University of Sydney
University of Sydney Featured Rankings
About University of Sydney
The wave of expansion of Homo sapiens out of its African birthplace reached the continent of Australia around 40,000 years ago, or more. However, the first visit of Europeans to the land down under did not occur until 1606, when the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon made landfall at what is now the town of Weipa on the western shore of the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland.
Several sightings and landings by other Dutch, as well as Spanish, explorers occurred over the next century and a half or so. However, it was not until 1770 that Captain James Cook claimed for the British crown the region surrounding an inlet along the southeast coast that he named Botany Bay, lying just south of modern Sydney. It was this event which led in short order to the continuous settlement of Australia by Europeans and other outsiders.
It is useful to remember, by way of comparison with the other schools on this list, that by the time the University of Sydney (the first Australian university) was founded in 1850, the British presence in the continent now universally and affectionately known as “Oz” was only about three quarters of a century old.
A lot has happened in that short time.
Today, the University of Sydney is a very large institution of higher learning serving more than 52,000 students and enjoying an endowment approaching the A$2 billion mark.
Sydney is connected to five Nobel Prize–winners in all, including:
- John Cornforth — chemistry
- Pioneering neuroscientist, John C. Eccles — physiology or medicine
- Economist John Harsanyi — economics
The University of Sydney has had a strong international presence in academic philosophy ever since the arrival of the Scottish-born philosopher John Anderson in the 1920s. Other distinguished Sydney-associated philosophers include:
- John Passmore
- John L. Mackie
- David M. Armstrong
- David Stove
- Charles B. Martin
- Peter Godfrey-Smith
Other famous University of Sydney–linked persons include:
- Physicist and chaos theory pioneer, Robert M. May
- Soprano, Joan Sutherland
- Poet, Les Murray
- Novelist, Howard Jacobson
- Noted feminist author, Germaine Greer
- Influential literary critic, Clive James
- Noted art critic and historian, Robert Hughes
- Sinologist and essayist, Simon Leys (Pierre Ryckmans)
- Film directors Bruce Beresford, Peter Weir, Phillip Noyce & Jane Campion
According to Wikipedia, The University of Sydney , also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six sandstone universities. It was one of the first universities in the world to admit students solely on academic merit, and opened their doors to women on the same basis as men. The university comprises eight academic faculties and university schools, through which it offers bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.
University of Sydney's Online Degrees
What Is University of Sydney Known For?
University of Sydney is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:
- Philosophy
- Medical
- Biology
- Political Science
- Communications
- Education
- Literature
- Law
- Business
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- History
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Religious Studies
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
University of Sydney's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Who Are University of Sydney's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Sydney's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Medical, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of University of Sydney's most famous alumni:
- John Harsanyi
- A Hungarian economist .
- Germaine Greer
- An Australian writer and public intellectual.
- Clive James
- An Australian writer, critic, and broadcaster .
- David Malet Armstrong
- An Australian philosopher .
- Steve Keen
- An Australian economist.
- Raymond Dart
- An Australian anatomist and anthropologist .
- John Cornforth
- An Australian-British chemist.
- Gough Whitlam
- An Australian politician, 21st Prime Minister of Australia .
- Robert Hughes
- An Australian critic, historian, and writer .
- Michael Kirby
- An Australian jurist and academic.
- V. Gordon Childe
- A British prehistorian archaeologist.
- Val Plumwood
- An Australian philosopher.
Who Are University of Sydney's Most Influential Faculty?
University of Sydney's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Medical, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of University of Sydney's most famous alumni:
- Michael Kölling
- A German computer scientist.
- Saul Newman
- An Australian political theorist.
- Ben Saul
- An Australian lawyer.
- Christopher D. Manning
- A Computer scientist.
- Tim Soutphommasane
- An Australian political theorist, human rights advocate and columnist.
- Geordie Williamson
- An Australian mathematician.
- Dacheng Tao
- A Computer science researcher, University of Sydney.
- Ahmar Mahboob
- A Pakistani linguist.
- Tom Switzer
- An Australian political writer.
- Bryan Gaensler
- An Australian astronomer.
- Heather Horst
- An American anthropologist.
- Marc Stears
- A British political theorist.
