The Australian Technology Network (ATN) is a network of six
Australian universities, with a strong history of innovation, enterprise and working closely with industry. ATN traces its origins back to 1975 as the Directors of Central Institutes of Technology (DOCIT), and was revived in 1999 in its present form with changes to its membership announced in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
ATN is the second largest university grouping in Australia, in terms of student numbers and
research funding
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
.
History
The ATN originated in 1975 as the "Directors of Central Institutes of Technology (DOCIT)", a conference group consisting of the directors of Australia's leading "institutes of technology". Each of DOCIT's original member institutions (NSWIT, QIT, RMIT, SAIT and WAIT
[Predecessors to ]University of Technology Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1988, though its origins as a Institute of technology, ...
, Queensland University of Technology
The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public university, public research university located in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. It has two major campuses, a modern city campus in Gardens Point, Brisbane, Gardens Point ...
, RMIT University
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (abbreviated as RMIT University) is a public research university located in the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia., section 4(b) Established in 1887 by Francis Ormond, it is the seventh-o ...
, University of South Australia, and Curtin University of Technology respectively.) were located in the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
of their respective state's capital city, hence they were deemed "central institutes of technology".
DOCIT founded its original member institutes' distinctiveness on their size (they enrolled almost one third of all full-time advanced education students), on the advanced level of their teaching (most of their programs were degrees rather than the diplomas like that of other advanced education institutions) and their conduct of applied research (DEET, 1993:18). They were therefore like a "technology-focused" group.
DOCIT encountered too much opposition to its aspirations, and disbanded in 1982. The conference group was later revived in 1999 as the Australian Technology Network, consisting of: the
Curtin University of Technology,
Queensland University of Technology
The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public university, public research university located in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. It has two major campuses, a modern city campus in Gardens Point, Brisbane, Gardens Point ...
,
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,
University of South Australia and
University of Technology Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1988, though its origins as a Institute of technology, ...
. Each ATN member university was granted public university status between 1986 and 1992, however their antecedents make them some of the oldest tertiary institutions in Australia.
QUT departed ATN on 28 September 2018.
Deakin University was announced as a new ATN member on 8 December 2020, bringing the Network's membership back up to five universities and making the network Australia's second largest university grouping in terms of student numbers and research funding. Deakin's membership bolsters ATN's geographic footprint with a presence in the regional gateway city of Geelong and regional Victoria.
In November 2021, the
University of Newcastle joined the Australian Technology Network as an Associate Member, becoming the sixth member of the network. Newcastle's membership further enahnced ATN's regional footprint into the Central Coast and Hunter regions. The University of Newcastle became a full member in 2023.
Members
File:Curtin building 408 from E 2.jpg, Curtin University, Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
File:Deakin University Burwood Campus (Central).jpg, Deakin University, Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
File:SAB, Melbourne CBD, as viewed from Swanston Street.jpg, RMIT University
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (abbreviated as RMIT University) is a public research university located in the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia., section 4(b) Established in 1887 by Francis Ormond, it is the seventh-o ...
, Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
File:CiviclightrailNewcastle.jpg, University of Newcastle, Newcastle
File:UniSA building.jpg, University of South Australia, Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
File:112 N7A8606 UTS Central Andy Roberts hr.jpg, University of Technology Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1988, though its origins as a Institute of technology, ...
, Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
See also
*
List of universities in Australia
*
Group of Eight
*
Innovative Research Universities Australia
*
Regional Universities Network
The Regional Universities Network (RUN) is a network of seven universities primarily from regional Australia, as well as campuses in the Australian capital cities and some international campuses.
Members
History
The Regional Universities Net ...
*
Association of American Universities
The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an organization of predominantly American research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. Founded in 1900, it consists of 69 public and private ...
*
C9 League
*
Russell Group
The Russell Group is a self-selected association of twenty-four public research universities in the United Kingdom. The group is headquartered in Cambridge and was established in 1994 to represent its members' interests, principally to governme ...
*
National Institutes of Technology
*
TU9
*
U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities
Notes
References
External links
Australian Technology Network Homepage
{{Authority control
College and university associations and consortia in Australia
Curtin University
RMIT University
University of South Australia
University of Technology Sydney