Educational attainment is a key driver of socioeconomic mobility and equity, with proven individual and societal benefits in spheres including health, financial footing, civic engagement, environmental conservation and workforce quality1. We are at an interesting point in history with both the need and ability to engage in education throughout our lives. It is critical, therefore, for UNSW to support and provide opportunities for a far broader range of learners than ever before.
We want to empower all our student cohorts – domestic and international undergraduate students through to our lifelong learners – to fulfil their learning aspirations and realise their potential.
UNSW’s world-class educational offerings are continuously enriched by our research innovations and knowledge creation. Our spectrum of educational offerings will be enhanced through co-design to address the evolving learning and skill needs of learners to take opportunities provided by new technologies like AI.
A UNSW education will be distinctive through the incorporation of societal impact. It will be accessible and inclusive, with a diverse community of learners who are supported to succeed in their studies, lives and careers. UNSW students, learners and graduates will be known for their integrity, ethics and values. They will be critical thinkers, highly innovative, creative, collaborative, employable, pragmatic and accountable for the impact they create.
We will foster interdisciplinary education that enables personalised learning, provides an outstanding student experience and commits to success for all our learners.
1 Department of Education, Benefits of Educational Attainment, Australian Government, Canberra, 2019. Available [accessed 16 December 2024].
We aspire to
- support every graduate to achieve their dreams and evolving life aspirations
- enable every graduate the opportunity to engage with, and make their own contribution to, positive societal impact
- build on, and further improve, our national leadership in outstanding graduate and career outcomes in Australia and internationally
- continually improve in student satisfaction in education experience and belonging
- offer nationally and internationally renowned pedagogies in all our fields with the highest quality curricula, teaching, modes and infrastructure for learning.
Objectives
1. Deliver education that has societal impact at its heart, draws on and centres Indigenous knowledges and drives interdisciplinary learning and action, by:
- scaling and incorporating interdisciplinary ‘Societal Impact Challenge Projects’ in all undergraduate and postgraduate programs
- providing students with opportunities to work collaboratively with UNSW’s world-leading research teams and our local and global community and industry partners
- honouring Indigenous perspectives and practices, to educate culturally responsive, socially responsible citizens and leaders.
2. Provide students with future-focused skills and knowledge to achieve their aspirations for their lives, careers and impact, by:
- producing the most employable graduates and successful entrepreneurs who are critical thinkers, ethical decision-makers, problem-solvers and leaders
- teaching the requisite skills, knowledge and attributes for future success in an ever-changing and dynamic environment drawing on new technologies / AI and innovative pedagogical approaches
- engaging our global alumni and industry networks for the benefit of our learners
3. Empower students and communities to learn in ways that suit them, by:
- offering accessible, high-quality and multi-modal learning experiences
- being flexible by default to ensure our students have options for how and when they access our dedicated on-campus, online and blended education offerings
- placing the learner at the centre of our immersive, experiential, tech-enabled educational design
- continuing to remove the barriers people with disability face when accessing and succeeding in tertiary education and to be a leader in equitable and accessible education
- sharing relevant research, thought leadership and skills beyond UNSW through community education and engagement programs.
4. Build a diverse and connected community and foster an outstanding memorable student experience, by:
- advancing a strong sense of connection through curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular offerings so our learners know they belong at UNSW
- having campuses (physical and online) that are convenient for our students to access and easy to navigate creating ‘moments that matter’, engaging with students prior to arrival and as they transition to university life
- enhancing student engagement options so diverse learners can connect with their preferred experiences throughout their time at UNSW.
Flagship initiatives
Embedding interdisciplinary Societal Impact Challenge Projects
We will incorporate interdisciplinary Societal Impact Challenge Projects into every UNSW degree program so they are part of our core education model. The projects will enable students to work across disciplines and with external partners. They will align with our Impact Focus Areas. Indigenous knowledges and perspectives will be central to these projects.
Future skills, now
UNSW empowers learners to be ‘career ready’, not just ‘job ready’. Through a series of initiatives including Jobs on Campus and Graduate Futures within our Graduate Accelerator program, we will ensure our learners can gain real-world, practical experiences that equip them with the skills, knowledge and connections to thrive in an increasingly dynamic workforce.
Global impact through education and advanced skills
Building on our reputation as a world-leading university, we will expand our transnational educational offerings in key regions globally. We will partner with local institutions, governments and industry around the world to deliver award programs and lifelong learning courses that have direct local relevance and benefit.
Belonging – from day one, for a lifetime
As part of an outstanding student experience, we will provide sector-leading onboarding, featuring our Arc student volunteer ‘Yellow Shirts’, to create the distinctive sense of belonging that sets each student up for success and builds bonds with UNSW. We will continue to support our graduates through their careers, facilitating alumni connections and networks, and providing access to thought leadership and skills development.
Get in touch
Our Strategy was designed by our UNSW community, for our UNSW community so we want everyone to get involved. Please get in touch to discuss the Strategy or ask any questions.