The University of Wollongong (informally known as Wollongong University or Wollongong), abbreviated as UOW, is a public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney. As of 2014 the University has an enrolment of over 37,000 students (including over 11,600 international students from 134 countries), an alumni base of over 112,000, and over 2,000 academic related staff. The University has been ranked 9th in Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Australian University Rankings in 2012, among the top 1% for research quality in the world, and among the top 2% of universities in the world.