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The Group of Eight (Go8) is a coalition of leading Australian universities, comprehensive in general and professional education and distinguished by depth and breadth in research. The group operated as an informal network of vice-chancellors from 1994 to 1999. It was formally incorporated in September 1999.
Go8 universities can be distinguished in the following ways:
- they have nurtured every Nobel prize winner educated at an Australian university
- they contribute over 70 percent of the Fellows of the four Australian learned academies
- they are the most research concentrated of all Australian universities
- they account for more than two thirds of Australian university research activity, research output and research training.
Dr MIchael Spence, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, is the current Chair of the Group of Eight Board.