James Cook University (JCU) is a public university and is the second  oldest university in Queensland, Australia. JCU is a teaching and  research institution. The University's main campuses are located in the  tropical cities of Cairns, Singapore and Townsville. JCU also has study  centres in Mount Isa, Mackay and Thursday Island. A Brisbane campus,  operated by Russo Higher Education, delivers undergraduate and  postgraduate courses to international students. The University’s main  fields of research include marine sciences, biodiversity, sustainable  management of tropical ecosystems, genetics and genomics, tropical  health care, tourism and engineering.

The university serves as a catchment area for students from this region  and beyond. In 2014, JCU's student population was at 22,370, which  includes 7,429 international students.
  In 2001 the university took in its first medical students in its newly  formed School of Medicine. An undergraduate veterinary degree was added  to the university for the first time in 2006 and in 2009 the Bachelor of  Dental Surgery commenced. Today the university offers undergraduate and  postgraduate degrees in arts, humanities and social work; business, law  and governance; creative media; education; engineering and planning; healthcare, rehabilitation and psychology; medicine, dentistry and  pharmacy; public health; science, including marine biology and  environmental science; and veterinary science. Some courses are  available externally.

  In 2007 James Cook University became a member of Innovative Research Universities Australia (now called Innovative Research Universities).  Innovative Research Universities (IRU) is a network of seven comprehensive universities committed to conducting research of national  and international standing.