Flinders University is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. It was founded in 1966 and was named after Matthew Flinders, a British navigator and cartographer who explored the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.
The university offers teaching across six colleges: the College of Business, Government and Law; the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work; the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; the College of Medicine and Public Health; the College of Nursing and Health Sciences; and the College of Science and Engineering.
There are three main campuses situated in Bedford Park, Victoria Square and Tonsley. There are also buildings at a number of regional locations across South Australia, South West Australia and the Northern Territory. In 2015, the Flinders University opened a new campus at Tonsley, the former site of the Mitsubishi Motors Australia plant. It houses the School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, and the Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology.
The Flinders University "vision" states its ambition to be "internationally recognised as a world leader in research, an innovator in contemporary education, and the source of Australia’s most enterprising graduates". Its mission is to "change lives and change the world".
In 2015, the university instigated an institution-wide consultation to define "the core values that resonate most with our staff and students". It used the information gathered to produce The 2025 Agenda, which sets out five key values: a student-centred approach; integrity; courage; innovation; and excellence.
Alumni of the university include actress Wendy Strehlow, film director Scott Hicks, and former South Australian premier John Bannon.
