Building collaboration is a UNSW value. It manifests in our unwavering commitment to partnerships with those who share our mission for positive societal impact. This is demonstrated by our longstanding partnerships such as with the (ACOSS), the with Arizona State University and King鈥檚 College London, and the (TRaCE) with the University of Newcastle and industry organisations.
In a world of eroding trust in politicians, media and industry leaders, the role of the University is unique in our ability to convene critical societal conversation and our long-term focus guards against the self-interested short term-ism endemic in today鈥檚 world. Our place as one of the world鈥檚 leading universities combined with our ethos of Progress for All offers countless opportunities to bring people together, to develop partnerships and to convene networks in Australia and around the world.聽
The strength and authenticity of our relationships, across disciplines and functions within the University, and across sectors and borders, provide immeasurable opportunities for knowledge exchange; research discovery, translation and commercialisation; curriculum development and pedagogical innovation; and career development and progression.
Our long-term perspectives, robust, interdisciplinary research and sound, evidence-based insights enable leaders and policymakers to implement viable and sustainable solutions for the most pressing global challenges. Through genuine engagement with organisations, individuals, donors and alumni, we will engender trust, confidence and partnerships that enable us to scale and maximise our real-world impact.
We aspire to:
- expand and deepen our partnerships and networks for societal impact
- provide a trusted space for critical societal conversations supported by a high-integrity evidence base and long-term perspectives
- benchmark and continuously improve our community engagement
- increase and diversify our commercial, philanthropic, partnership and other non-grant revenue.
Objectives
1. Leverage networks to cultivate opportunities for societal impact, by:
- building partnerships based on common goals and complementary capabilities
- enhancing relationships with industry, the not-for-profit sector, governments and other higher education institutions; our donors and philanthropic partners; and the broader community
- expanding our engaged UNSW global alumni network
- sharing and leveraging the extensive networks locally and globally
2. Partner with local, regional and global communities to help solve pressing challenges, by:
- embedding our partnership approach in all that we do, ensuring it is authentic, intentional and ethically informed and that our partners are always co-designers of initiatives.聽
3. Drive societal impact at scale through policy influence, by:
- leveraging our existing policy influence to drive impact in new sectors and systems where our research discovery and translation strengths can contribute to effective policy solutions
- being the trusted experts for policy issues relevant to our areas of expertise.
4. Build our collaboration and innovation ecosystem, by:
- ensuring our students and staff have the information, resources, access and expertise to develop, support, sustain and realise the potential of impactful, long-term partnerships
- mobilising internal resources and building partnership capability among all staff
- embedding interdisciplinarity into the UNSW culture, breaking down silos and encouraging creative, novel approaches to tackling problems.
Flagship initiatives
Partnering for impact with our new Societal Impact Framework
We will harness our Societal Impact Framework (SIF) to guide and measure our contributions to pressing local and global challenges. We will focus on engaging with partners who share our commitment to positive societal impact and genuine collaboration, working together to deliver the UNSW Missions.聽
Supporting genuine community-led change in areas of global importance
By developing a whole-of-University approach to community-led initiatives, we will leverage our extensive existing networks and offer our expertise in salient areas including constitutional law, public health, Indigenous knowledges and sustainability to partner with local communities in the Asia-Pacific region in building security and resilience. We will nurture existing partnerships and foster new ones, prioritising local ownership, leadership and benefit through genuine co-design and a learning mindset.聽
Launching the Public Policy Institute
We will launch the UNSW Public Policy Institute which will work alongside the Global Policy Hub. Through this work we will establish a globally recognised public policy institute that redefines public policy education and practice, grounded in data and impact, and driven by the principle that public policy is a science, not an ideology. The Hub will extend the impact of UNSW鈥檚 policy expertise nationally, and globally.聽
Developing a thriving innovation ecosystem
We will strengthen UNSW鈥檚 reputation as a leader in entrepreneurship and innovation by establishing the UNSW Innovation Hub and investing significantly in our people. The hub will coordinate innovation across the University and ensure our technical and physical infrastructure are fit for purpose. We will optimise conditions for innovation and collaboration through training, guidance, opportunities and space.聽
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.