Universities Australia

On Tuesday night Associate Professor Shoshana Dreyfus was awarded the People’s Choice award at Universities Australia's Shaping Australia awards for her work on Wollongong’s first All Ages All Abilities playground. She received the highest vote count in the Community Champion category, receiving close to 5000 votes from the community. Associate Professor Dreyfus, a specialist in systemic functional linguistics and language disorders, was inspired by her adult son, Bodhi, to begin the playground project but it took her many years to bring her unique idea to life. “I can’t express enough what this project has meant to me. People with an intellectual disability are one of the most marginalised groups within our society and being able to create a space that is for them, where they are welcomed and encouraged to be there, has been life changing," Associate Professor Dreyfus said. #ThisIsUOW #ShapingAustraliaAwards25 #UASolutionsSummit25

This week, NAB was delighted to sponsor the keynote address at the Universities Australia Solutions Summit in Canberra. At more than 200 different campuses in Australia and offshore, around 1.4million students are educated and inspired by the #university experience, contributing some $48m to Australian exports.* * As at 2023 We’re proud to be a long-time supporter of universities in Australia and a platinum sponsor of this event for over ten years. Our commitment to the higher education sector remains strong and we continue to collaborate with them to navigate the ever-evolving business landscape. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKHtRkEB Don Oliveira, Michael Bedwell, Rodney Wallis, Tom Mazzaferro.

Huge congratulations to RMIT’s coffee innovators for winning an award at Universities Australia’s Shaping Australia Awards in the Problem Solver category, after tallying the most votes from the public.    Dr Rajeev Roychand, Professor Jie Li, Associate Professor Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch, Dr Mohammad Saberian, Professor Guomin (Kevin) Zhang and Professor Chun-Qing Li’s innovation strengthens #concrete by 30% using #biochar made from spent #coffee grounds to give the drink-additive a “double shot” at life and reduce waste going to #landfill.    Roychand and Li received the Problem Solver 2024 People’s Choice Winner award on behalf of the team at Parliament House in Canberra last night.    Roychand, the lead inventor of the coffee concrete, said the team was thrilled to win the award.     “Winning this national award is outstanding recognition of our vision to transform waste materials into valuable construction resources,” said Roychand, from the School of Engineering.    “What began as research into coffee grounds has now evolved into a comprehensive program converting various types of organic waste into biochar that could help reshape the environmental footprint of the built environment.”    Big thanks to everyone who voted!    Read more: https://lnkd.in/gFC8qVeY Calum Drummond AO | Alec Cameron | Jason Clare MP  

🚀 University of South Australia Wins Big at the Nation’s 2025 Shaping Australia Awards! 🏆🎉 I'm proud to share that both of UniSA’s nominations have won in their category at the 2025 Shaping Australia Awards - a testament to our leadership in industry-engaged education and our commitment to closing Australia’s critical defence skilling gaps. 🥇 Future Builder Award Professor Tom Raimondo, Dr Joanne Zucco, and Associate Professor Stewart Von Itzstein were recognised for pioneering Australia’s first higher degree apprenticeship, the Bachelor of Software Engineering (Honours). This innovative program enables students to work full-time at leading companies like BAE Systems while earning their degree, ensuring they graduate job-ready with real-world experience. The success of this program has already prompted the Department of State Development to explore expanding degree apprenticeships in South Australia. 🏅 People’s Choice Award The Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space (GEMBA) team - Professor Lan Snell, Professor Andrew Beer, Peter Stevens, Stan Astachnowicz, Samantha Stengert, Leanne Steele, Ling Ly, and Jodie Walsh - secured the People’s Choice Award. Delivered across Australia, the UK, and the US, this one-of-a-kind program develops leaders in cyber security, space systems, and defence procurement - key areas shaping the future of Australia’s defence and space industries. The Shaping Australia Awards, an initiative of Universities Australia, celebrate programs that go beyond traditional learning to bridge critical knowledge gaps and drive industry impact. Both of these UniSA initiatives are directly addressing Australia's defence workforce challenges, building a pipeline of skilled professionals to support our national security and sovereign capability. As UniSA continues to push boundaries in innovation and enterprise, these national awards reinforce our role in developing the future workforce that Australia needs. Congratulations to all involved! 🎉👏 Link to Universities Australia Congratulatory Post - https://lnkd.in/gPnYQkJb #UniSA #EnterpriseHub #ShapingAustralia #DefenceSkilling #FutureWorkforce #HigherEd #Defence #Space #SoftwareEngineering #MBA #AUKUS #ApprenticeshipDegrees #GEMBA Image from left: UniSA's Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd, Professor Lan Snell, Associate Professor Stewart Von Itzstein, Dino Rossi and Ryan McClenaghan at the awards event in Canberra yesterday evening.

The inspiring Christine Holgate delivering an emotive and cross-sectorial address at Universities Australia Solutions Summit. Her story really resonates with me as a regional, first in family, low SES student.