Founded in 1987 by maverick business tycoon Alan Bond, this eponymous institution of higher education is Oz’s first and only privately funded independent university

Situated on a scenic campus on the Gold Coast, an hour’s drive from Brisbane — capital of Queensland — Bond University is Australia’s first and only privately funded, independent varsity. It comprises five faculties: business; health sciences and medicine; humanities and social sciences; information technology, and law. In particular Bond’s law and business degree programmes have been assessed among the best in Australia by the Graduate Careers Council, as have several degree courses within the school of humanities and social sciences and school of information technology. Not surprisingly this independent university attracts students from around the world. Half of its 2,000 students are from 60 countries.

“At Bond University you will find a culture of teaching and learning in which traditional scholastic values are complemented by innovative programmes. Our low student/ faculty ratio provides students with personalised tuition and ensures easy access to academic staff at all levels. All staff at Bond University is selected with care, and student welfare and progress are paramount. Unlike most universities in Australia, we work three semesters in each academic year. This allows the completion of all degrees, both undergraduate and postgraduate, in minimal time, with no loss of quality in teaching or learning,” says Dr. Robert Stable, vice-chancellor of Bond.

Accordingly Bond offers three 14-week semesters each year, starting in January, May and September and students can enroll in most courses in any semester. Most Bond students acquire a bachelor’s degree in just two years. Also a number of three-semester coursework Masters programmes can be completed in 12 months.

Founded in 1987 by billionaire maverick business tycoon Alan Bond and given university status by the State of Queensland’s Bond University Act in 1988, the original joint venture partners, Bond Corp and EIE (International), negotiated purchase of the land, construction of the sandstone buildings, and development of the campus. Teaching on the campus began in May 1989 and currently Bond is a fully accredited member of the Australian Vice-chancellors Committee (AVCC), the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and is recognised as a degree awarding university by the Australian government.

Gold Coast. Bond University is located on the Gold Coast, 70 km from Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. Situated contiguously to Lake Orr in the Burleigh Forest area, the Bond campus is less than three km inland from the spectacularly unspoilt beaches of Burleigh Heads and Miami on the Gold Coast. The richly-vegetated rainforest of the hinterland is only a further four km inland and the domestic airport at Coolangatta is a mere 20 minutes by car, while the international airport at Brisbane is an hour’s drive.

With its famous surf beaches and scenic hinterland, the Gold Coast is a popular tourist destination for visitors from around the world. Inevitably it boasts a wide range of restaurants, coffee shops, shopping centres, entertainment and sporting facilities and attractions such as Sea World, Warner Brothers Movieworld and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Most of these establishments are open seven days a week, with public transport easily available.

The local climate is sub-tropical with temperatures varying between 17oC and 28oC during the day. There is plenty of sunshine which makes surfing the most popular local sport with water temperatures between 19-21oC all year round.

Campus facilities. Situated on the shores of Lake Orr, the Bond campus is an aesthetic blend of natural beauty and modern well-equipped buildings. The campus was designed by Australian master planner, Daryl Jackson to highlight its natural environment and location, and its sandstone structures are not only eye-catching but also designed to stand the test of time.

The University Centre is the focal point of the campus and comprises lecture theatres, case study and seminar rooms. The university library offers over 230,000 volumes and 1,800 journal titles in print, as well as hundreds of DVDs, CD ROMs and audio cassettes. Access is provided both on and off campus to over 22,000 full-text electronic journals and more than 100 online databases via the internet.

In sports-crazy Oz it’s inevitable that Bond’s state-of-the-art Fitness Centre includes a gymnasium, basketball stadium, tennis and squash courts, sauna, a soccer field and a football (rugby) oval as well as a heated outdoor Olympic size swimming pool with spa and a beach volleyball court.

All supplementary facilities such as food outlets, bookshop and post office, printing and photocopying service units, and a physiotherapy practice room are within easy walking distances.

Accommodation. Bond offers students two types of on-campus accommo-dation: single rooms in the halls of residence and single or twin share rooms in the Towers. Weekly boarding priced at Aus $273-334 (Rs.7,644-9,352) includes 14 meals. Each single room includes a telephone, desk and chair, single bed, wardrobe, bookshelves and bedside drawers, with some offering air-conditioning. Towers rooms are single or twin share and offer similar facilities.

Students living off campus rent houses or apartments. Rents vary from Aus $150-500 (Rs.4,200-14,000) per week depending on size, location and number of bedrooms. Homestay is also a popular choice for English language students and those looking for a more family-orientated lifestyle.

Admission. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Bond’s undergraduate programmes is successful completion of the All India Secondary School Certificate (CBSE) or the Indian School Certificate (CISCE) or an equivalent Plus Two examination. In addition applicants need to satisfy the university’s English language require-ments. A minimum score of 7.0 in the IELTS exam or a TOEFL score of 627 is accepted as proof of English language proficiency.

For further information contact the Office of Academic Services, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4229, Australia. E-mail: admissions@bond. edu.au. Website: www.bond.edu.au.

Degree programmes. Bond University offers a wide range of innovative undergrad degree programmes in the faculties of business, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, information technology and law (see box). Every undergrad student irrespective of her major has to complete studying at least one subject from each of the following four core discipline clusters: communication (subjects: communications or public speaking); information technology, values (cultural and ethical values or contemporary issues in law and society); and organisations (strategic management or entrepreneurship).

According to a university spokes-person the objective of the core curriculum is “to produce graduates with strong practical skills and understanding of important ideas and values which are central both to successful undergraduate study and to professional performance after graduation”.

Scholastic options at Bond

Bond University offers a wide range of undergrad and postgrad diplomas and degrees across five major faculties. They include:

Humanities and Social Sciences. Applied psychology, arts, communication, film and television, international relations, social sciences

Health Sciences. Biomedical sciences, health sciences — counselling, sports coaching, sports management, behaviour management, childcare, retirement and ageing

Business. Business administration, commerce, electronic commerce, finance, international business

Information Technology. Information systems and information technology

Law. Business law, jurisprudence, law

Tuition fee (annual): AUS$ 20,400-27,200

Living expenses including accommodation: AUS$ 10,000-12,000

NB AUS$=Rs.28

Summiya Yasmeen