The Melbourne Newsroom

The University of Melbourne has the most popular degrees offered by Victorian universities, as measured by first preference applications through the Victorian tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC).

Dr Robyn Pickering discusses research that has confirmed the age of our possible oldest direct human ancestor at 1.98 million years old.

The discovery was made after Dr Pickering and Dr Andy Herries from La Trobe University conducted further dating of the early human fossils, Australopithecus sediba, found in South Africa last year. 

Researchers have confirmed the age of possibly our oldest direct human ancestor at 1.98 million years old.

Inspiring the next generation of scientists will be the focus of an innovative education initiative – a science sub school located at the University of Melbourne, with $7million in funding announced today by the Victorian Minister for Education, Ms Bronwyn Pike.

Increased numbers of students applying for the University of Melbourne's Bachelor of Science shows that students believe science is important to the future of our society, according to the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Robert Saint.

"The dramatically increased demand for Science at the University of Melbourne tells us...that students are recognising the importance of science to the future of our society, and that they recognise the quality of science education and research going on at the University of Melbourne."

While most people can name their favourite wine, they can now discover the science behind their tastebuds’ preference at a unique wine tasting event.

More than 50 of the brightest young minds in science will spend six days in Melbourne this week at the Youth ANZAAS 2009 conference. Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 from Australia and New Zealand will experience the workings of leading scientific establishments.

The Animal Welfare Science Centre (AWSC), jointly based at the University of Melbourne, has been internationally recognised for its leading research and education programs.