Adelaide University launched its logo at the Adelaide Convention Centre this morning, with 3000 staff and officials in attendance.

The new logo features Adelaide University’s initials – AU – in white on a dark blue backdrop.

A view of the logo from an Adelaide University launch presentation today.

UniSA vice chancellor Professor David Lloyd, a co-vice chancellor of Adelaide University, told the audience that the left of the logo was based on the angles of the Adelaide Festival Centre, while the top right was loosely based on South Australia’s geography.

The new university’s website, which went live today, also uses purple and a lighter shade of blue.

The South Australia portion of the Adelaide University logo.

Lloyd said the AU monogram was “tilted forward to convey momentum and future focus with an angle that echoes the angles of the Adelaide Festival Centre”.

“The monogram balances stability with agility,” he said.

“The curvature and the shape very clearly echoes the shields of our founding institutions and it embodies, very subtly, the broader state of South Australia as an entity with harmony and openness.”

The new logo “echoes the angles of the Adelaide Festival Centre”, co-vice chancellor David Lloyd said.

Lloyd said the colours within Adelaide University’s brand “also hold meaning”.

“The dark blue is a clear nod and legacy and honour to the shared heritage of our institutions and inspires trust,” he said.

“The accent colour, North Terrace purple – trademarked – represents optimism. It represents wisdom and it represents independence.

“The bright blue is future-facing: it’s digital-first and vivid.

The new Adelaide University website launched today.

“And the limestone is the limestone of the South East.

“It’s grounding, it has a nod to quarries of South Australia in the regions and it also talks to our buildings along North Terrace while adding warmth, humanity and balance.”

Adelaide University is due to officially open on January 1, 2026.

University of Adelaide vice chancellor Professor Peter Høj, fellow co-vice chancellor of Adelaide University, said a “subset of around 200 coursework programs” are being opened for international admissions for entry in 2026.

The new Adelaide University website.

“We’re launching an Adelaide University future student inquiry team, an established network of Adelaide University international education agency partners, and we are… unveiling our brand story to our university community and partners,” he said.

Domestic students can also register their interest for the 2026 academic year from today, Høj said.

Høj said there would be a “large scale” international student campaign across China, India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Singapore.

“Our go to market 2024 approach aligns with our ambition for growth in key global markets and the decision-making timelines for international student applications,” he said.

“We know that international students typically start to consider their study options 18 months prior to commencements… so this allows sufficient time for prospective students to consider Adelaide University as a study destination of choice.”

Adelaide University branding material released today. Source: Adelaide University website

The business case underpinning the merger of the University of Adelaide and UniSA forecast that a combined institution could educate an additional 6000 new international students by 2034.

“Today is the first of many milestones to come as we continue to evolve to day one on first of January 2026, through to a fully transformed University in 2034,”Høj said.

In a joint opinion piece published by Times Higher Education in May, Høj and Lloyd said they anticipated plaudits and criticism when they released the new logo.

An Adelaide University pin. Source: Adelaide University website

“We know that whatever we unveil in July will be met with, in equal parts, jubilation and judgement,” the co-vice chancellors wrote.

“Doubtless some will rush to dissect the logo’s colour and/or lament its design – we even expect to see a meme or two in multiple Reddit threads.

“But that’s a good thing. We are looking forward to hearing what people think – because that will give us an opportunity to tell the story and vision that sits behind all the elements that the branding will bring together.”