To say that Perth is a golden city refers to both its historical background in the Western Australia gold rush and its expansive future as one of the most livable cities in the world.
This capital city of the state of Western Australia gives Sydney a run for its money in the race for the number one economic and global hub of Australia.
Perth’s position as a historic and futuristic city lends itself to a unique vision of inclusion and innovation.
This vision is captured in initiatives like The City Deal, Perth’s 10-year plan for revitalizing the businesses and community that make it the special city that it is.
Perth’s vision of inclusion reaches even more broadly to all those who are part of the city, including those with unstable housing.
Perth has committed $36 million to combat homelessness and unstable housing in its city and suburbs through the Homelessness Housing Projects. This initiative would fund wrap-around services that reduce homelessness, increase mental health services, and promote community involvement.
Meeting the needs of its current inhabitants sets up an environment for greater flourishing and innovation.
Innovation comes in many forms in Perth and is seen wherever you look. Appreciate the work of some of the brightest artistic minds at galleries like the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery; become immersed in the beauty and engineering feats of gardens like the Queens Gardens. But keep in mind that not all innovation is able to be seen – at least not in this world.
Part of Perth’s vision for the future includes its Australian Space Automation, AI and Robotics Control Complex or SpAARC.
This incredible project propels Perth into the future by focusing on robotics and space; projects out of SpAARC include robots that can repair satellites outside our atmosphere and funding startups to create new AI technology.
Where there is innovation, there is education, and the universities of Perth reflect the amazing cultural, economic, and technological advances their home city is striving for.
Many of the universities on this Best of list are in partnership with Perth as it carries out plans like The City Deal. The following list is a collection of the best universities in Australia, and all of the schools are either in Perth or a suburb of Perth.
Take the plunge and check out this list of the Best Universities in Perth.
University of Notre Dame Australia
The University of Notre Dame Australia is a private Catholic university that finds a way to bring tradition into the 21st century.
With a solid foundational curriculum that focuses on philosophy, ethics, and theology, Notre Dame’s educational experience is one of intellectual rigor, with a touch of spirituality.
For those who might be skeptical of this marriage of faith and academia, it might behoove them to look into a symposium like Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics. This event gives potential students insight into how issues like displaced individuals and the hairy politics that can go with it might be informed by the values found in scripture.
The international nature of this project alone, with participants of the symposium being from at least four different continents, shows the far-reaching significance of bringing these subjects into conversation with each other.
Around matters of science, Notre Dame has a thriving medical program. The university seeks to have its research serve the greater Australian community in practical ways through organizations like the Sydney-based Digital Health CRC, a group of universities and organizations committed to research into innovative medical care, and through instructors like Prof. Max Bulsara, whose research contributed to further understanding in breast cancer treatment.
In alignment with the city of Perth’s commitment to Indigenous Australians, Notre Dame has a thriving research organization that centers Indigenous voices and research. The Nulungu Research Institute has contributed vital research on topics like Covid-19 and Aboriginal Australians and environmental justice.
Students looking to dive into deep questions of existence will find no end of inspiration and challenge at Notre Dame. With an invitation to students of all faiths, the University of Notre Dame Australia is home to those who seek wisdom and service.
Murdoch University
Australia is known for its unique, wildlife, and Murdoch University is here to teach students all about it. The Murdoch Veterinary School is an active veterinary hospital and gives students hands on training with animals that range from the everyday cat and dog to the exotic.
With a vision for serving students at home and abroad, Murdoch’s program offers students who complete the program the possibility of practicing in Australia, America, parts of Asia, and the UK.
Murdoch University extends its care for all things great and small to the environment as well. With four functioning farms, students have direct access to the land and are taught by professors like Peter Davies, a leading expert in freshwater science and head of the Food Futures Institute.
Within the institute, researchers who are experts on topics that range from nutrition science to increasing the life span of lambs will teach students about caring for the world through sustainable farming, ethical food, and fighting hunger in the world.
The university knows that to care properly, the education and research they conduct have to be top-notch to make a real difference. Murdoch has combined care with academic rigor and scores above world standard in its ERA ranking, a measurement provided by Australia’s leading research council.
Murdoch seeks to be a university that creates free thinkers who can contribute to innovative solutions in all areas of life. With a vision like this, and with a five-star rated education, when you study at Murdoch, you are studying with the best.
Edith Cowan University
Named after the first woman elected to an Australian parliament, Edith Cowan University lives up to its namesake’s vision for a quality and caring educational experience.
In fact, The Good Universities Guide gives Edith Cowan a five-star rating in six areas, including overall experience and student support.
Apart from the university’s famous namesake, it is also well known for its performing arts program.
Out of The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts comes a wide range of creative inspiration – musicians, dancers, and actors are among the alumni that WAAPA has produced.
In addition to witnessing beautiful performances by students, visitors and students alike have access to one of the most important piano collections in the world, Founding Pianos. Among the rare and historical pieces is allegedly Australia’s first piano!
Curtin University
The largest university in Western Australia, Curtin is among the top 1% of universities globally in academics.
It is no wonder that they are one of the five institutions that make up the Australian Technology Network, a group of elite universities committed to research that contributes to social issues.
Curtin demonstrates its excellence in research not only with the projects its researchers take on but with the tools it provides to conduct research.
Curtin HIVE, or Hub for Immersive Visualization and eResearch, is the future of data collection, production, and interpretation.
With technology that feels straight out of a sci-fi novel, HIVE offers resources that can compile massive volumes of data and visualize results in innovative ways. Students can immerse themselves in other worlds with The Dome or see research samples in ultra-high resolution with The Titled Display.
Technology and innovation are common denominators across many of Curtin University’s projects.
Before online learning was associated with the pandemic, Curtin was already making virtual progress by partnering with edX to create MOOCs that would make their top-notch education accessible to students even if they couldn’t attend in person.
These so-called “MicroMaster” programs allow students affordable ways to gain credit and further their career development.
Though Curtin has a lot going on virtually, it also has its feet solidly on the ground – especially with its number two globally ranked Mineral and Mining Engineering program.
Students have the opportunity to study meteorites and the night sky with the Desert Fireball Network and learn from the brilliant minds behind the Curtin Engineering Pavilion. This sustainable building utilizes water and energy-saving technology.
Though the city of Perth’s engineering history hasn’t always been the most sustainable, engineers at Curtin are working towards a greener future by creating green homes and even green cement!
If those features aren’t enough to spark interest, spend some time chasing down the university food truck and grab a bite to think on things.
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia sits at the top of this list, a position it is quite familiar with.
Home to two Nobel Prize winners, over one hundred Rhodes Scholars, and ranked by U.S. News as one of the 100 best global universities, UWA is for those who are ready to go above and beyond in their studies.
Those who attend UWA follow in the footsteps of students and researchers who have created real-world tools like a blood test for early detection of diabetes, a clinician-friendly electronic health record, and technology for drug development.
As a member of the Group of Eight and the Matariki Network of Universities, UWA is committed to giving students quality and practical research experience. One useful research area of interest to the university is marine studies due to its close proximity to the Indian Ocean.
UWA’s Oceans Institute brings together intelligent minds from a wide range of professional backgrounds in order to solve some of the most complex issues facing our oceans.
The opportunity to take courses from some of the top experts in marine sciences isn’t just restricted to full-time, degree pursuing students – the Oceans Institute also provides microcredentials in some of the most important areas of ocean life.
Participants can earn credits and credentials in topics like plastic pollution, oceanography, and geotechnical engineering.
Beyond academics, UWA is also passionate about its sports teams. One of their latest passions is their new Women’s and Men’s basketball teams.
As part of the UBL, UWA is working to make a name for itself in the top divisions of college basketball, offering them yet another chance to be number one among Australian universities.
One of Australia’s original higher education institutions, UWA will provide students with an education that learns from the past and contributes to the future.
