Slogans are so important in any field, whether, products, services,  business, sports, education, food and many others. Some brands are known by their slogans, eg, “Just do it” is of course Nike’s; “I am worth it” is Loreal, “creating a knowledge society” is Education Zone; “Dior Addict” is Christian Dior; “the best things in life are free, the second best are Chanel”.  I am not going to list slogans here as you can see the gist of what I would like to talk about.

So lets go back to the university slogans, each university has a committee that has to come up with a sentence that would be used on all its advertising campaigns that will help to attract students to it.  I was a party to such advertising campaign when I worked at a university in new Zealand, and we came up with the slogan “trades are hot” meaning that students who join a trade are going to be “ a hot commodity and a hot job”. We had a meeting after the other deciding on the slogan, each came up with ideas, we sorted, mixed and matched until we came up with this slogan.  The slogan is like a book title, you will buy the book because of its name, not because of the content, hence the university slogan, you will enter the university because of its slogan, you will buy a product because of its slogan, you will be influenced because of the slogan.

 

However, I did a collection of slogans from a 100 universities, and then checked the ranking of each. The better the ranking, the nicer is the slogan. For example, Harvard’s is “Veritas” (says it all), Oxford’s is “dominus illuminatio mea” which means the Lord is my light), Cambridge’s is “Hinc lucem et pocula sacra” which means, from here we receive light and sacered thoughts. Only few universities use latin in its slogan/motto, others use English or Arabic or any other language depending where the university is located.

 

Below you will find a few slogans of universities located in Australia, USA, UK, Canada and New Zealand.  I encourage you to read them and ascertain to yourself that you are not going to any university just because of its nice slogan.

 

Choosing univeriites must be a very well calculated decision, as you are going to spend the best 4-5 years of your life in it.  It is not a bottle of perfume that you can chuck away if you didn’t like it.  Choosing a university is like wearing a tattoo on your face, you are stuck with it.

 

Please choose on the basis of fit, safety, location, programmes, ranking, price, living expenses and quality of teaching.  This last one is very tricky as most ranking bodies do not show it as a separate item, however in UK (for example) they have a separate body that ranks universities by the quality of its teachers, and this one is mostly voted by the students themselves.  So if you are the type who want to rely on the teacher for explanation, then this measure is important for you.

 

Enjoy reading.

 

Australia:

University	Slogan
University of Adelaide	The light [of learning] under the [Southern] Cross
Charles Darwin University	Change your World
Deakin University	Worldly
Griffith University	Know More. Do More.
La Trobe University	Whoever seeks, finds
University of Newcastle	I look ahead
University of South Australia	Educating professionals. Creating and applying knowledge. Engaging our communities.
Western Sydney University	Unlimited
Australian National University	First to learn the nature of things
Charles Sturt University	For the public good
Flinders University	Inspiring Achievement
University of Sydney	The constellations change, [but] the mind [remains] the same
University of Western Australia	Seek Wisdom

 

 

Canada:

University	Slogan
Simon Fraser University	We are ready
University of Manitoba	“Flourish” or “Prosper”
Royal Roads University	Life. Changing

 

 

New Zealand:

University	Slogan
University of Canterbury	Therefore your fields will remain (yours)
Auckland University of Technology	Explore your future options
Massey University	Let knowledge flourish
University of Auckland	By natural ability and hard work

 

 

 

 

 

 

United Kingdom:

University	Slogan
City, University of London	To Serve Mankind
Glasgow Caledonian University	For the Common Weal
Manchester Metropolitan University	Many Arts, Many Skills
University of Gloucestershire	In spirit and truth
University of Exeter	We follow the light
University of East Anglia	Do Different
University of Manchester	Knowledge, wisdom, humanity
Queen’s University Belfast	For so much, what shall we give back?
Bournemouth University	To Learn is to Change
Cranfield University	Out of darkness, light
University of Aberdeen	The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord
University of Birmingham	Through efforts to high things
University of Glasgow	The Way, the Truth, and the Life
University of Liverpool	These days of peace foster learning
University of Salford	Let us seek higher things
University of Westminster	The Lord is our Strength
University of York	On the threshold of wisdom
University of the West of England	Light Liberty Learning
Anglia Ruskin University	Excellence through partnership
Birmingham City University	Do what you are doing; attend to your business
Napier University, Edinburgh	Without knowledge, all is in vain
Plymouth University	Explore, Dream, Discover
RGU University	Now by all your mastered arts
Swansea university	Technical skill is bereft without culture
University of Hertfordshire	Seek Knowledge Throughout Life
University of Northampton	Transforming lives, inspiring change
University of Portsmouth	Let us follow the Light
Birkbeck university	In night is counsel
Queen Mary University of London	With united power
Royal Holloway, University of London	To be, rather than to seem
Royal Veterinary College	confront disease at onset
University of Central Lancashire	From the Ground to the Sun
University of Hull	Bearing the Torch [of learning]
University of Sunderland	Sweetly absorbing knowledge
Durham University	Her foundations are upon the holy hills
Keele University	Thank God for All
Kingston University	Through learning we progress
University of Lancaster	Truth lies open to all
Liverpool John Moores University	Fortune Assists the Bold
University of Sheffield	To discover the causes of things
University College Dublin	To the stars
University of Huddersfield	Inspiring tomorrow’s professionals
University of Leeds	And Knowledge Will Be Increased
University of Leicester	So that they may have life
University of Lincoln	Through Wisdom, Liberty
University of Strathclyde	The Place of Useful Learning
University of Sussex	Be Still and Know

 

 

United States:

University	Slogan
Drew University	Freely you have received, Freely give
George Mason	Freedom and Learning
Marshall University	BE PROUD
University of Alabama at Birmingham	Knowledge that will change your world
Saint Louis University	Wisdom Builds
University of South Florida	Truth and Wisdom
Northeastern University	Light, Truth, Courage
Pace University	Opportunities
University of Tulsa	Wisdom, Faith, Service
Florida Atlantic University	Where Tomorrow Begins
Richard Bland College	Create your journey
University of Massachusetts	By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty
University of Idaho	Open Space. Open Minds.
University of New Hampshire	Science, Arts, Industry
University of Rhode Island	Think big. We do.
University of North Texas	We are the Mean Greens
Wheelock College	Tough Enough to Inspire a World of Good
James Madison University	Knowledge is Liberty
Long Island University	To the city and to the world
Merrimack College	Through Knowledge to Wisdom
Roosevelt University	Dedicated to the enlightenment of the human spirit
Texas A&M University	To develop leaders of character dedicated to serving the greater good.
City College of New York	Look behind, look here, look ahead
University of Vermont	Through Studies and Upright Affairs