 universities are best and higher potential and goverment support in future?
What about the job oppotunities? Is there any difference in getting job oppotunities base on the uni we attended??
I am interested in RMIT coz i am interested in multimedia things. couldn't decide which school should i go.