ATN Advocate - April 2024
Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN Universities)
ATN brings together six of Australia's most innovative universities: Curtin, Deakin, RMIT, Newcastle, UniSA and UTS
Welcome from the Executive Director
Hello again to the readers of ATN Advocate, and welcome to our regular update on the policy and advocacy work being undertaken by our team across the country.
It's certainly been very pleasing to see the energy and momentum from the Universities Accord Final Report recommendations continuing at speed, which included my recent involvement on the panel of Australian Business Deans Council, the representative body for Australian business schools, talking all things Accord with colleagues Vicki Thomson (CEO, Group of Eight) and Paul Harris (Executive Director, IRU) and to catch up with all peak body leaders at a post-Accord discussion convened by the team at Universities Australia.
Speaking of the Accord, we were delighted to open registrations this week for the ATN25 National Symposium Curriculum Innovation?which will focus on the key role of partnerships to meet skills gaps in Australia's workforce. We’ll be joined by experts from industry, tertiary education and government. A forum which is sure to be full of energy and generate great ideas. I invite ATN Advocate readers to secure their spot today and join the discussion.
The countdown is on, and the excitement is building across our campuses, as we await the arrival in a few short days of our international partners, the UK University Alliance, representing 16 of the?UK's?leading professional and technical?universities. There’s a jam-packed schedule of visits across some of our member universities as part of the Future Leaders Program. The tour will provide the perfect opportunity for our trailblazers to collaborate and exchange knowledge with their international counterparts. Keep an eye out on our social media channels over the coming weeks for updates on the visit.
One of their stops will be in Sydney and it was wonderful for me to be able to spend some time visiting the new Media & Communication offices at UTS, modern workspaces befitting of an innovative tech university.
We’re also following and providing input on key global issues which will have real and important impacts on our members and the higher education sector in Australia, including:
· a new joint select committee to better understand the benefits and challenges in AI gives us opportunities to better safeguard universities in the adoption of these technologies
· amendments to Defence legislation supports universities to forge important research partnerships while relieving them of the potential to fall foul of requirements under law, and
· a?new report on minimising foreign interference in Australia acknowledging the need to avoid overlap and reduce compliance burdens when it comes to higher education activities in this area.
On the note of international affairs, I’m delighted to welcome to the fold, ATN’s new Senior Manager, Global Engagement and Policy, Shilpa Pullela, who recently finished a DFAT posting in the US and brings extensive experience to the role. Shilpa has hit the ground running attending the recent APAIE conference in Perth and looks forward to meeting more of you across the group in coming weeks. Soon after, we were both joined at the ATN Head Office in Melbourne by Jeffrey Smart from The Lygon Group, for an enlightening discussion on international students.
And finally, in anticipation of the UK University Alliance visit, this week’s Under The Microscope features Professor Craig Gaskell, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise & Knowledge Exchange at Teesside University, discussing his work to deliver cross-cutting enterprise and knowledge exchange strategy.
I hope you enjoy his story and this month’s ATN Advocate.
Frank Coletta
Executive Director (Interim)
As part of our exciting series of events celebrating our 25th year, the Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) is proud to present the ATN25 National Symposium Curriculum Innovation. This interactive symposium will bring together some of Australia's foremost thought leaders from across industry, the tertiary education sector and government to discuss the Universities Accord and the role of industry-engaged curricula.?
Find out more and register your spot here.
Opinions on the Universities Accord
ATN Vice-Chancellors, Professor Andrew Parfitt, from UTS and Professor David Lloyd of University of South Australia have penned responses to the Universities Accord final report recently published as Op-Eds in the mainstream media.?
Prof Parfitt highlighted the need to support students from Low Socio-Economic Status backgrounds, while Prof Lloyd discussed the importance of providing relief for student cost of living being key to opening opportunities for them to adequately access and succeed in higher education.?
APAIE Conference 2024
ATN was represented in Perth at the recent APAIE (Asia-Pacific Association for International Education) get-together by Programs Director Dee Halil and our Senior Manager of Global Engagement and Policy, Shilpa Pullela. Discussions covered themes of innovation, partnership and global engagement in the future of higher education.
The conference, held from March 4-8, was hosted in part by Curtin University and the opening ceremony was Chaired by Curtin’s Director, Global, Barbara Lung-Jones. ATN’s universities were proudly represented by several speakers during the conference, including Katie Padilla from UTS, Pro Vice-Chancellor International Gabrielle Rolan of University of South Australia, and Deakin University’s Head of International Recruitment, Karen Gould.?
Congratulations to Michelle Sims, winner of ATN's Science and Technology Australia LGBTQIA+ Scholarship?
The Science and Technology Australia Science Meets Parliament Scholarships were announced this month, and the LGBTQIA+ scholarship, sponsored by ATN Universities was awarded to?Michelle Sims?(pictured below, fourth from left in the top row).
Michelle said: "As the recipient of the very generous LGBTQ+ scholarship?for Science Meets Parliament I want to say a massive thank you.?This event was an incredible experience that I would not have been able to have if it wasn't for the scholarship. On top of having the opportunity?to network with so many interesting and successful scientists, attending the event?meant being exposed to a relatively?new field to me of science policy. It highlighted to me the current issues in the intersection of science, the public?and our government, and gave guidance on how to interact with parliamentarians to advocate for science and my research. I'm still pinching myself that it happened."
A Political Lens
Deakin opens upgraded facilities
Deakin was joined by Victorian Minister for Skills and TAFE, Gayle Tierney MP, and Member for Bellarine, Alison Marchant MP, for the official launch of their new Intergrated Water Management plan in partnership with Baron Water. They also proudly showed off the newly upgraded facilities at the Deakin Marine Science Centre at Queenscliff.??
University of Newcastle launches International Student Ambassador program
The University of Newcastle has partnered with the City of Newcastle - represented by Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes (pictured below) - Study NSW and TAFE NSW to create a more inclusive environment for international students studying in the Hunter region.?Three ambassadors have been nominated, representing the voices of international students and with a view to enhance their experience of living and studying in the region.?
领英推荐
RMIT VC chairs ASEAN summit?
RMIT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alec Cameron, has co-chaired the ASEAN roundtable on CEO Education and Skills, alongside Professor Matchima Naradisorn, President of Mae Fah Luang University.??
The event provided for robust discussion on economic strategy, ways that ASEAN members can identify priority areas of skill needs, and the partnership between education providers, industry and government in providing solutions for proactive collaboration.?
Up and away for UTS, Space Machines and SpaceX Optimus?
SpaceX has this month launched the Optimus satellite, developed in partnership with the UTS Tech Lab and Space Machines Company. The spacecraft assembly and integration took place at the Space Machines Company facility within the UTS Tech Lab, in a clear demonstration of Australian sovereign access to space capability and the subsequent?successful launch signified a landmark moment in Australia’s space science industry.?
To see more click here.?
Global get-together with a fact-finding visit by the UK University Alliance
As mentioned earlier in this bulletin, we are eagerly awaiting the visit in coming days from our international partner organisation the UK University Alliance. We are excited to welcome representatives from Anglia Ruskin University, Coventry University, University of Derby, University of Hertfordshire, Middlesex University, Robert Gordon University, Teesside University, University of South Wales and University Alliance. Representatives from these institutions will be visiting campuses of ATN member universities - Deakin University, Curtin University, RMIT University, University of Technology Sydney and The University of Newcastle. And with the Alliance team wending its way to Australia, we are pleased to feature in our latest?Under The Microscope,?Professor Craig Gaskell, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise & Knowledge Exchange at Teesside University. Be sure to keep an eye on our social channels for updates throughout their stay.
Read more here.
Our online program for HDR students
ATN Frontiers is a fully online program which develops HDR students’ knowledge, skills, and ability to shape the future of innovation and productivity in industry.
It is open to all HDR students at our?ATN member universities. If you're interested and are one of our students, you can find out more here.
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