Adelaide Uni's New VC: Indigenous Focus, Equity & Industry Ties

0:00Adelaide University's new vice-chancellor, Professor Nikola Phillips, is pushing back hard against the video from one nation leader Cory Bernardi. Mocking a car and a greeting sign on campus that says, Naina Marnie, meaning, hello, how are you? She's making it clear that honoring First Nations history and knowledge will be front and center for the uni. That includes appointing indigenous footy legend Adam Goods as their First Nations ambassador and giving the whole place a Karana name. The university just opened its doors in January 2026 after a big merger between the old University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. Phillips started as V.C. back in June 2025 and with 11,000 staff and 60,000 students, it's been a massive effort she calls a monumental achievement. She's got a background in social science and inequality, so equity is huge for her. Back more scholarships ramped up for disadvantaged students, plus better support so they stick

1:01around and don't drop out in the first year. She wants everyone to feel like uni is a spot they belong. On top of that, Phillips is eyeing stronger industry ties, like a fresh deal with Cisco, top notch research and teaching that go hand in hand, and boosting regional campuses in places like Wayala and Mount Gambier with better tech. Sure, there were some in Roman glitches early on, but she's seeing real optimism across the board. This set up positions Adelaide University as a real powerhouse to drive South Australia's economic future, building from the ground up with excellence, for all. That's your update from Adelaide News today, powered by AI.