The Australian National University will soon celebrate the opening of the first major development in ANU Exchange, our collaboration with Baulderstone Hornibrook to reinvigorate the land bordering the campus and the city.

More than 500 students will find a new home in UniLodge@ANU, a six-storey complex that includes a mix of living and recreation spaces. This facility will be a welcome addition to the diverse portfolio of accommodation options available to ANU students, enriching what is arguably one of the finest residential campuses of any Australian university.

But the UniLodge is also a symbol of the vitality of ANU, which continually seeks the benefits of innovation while preserving those things that make us distinctive. This philosophy applies to the way our attractive campus is managed, too.

The ANU Gardens and Grounds staff recently won an inaugural Stewardship Award from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architect (AILA). This prize recognises their work to protect assets like our historic trees while also putting in place measures to cope with changing weather patterns. AILA also placed ANU on its list of National Significant Landscapes. It is our responsibility as stewards of the University to safeguard our campus for future generations, and I commend the grounds staff for making sure this continues to happen.

But some symbols of vitality and innovation are being formed in other parts of the University too. We recently opened the new Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre at Mt Stromlo. This facility means that the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics will continue to be a place where cutting-edge astronomical instruments are designed and created.

As we enter our sixty-first year, ANU is still a vital institution for the nation, where innovation rests upon the bedrock of achievement. Long may this be so.

Professor Ian Chubb AC
Vice-Chancellor and President

ANU Reporter 
Summer 2007