Dear colleagues
Last week we held the staff long service awards for colleagues who are celebrating 10, 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years with UNSW. What an incredible achievement! These members of staff have witnessed and contributed to decades of growth and change. Their hard work and unwavering commitment to excellence have been instrumental in shaping UNSW into the world-leading university it is today.
We had 390 colleagues recognised for 10 to 50 years’ service, five of whom have been with UNSW for 50 years! My heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all of you. You have helped build the foundation on which UNSW continues to grow and innovate. You are an integral part of UNSW, and your dedication inspires us all.
Above: Scientia Professor Martin Green, Professor Gordon Parker, Scientia Professor Ken Trotman, Professor Richard Morris (and Scientia Professor Fred Westbrook, who was unable to attend the event) celebrate 50 years of service at UNSW.
Safety and mental health in focus
As we step into Health, Safety and Wellbeing Month and Mental Health Month this October, I want to emphasise the importance of fostering a safe and healthy environment for all members of our University community. As you know, the safety and wellbeing of students and staff is the top priority for UNSW. We want everyone to feel safe when they come to UNSW to study, work or visit. This includes both physical and psychosocial safety.
These two awareness months go hand in hand, highlighting the importance of looking after our mental health and wellbeing as well as our physical safety. A number of Health, Safety and Wellbeing Month events and Mental Health Month events are planned throughout October, designed to help us take proactive steps towards ensuring our safety and wellbeing and that of those around us. Please get involved and help contribute to our collective effort in making our campus a safe and supportive environment for all. Safety is a shared responsibility. Together, we can create a culture where safety and wellbeing are at the forefront of everything we do.
Mental Health Prize 2024
Last week, UNSW hosted the Australian Mental Health Prize 2024, recognising four outstanding individuals for their work in mental health prevention, treatment and awareness that is having a positive impact on people around the country. The winners, Professor Juli Coffin, Dr Louise Byrne, Professor Michael Berk and Dr Marilyn June Anderson, embody the spirit of innovation and commitment in mental health advocacy, research and support. Through their efforts, they are driving meaningful change and inspiring a more inclusive and compassionate approach to mental wellbeing. Congratulations to all. Read more on the UNSW Newsroom.
Inaugural PVC Transnational Ventures
I’m pleased to share that Professor Chris Styles has been appointed our inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor Transnational Ventures (PVC TNV).
Chris has a long and distinguished career at UNSW. He was Dean of UNSW Business School for 10 years, and prior to that Deputy Dean and Director of AGSM. More recently, he has helped lead one of UNSW’s critical priorities, Lifelong Learning.
In his new role, Chris will lead UNSW on developing new overseas education partnerships and programs to deliver key aspects of UNSW Strategy priority areas, particularly accelerating the delivery of transnational lifelong education across a global UNSW network of pathways. Chris commences in the role of PVC Transnational Ventures today (Tuesday, 1 October).
SAGE Athena Swan Cygnet Award
In recognition of our University’s commitment to advancing gender equity, UNSW has been awarded its fourth Cygnet Award from the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena Swan program.
This award is part of UNSW’s ongoing SAGE accreditation process and underscores our University's dedication to breaking down barriers and supporting underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).
Being awarded four Cygnet awards in the past year is a wonderful achievement and highlights UNSW’s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and removing the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving genuine equity, diversity and inclusion. Congratulations to all involved.
UNSW Strategy Expo: 21–24 October
I’m excited about the upcoming UNSW Strategy Expo: Connecting you with Progress for All, where students and staff will be able to explore the themes of our next strategy.
The expo will feature a Talks Series each day from 4pm, with colleagues sharing insights and experiences from impactful programs in their areas of expertise, including iFire, humanitarian engineering and reintroducing platypuses into the Royal National Park. The Talks Series is sure to be inspiring as we invite you to consider and provide feedback on the developing UNSW Strategy.
I invite all students and staff to experience the expo by dropping into the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre (MCIC) between 9am and 5pm from Monday, 21–Thursday, 24 October or by joining one of the Talks Series in person or online.
Read more about the UNSW Strategy Expo and register for the Talks Series in this week’s Inside UNSW.
UNSW’s Innovation Ecosystem
Based on the feedback received from last year’s Insight Survey, we are focusing on improving leadership and innovation across the University. An Innovation Working Group was established to develop a coordinated and sustained action plan across four dimensions to grow and nurture a healthy innovation ecosystem at UNSW.
By taking these steps, UNSW aims to foster a culture of innovation, enabling the University to respond creatively and with agility to opportunities and challenges in higher education and the communities we serve. Read more in this edition of Inside UNSW.
The Code of Conduct and Values
I reiterate the message from Attila’s last newsletter about the importance of building understanding and expressing compassion, respect and empathy to those around us.
At this time, I ask everyone to refamiliarise themselves with the UNSW Code of Conduct and Values and to note that breaches of the code will be managed by the University in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.
As international conflicts and human tragedies in spheres around the world continue to have a significant impact on many people in our community, it is the responsibility of each of us to ensure a respectful and safe UNSW for everyone. Thank you to all in the UNSW community who are supporting our students, colleagues and friends.
Support for students
- Situation in the Middle East | Mental Health Support
- UNSW Student Support Services
- UNSW Mental Health Connect
Support for staff
There’s even more Inside UNSW…
- Congratulations to Scientia Professor Matthew England who has been awarded the 2024 Pavel S. Molchanov Climate Communications Prize for his efforts over three decades to bring attention to the dangers of human-induced climate change.
- Please encourage your students to participate in the 2024 national QILT Student Experience Survey (SES). Having as many students as possible complete the SES will help us improve the student experience.
- Next week, we will launch the Insight Pulse Survey to find out what you think of our progress to date in addressing the Insight survey actions. Please take the time to participate so we can better understand what we are doing well and any opportunities for improvement.
- October is National Cyber Awareness Month and this edition of UNSW includes tips on what we can all do to be cyber smart.
- Find out about myPlan, UNSW’s new study planner and progression checking tool for students and staff.
- In this week’s staff profile we meet Bruce Coble, a Senior Business Analyst in IT and Beatles tribute band performer.
Best regards
Vlado
Professor Vlado Perkovic
Acting Vice-Chancellor & President, Provost
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