Since its establishment in 1874 the University of Adelaide has been one of Australia's leading universities. It has a rich tradition of excellence in higher education and research, having produced nearly 100 Rhodes Scholars. The university’s research is at the leading edge of knowledge, with research earnings consistently the highest per capita of any university in Australia, and is ranked in the top 1% in the world in eleven research fields.

The university’s activities are grouped into five faculties: Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences; Health Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; Professions; and Sciences. The faculties are based on four campuses in Adelaide, with 17,500 students, including some 3,000 international students from 80 countries.

The University of Adelaide has extensive international interests and has developed a series of formal relationships with 138 universities in 25 countries. It also has links with many non-university institutions, government bodies, NGOs and industry groups which benefit from its research programs, and enhance the learning and teaching experience of the university’s students.

The university has particular strengths in food and wine, health sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, information technology and telecommunications, environmental sciences and social sciences.

The university has a long-standing commitment to research and education in areas that relate to resilience, including health, climate change, infrastructure and the environment. It actively engages with stakeholders to promote resilience, and seeks to both inform and evaluate policy and practice through an evidence-based approach. The university aims to produce graduates who are able to enhance societal and system responses to disruptive challenges.

The University has five research institutes which were formed to tackle some of the most serious research challenges facing Australia and the world. One of these institutes is the Environment Institute, which has a strong interest in resilience issues and in the design and development of robust institutional arrangements. Research in the Environment Institute focuses on renewable energy, water management, landscape futures, urban development, the management of marine ecosystems, biodiversity and ancient DNA research. Options for reducing carbon emissions and the development of adaptive strategies to cope with climate change is an institute-wide theme.