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Graduate Satisfaction |
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Generic Skills |
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Teaching Quality |
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Research Intensivity |
As the BEST university in Melbourne for Teaching Quality and Graduate Satisfaction, and one of the top three for Research Intensity, Swinburne continues to advance its position as a high-ranking Australian university, dedicated to providing quality education.
The Good Universities Guide is Australia’s only comprehensive Degree and University ratings guide.
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Swinburne Achievements in 2007
10 December 2007
Swinburne has made remarkable achievements in 2007, with a host of significant milestones across all areas of the University. Here are just some of Swinburne's significant achievements in 2007:
International Student Enrolments
Total international numbers across the University have increased by an impressive 35.6%
Enrolments at our Sarawak campus reached 2000 for the first time this year, representing growth of almost 40% over the same time in 2006.
Research Performance
Swinburne has performed strongly in grants awarded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) this year. Of the 14 ARC Centres of Excellence, two have major nodes at Swinburne (led by Professors Min Gu and Peter Hannaford). Both received extensions to their funding.
Swinburne also achieved its best ever result in this year's ARC Discovery Grants, placing 12th in Australia in terms of income per member of staff.
Awards and Achievements
Learning and Teaching Performance Funding (LTPF) of A$3.6 million, recognising our Higher Education teaching quality. Although the rationale for distributing the funding has changed every year, Swinburne has consistently been a top performer in each year of the fund.
Swinburne was ranked the best university in Melbourne for Teaching Quality and Graduate Satisfaction, and one of the top three for Research Intensity in The Good Universities Guide 2008.
Professor Ian Chubb, Vice-Chancellor of Australian National University, noted in The Australian newspaper that Swinburne is one of only 10 Australian universities performing above the world average for citation impact in 2001-05. The others are the Group of Eight universities and the Northern Territory's Charles Darwin University.
Innovation
More than 450 Higher Education students enrolled in Swinburne's first Winter Term. The six-week Winter Term provides students greater flexibility to speed up or spread out their studies.
The Global Leadership Program with Northeastern University was launched this year. The program represents the first degree delivered in Australia in partnership with a US university, and has proven remarkably successful with strong enrolments.
Swinburne College, which provides pathway programs for international students, has grown its enrolments by more than 30% in its first year of operation.
Infrastructure Developments
Completion of the NICA Performance Centre at Prahran.
Considerable progress on the new Sustainability Building at the Wantirna campus.
Design and planning for the Advanced Technologies Building on Burwood Road at Hawthorn.
Commencement of the Wakefield Street beautification project, which will see landscaping of the area around Wakefield Street at Hawthorn.
Commencement of works to upgrade the Hawthorn library façade.
Swinburne's Sarawak Campus is undergoing a RM110 million campus expansion, funded by the Sarawak state government. Construction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2008.
The 2015 Vision
Swinburne Council endorsed a refined vision for the University for the period to 2015. Under this detailed vision, the University has set itself an aggressive set of mesures aimed to position Swinburne as a top-ranked institution by 2015. This will be achieved through major investments in facilities as well as research and teaching infrastructure, together with a Performance Development and Reward systemt which will assist and reward staff excellence.
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Swinburne Lecturer Wins Award for Promoting Cultural Diversity
10 December 2007
Swinburne's Media and Communications lecturer, Lisa Gye, has received the prestigious Ambassador Award in Victoria's Awards for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs for "exemplary leadership in the promotion of Victoria's cultural diversity".
The awards, presented by the Victorian Multicultural Commission, was in recognition of Lisa's work as Executive Officer of the Sports Without Borders Foundation, and her contribution to facilitating refugee and humanitarian integration into the community through sport.
The Sports Without Borders Foundation was formally constituted in 2005 as a joint venture between Swinburne University of Technology, the Hellenic Sports Association (ATHLOS) and the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
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New Look for Swinburne's Hawthorn Campus
23 November 2007
Swinburne has embarked on a project to beautify the Hawthorn campus and to improve facilities for staff and students.
The project involves landscaping the area between the TA Building and the multi-deck carpark, and the site of the old Corner Café, and will include covered and uncovered seating for staff and students, bicycle storage and power for various staff/student activities, as well as a green heart for the campus
Works will be completed before classes begin in 2008. You can view plans for the project at Swinburne's Facilities and Services website.
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Swinburne Wins Employer Award
23 November 2007
Swinburne was awarded the Work/Life Balance Award for large organisations (more than 1,000 employees) at the recent annual "Diversity @ Work" awards.
The "Diversity @ Work" awards recognise and reward the efforts of individuals, teams and organisations that are working to encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The award is a reflection of the benefits that have resulted from Swinburne's move to improve family-flexible and work-life provisions during the past three years; in particular the fact that Swinburne has one of the best paid maternity leave provisions in Australia. Changes in maternity leave have seen the retention rate of staff returning from maternity leave jump from 47.4% in 2000 to 98% in 2006.
Swinburne was also nominated for three other awards: Women in Leadership, Recognising Today's Youth as The Future of Tomorrow and the Individual Diversity Champion Award, where the nominee was June Dansey, Business Manager - TAFE Engineering Business Operations.
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AusAID Scholarship Recipient Receives Swinburne Encouragement Award
23 November 2007
Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management student, Vicky Itong Pakop, has won the Encouragement Award for her excellent performance at the recent Swinburne Student Waiter of the Year competition. Her prize included a dinner voucher worth A$120 for a Chapel Street restaurant.
Vicky, who is from the Manus Province in Papua New Guinea, is studying at Swinburne after receiving an AUSAID scholarship. She is the second female from her province to study overseas, the first being in 1986.
Prior to coming to Australia, Vicky worked with the Department of Manus as a Public Librarian - the only librarian in her province. In addition to her normal daily duties, Vicky assisted school teachers with establishing school library facilities.
Vicky entered the competition after being nominated by teaching staff within the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management. The competition, which culminates in a silver service dinner for approximately 80 people, is judged by hospitality industry professionals, and an opportunity for outstanding students to demonstrate their food and beverage service skills, as well as their food and wine knowledge.
Vicky plans to return to the Manus Province after completing her course, where she intends to utilise the extensive knowledge and skills she has gained at Swinburne to help promote the region and generate revenue for Manus Province and its people. Her "biggest dream of all" is to set up a little resort or bungalow on "my beautiful island of Johnston".
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Swinburne is Home to "Way to Olympia Peak" Champions from Vietnam
2 November 2007
Every year Swinburne provides a scholarship to a Vietnamese student who wins the national television quiz show, "Way to Olympia Peak". But just how big this show is and the winning contestants are in Vietnam was a well-kept secret until a group of Vietnamese journalists recently visited Swinburne.
The journalists were almost 'star-struck' when they got to catch up with the past five winners, who are famous teen idols back home.
The "Way to Olympia Peak" quiz show is sponsored by the Korean company LG Electronics. Representatives from high schools across the country are selected to compete on the show, which is televised nationally every week. Winners of the show receive a scholarship to Swinburne and US$35,000 in prize money.
One of the visiting journalists, Trong Tung, said the show is Vietnam's answer to "Australian Idol", with winners becoming instant celebrities.
Five scholarship winners are still at Swinburne and are excelling at their studies. The students - Le Vu Hoang, Viet Ha Le, Tan Manh Phan, Hoang Lam Do, Dung Van Vo, are studying in a range of disciplines including engineering, IT and business. A couple of students are also studying for a PhD at Swinburne after being awarded additional scholarships, including 23-year-old Tan Manh Phanh, who completed an honours degree in information systems.
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Swinburne's Inaugural AstroFest Attracts Amateur Astronomers
2 November 2007
Amateur astronomers from around the world recently converged in Texas for the Swinburne Astronomy Online (SAO)'s inaugural AstroFest 2007 event at the Comanche Springs Astronomy campus.
Comanche Springs is a 50-acre dark sky site located in North-West Texas, home to the some of the largest and most advanced telescope equipment available, and world-renowned observatories.
The festival gives alumni, students and instructors of the fully-online SAO program a chance to meet face-to-face, present their own research results and participate in night observations, hands-on demonstrations and astronomy lectures.Swinburne's Sarah Maddison and Glen Mackie spoke at the event, along with speakers from Southern Illinois University, University of Manitoba, the SETI Institute and the NASA Ames Research Center.
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Swinburne Excels in 2008 Learning and Teaching Performance Fund
17 October 2007
Swinburne's excellence in learning and teaching has been recognised with the award of A$3.6 million under the Australian Government's Learning and Teaching Performance Fund (LTPF) for 2008, an increase from A$2.5 million in 2007.
The university featured in the top tier band A in all of the three discipline groupings for which it is eligible - science, computing, engineering, architecture and agriculture; business law and economics; and humanities, arts and education.
Swinburne has also been placed in the top ten universities in Australia for learning and teaching excellence by The Australian newspaper, based on information derived from the Department of Science, Education and Training (2007). This is the third year that Swinburne has been ranked with the Group of Eight universities in learning and teaching performance rankings.
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Swinburne Staff Present Papers and Workshops at AIEC Conference
17 October 2007
The 2007 Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) was held in Melbourne recently. A number of senior Swinburne staff presented papers and held workshops at the conference, hosted by IDP Education and the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA).
Swinburne Vice-Chancellor and IDP President, Professor Ian Young, presented a paper on "The Internationalisation of Universities: Perceptions and Approaches", while Pro Vice-Chancellor Stephen Connelly together with Sue Fujino, Jim Garton and Dr Mary Atchison held workshops on "Quality Framework for International Partnerships". Swinburne International and National Recruitment Director Jeffrey Smart presented a number of papers and workshops, including "Leadership in International Education Management" and "Taking the Brand Offshore: The Challenge of Marketing Transnational Programs - A Three Country Perspective".
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Tall Poppy Science Award for Swinburne Researcher
17 October 2007
Dr Paul Stoddart of Swinburne's Centre for Atom Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy has been awarded a Young Tall Poppy Science Award for his research in nanotechnology. The prestigious award recognises outstanding research by young scientists and engineers.
Some of Dr Stoddart's work has been inspired by the microscopic structures on cicada wings. He has studied the anti-reflective properties of their surface, using them as a template to develop a laser spectroscopy platform for sensitive chemical detection. This is just one aspect of Dr Stoddart's research in which he aims to apply cutting edge optical technologies to challenging problems in medicine and industry.
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Swinburne Professor Wins Australian History Prize
17 October 2007
Professor Klaus Neumann from the Institute for Social Research has been awarded the John and Patricia Ward History Prize ($15,000) in the 2007 NSW Premier's History Awards. Klaus won the prize for his book, "In the Interest of National Security: Civilian Internment in Australia during World War II", published by the National Archives of Australia.
These awards honour distinguished achievement by Australian historians.
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Swinburne Scientist Involved in the Discovery of 14 New Galaxies
28 September 2007
Swinburne scientist Dr Michael Murphy is part of an international team of astronomers who have discovered fourteen new galaxies located halfway across the Universe. The discovery is a major breakthrough in the field of distant galaxy 'hunting' and paves the way for more detailed studies in this area.
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in northern Chile, the team - led by Nicolas Bouché from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics - used quasars to find the galaxies. Quasars are very distant objects of extreme brilliance, which are used as cosmic beacons to reveal galaxies lying between the quasar and Earth. "We infer the galaxy's existence from the specific pattern of shadows they imprint onto the quasar's spectrum", said Dr Murphy.
Dr Murphy's role in the team was to use a sophisticated search technique to pick out the absorption lines that reveal the existence of a galaxy in the foreground of a quasar.
The research is presented in a paper in press in the Astrophysical Journal.
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Swinburne Sarawak Scholarships for High Achievers
28 September 2007
Swinburne Sarawak has awarded over RM150,000 worth of scholarships to 59 of its students, who have scored impressive results in public and semester exams.
The scholarships, categorised as Entrance, Leadership and Merit, were presented to by Swinburne Sarawak Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, at a recent ceremony.
This is the second time this year Swinburne Sarawak has awarded its top students with scholarships.
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Master of International Accounting (MIntA) Students in Australia
28 September 2007
Every year Swinburne's unique offshore Master of International Accounting (MIntA) program offers final-year students the opportunity to complete the final subject of their studies in Melbourne at the Hawthorn campus. Last month we welcomed 21 students from the program's seventh intake, who have begun their studies in the subject of Contemporary Issues in Accounting.
Special lectures were organised for the students to enhance their study experience, whilst outdoor sight-seeing tours and adventures complemented their Australian cultural experience. They also participated in organised activities including field trips to the Australian Stock Exchange and CPA Australia.
Refer to the MIntA website for more information on the program, or contact our Vietnam representative office.
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Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Appointed President of IDP Australia
3 September 2007
Swinburne Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Young, has replaced Professor Denise Bradley AO as President of IDP Education Australia Limited.
IDP Education Australi Ltd is a not-for-profit company owned by 38 Australian universities, and is a major participant in Australia's international education industry through its 50 per cent stake in Australia's largest student recruiter, IDP Education Pty Ltd.
Professor Young paid tribute to Professor Bradley's major contribution to IDP Education Australia Limited, through her service as a board member since May 2003 and as President since February 2005.
"Professor Bradley chaired the board through a major period of change at IDP Education Australia which included a major restructure and an equity sale. She made a major and enduring contribution to the company through her effective and visionary leadership," Professor Young said.
"I am very pleased that Professor Bradley will continue to be a board member of IDP Education Australia Ltd."
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Swinburne Academic Staff Awarded Carrick Citations
3 September 2007
Ten academic staff members from Swinburne were recognised at this year's Carrick for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning Awards. They are:
Mr Aaron Blicblau — Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences
Ms Lisa Gye — Faculty of Life and Social Sciences
Dr Stephen Theiler — Faculty of Higher Education, Lilydale
Mr Mark Tucker, Ms Janet Bryant — Faculty of Higher Education, Lilydale
Dr Denise Whitehouse, Ms Nanette Carter, Ms Elizabeth Ninnis, Ms Kellee Frith, Ms Diane Robbie — Faculty of Design
Carrick Citations are granted to those who have made a significant contribution to the quality of student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period. This year's awards are a further recognition of the teaching quality in higher education at Swinburne.
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Sarawak Students Graduation
3 September 2007
A total of 370 students from Swinburne's Sarawak campus in Malaysia attended their graduation ceremony there
recently. The graduates included eight students who have completed their studies at various Swinburne campuses
in Australia.
Local dignitaries at the ceremony included the Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang, and Chairman of Swinburne Sarawak Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hussain. Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young, and Swinburne Sarawak's Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor, Helmut Leuckenhausen, also attended.
This is the fourth graduation ceremony for the Swinburne Sarawak Campus since its establishment in 2000. Also presented were the CPA Australia Book Prize for First Year Financial Accounting in 2007, and the Ernst and Young Best Accounting Graduate Awards.
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Swinburne Students Win Gold at National Package Design Competition
3 September 2007
Swinburne's Communication Design students have won numerous awards at this year's Southern Cross Package Design Awards. Deanne German, Luke Calabrese and Nerida Hippisely won Gold awards for their entries, with Deanne and Luke also taking home Silver awards in other categories. Other winners included Noemie Louise Le Coz (Silver), and Aditya Wardhana, Brandon Aranvosi and Jaime Calero (Bronze).
The national Southern Cross Package Design Awards is billed as the biggest student packaging competition internationally, with over 400 entries and full recognition from the Australian packaging industry and the Packaging Council of Australia.
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Swinburne University of Technology Announces Ambitious Seven-Year Plan
13 August 2007
Swinburne University of Technology is to embark on an ambitious seven-year plan that will see a massive expansion in research and infrastructure, and the strengthening of teaching excellence.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young said the university will be investing in significant research infrastructure that will rapidly boost Swinburne’s research output and international ranking. “The plan is bold and ambitious. It’s not about incremental growth, this is about a massive expansion of Swinburne’s budget and research performance,” Professor Young said.
Initiatives being considered in the Swinburne 2015 plan, which aims to propel the university to the top league of universities in Australia includes a $A80 million purpose-built advanced technology building, a $A10 million engineering structures laboratory, $A5 million on neuroscience imaging equipment and a $A4 million on an upgrade to Swinburne’s supercomputer to make it the fastest in Australia.
Professor Young added that the Swinburne 2015 plan will also require the university to increase its budget by nine per cent for the next seven years. “The proposed outcomes are ambitious but achievable and I am looking forward to the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead.”
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Professor Ian Young Signs Up for a Second Term at Swinburne
13 August 2007
We are pleased to announce that Professor Ian Young will continue to lead Swinburne University of Technology in his role as Vice-Chancellor for another five years.
Since his arrival at Swinburne in December 2003, Professor Young has led the university through a period of substantial growth in student numbers, strong educational developments in learning and teaching, and great improvements in research output and quality. He has also overseen a significant enhancement in Swinburne’s campus environment, and the recruitment of excellent staff. More recently, he has announced his bold and ambitious vision for Swinburne in 2015, as covered in the previous news item.
We look forward to being a part of the next exciting phase in Swinburne’s history.
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Deputy Dean Appointed for Faculty of Higher Education, Lilydale
13 August 2007
Associate Prof Janet Gregory has been appointed Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Higher Education, Lilydale.
Janet has been a Faculty of Business and Enterprise staff member since 1998, and is currently Deputy Head of Group for the Management and Entrepreneurship Group.
She will commence her new role on 3 September 2007.
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Swinburne Hosts Professional Development Proram for CUMT
13 August 2007
Twenty-two delegates from one of Swinburne’s partner institutions, the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT), were in Melbourne recently to attend a two-week Professional Development Program at Swinburne. The partnership between Swinburne and CUMT was initiated through the Faculty of Higher Education Lilydale, where students articulate from a CUMT Management degree to Swinburne’s Bachelor of Business (eCommerce).
The purpose of this CUMT visit was to provide delegates with an understanding of how an Australian university operates, and an opportunity to familiarise themselves with Swinburne’s faculties, schools and student support areas. It also aimed to encourage bilateral discussions on Australian and Chinese higher education issues, the development of research links between the two universities, and the exploration of further partnership and development opportunities.
The delegates toured the Hawthorn, Prahran and Lilydale campuses and their facilities, including the Mitchell's View training restaurant at Lilydale and the NICA building in Prahran. They spent two days at the Lilydale campus, where they met with CUMT students who are currently at Swinburne, and learnt about their experiences. The delegates also gave a presentation to Swinburne representatives on the research conducted at CUMT.
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Swinburne Presents Workshop at the CCID Summer Institute
27 July 2007
A number of Swinburne staff members were involved in delivering a one-day training workshop at this year's Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) Summer Institute, held from 14-16 July 2007 in Hawaii, USA.
The workshop, titled "Quality Frameworks for International Partnerships", was presented by Swinburne Pro Vice-Chancellor (International and Development) Stephen Connelly, together with Jim Garton, Sue Fujino and Mary Atchison. Katherine White, Carolyn Grayson and Gavin Slattery from Swinburne's TAFE Division also attended the CCID Summer Institute, to develop linkages between Swinburne and fellow CCID member colleges.
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Swinburne College is One Year Old
27 July 2007
Swinburne College recently celebrated its first birthday, marking the occasion with a party for all its staff.
Officially launched in August 2006, Swinburne College is home to the university's Foundation Studies and Degree Transfer (Unilink) programs, as well as the English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS). The college has also recently become an accredited centre for the ETS Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT).
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Swinburne Hosts Council of Australia and Latin American Relations Meeting
27 July 2007
Swinburne hosted the Council on Australia and Latin America Relations (COALAR) Education Action Group (EAG) meeting on 23 July 2007 at its Hawthorn campus in Melbourne.
COALAR seeks to advance Australia's relationship with the Latin American region at an economic, social and political level. Formed in 2003, the COALAR EAG assists the COALAR Board with advancing its education linkages with Latin American countries. The EAG supports the Board by providing a forum aimed at improving bilateral education and training relationships with Latin America, and making recommendations to the Council to fund projects in support of this aim.
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Swinburne's Wantirna Campus Launches Living Library
10 July 2007
What do a Teen Mum, a Punjabi Guy, a Youth Worker and a Student on Wheels have in common? They were all ‘living books’ at Swinburne’s first Living Library, launched on 28 May at the Wantirna campus.
The Living Library concept was first launched in Australia last year, at the Lismore City Library. People from all walks of life volunteer to become ‘living books’ that visitors can ‘borrow’ for a half-hour discussion. Joan Cashion, Swinburne TAFE’s Executive Director of Strategic and Business Development, said the aim of a Living Library is to overcome stereotyping people and to promote diversity and understanding.
Three Swinburne International students were part of the 15 ‘living books’ at the Wantirna event – Mandeep Singh Bains (“Colours”), Raj Kumar (“Punjabi Guy”) and Alok Bajaj (“Indian Guy”). The students shared with visitors their passion for their respective home countries, cultures, music and religions.
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Swinburne Sarawak Campus Expansion
14 June 2007
Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus is undergoing a RM110 million campus expansion, funded by the Sarawak state government. Construction on the campus buildings is expected to be completed in the first half of 2008.
The new facilities, which are custom-designed for the School of Engineering as well as the School of IT and Multimedia, include over 40 engineering and 24 computer laboratories, 37 tutorial and 13 discussion rooms, a lecture theatre and a library, as well as 12 discussion rooms, a multipurpose hall with sports facilities and a seven-storey car park.
An official opening ceremony has been planned for August 2008, as part of Swinburne's centenary celebrations. The Pro-Chancellor of Swinburne Sarawak, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is also the Chief Minister of Sarawak, is expected to attend.
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Swinburne Involved in "Clean Coal" Research
14 June 2007
Swinburne researcher Dr Jamal Naser is among the recipients of a recent round of research grants from the Victorian Government. The A$390,000 grant was awarded to HRL Technology and its partners, for a A$1.3 million project to develop a boiler optimisation package that would improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions from the combustion of brown coal. Dr Naser is one of HRL's partners, and will act as the project's research supervisor, aided by a post-doctoral fellow.
The grant was part of a larger package of grants funded by the Energy Technology Innovation Strategy, a Victorian Government initiative. The A$9.43 million package will go to research projects that would help the state's brown coal generators move to near-zero emissions.
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Swinburne Hosts Ramkhamhaeng University Delegates from Thailand
14 June 2007
Swinburne's Faculty of Business and Enterprise recently conducted a one-day International Development Management Program (IDMP) for a delegation of 79 students and 13 professors from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Thailand.
The program was initiated by Ms Natthada Pimsarn, Swinburne In-Country Manager, Thailand and Ms Justine Koster, Business Development Coordinator - International, Faculty of Business and Enterprise. It aimed to foster international university collaboration, as well as to market and promote Swinburne's Master programs to prospective international students.
Following a welcome address from Professor David Hayward, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Enterprise, the delegation went on a campus tour before participating in a full-day academic program comprising a lecture in Human Resource Management and workshops.
Swinburne has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ramkhamhaeng to cooperate in the development of an International Executive Education Program for Ramkhamhaeng's Master of Arts (Public Management) students.
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Australian Leadership Awards - Second Round of Applications Now Open
The Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) are a regional program under the Australian Scholarships initiative. The program's objectives include developing leadership and building partnerships and linkages within the Asia-Pacific region.
The ALA Scholarships program offers scholarships of up to A$130,000 for Masters degrees and A$250,000 for Doctorate programs. They are intended for candidates who are already leaders or have the potential to assume leadership roles that can influence social and economic policy reform and development outcomes, both in their own countries and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Applicants must:
be a citizen of one of the 34 eligible countries.
have been accepted into an Australian higher education institution at the time of application
have a high level of English language proficiency (a minimum of 6.5 IELTS or equivalent)
have an undergraduate degree
reside in a country other than Australia at the time of application
Please visit the Australian Leadership Awards website at for further information on the program, including closing dates and application procedures.
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Swinburne Helps Establish Sports without Borders Foundation
23 May 2007
Swinburne University of Technology, the Hellenic Australian Sports Foundation (ATHLOS) and the Victorian Multicultural Commission have jointly established the Sports without Borders Foundation. The Foundation aims to help young people from newly-arrived refugee, humanitarian and first-generation migrant backgrounds to integrate with their communities through sport.
Key stakeholders of the Foundation include the Victorian Institute of Sport, the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Foundation House, The Portland House Group, the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues and the Special Broadcasting Service.
Launched on 2 May 2007, the Foundation has so far generated A$65,000 in funds, with several awards and scholarships presented at the launch event. They included the Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2007, which went to Bachar Houli, Essendon draft pick and the first Muslim player in the AFL. Scholarships were presented to 15 year-old soccer player Remzi Dermele, the United Somali Association of Australia and the Al Amen Iraqi Organisation in Cobram.
Congratulations to Lisa Gye and the Sports without Borders team within the Faculty of Life & Social Sciences for this outstanding achievement. For further information contact Lisa Gye on 9214 8345 or visit www.sportswithoutborders.net.au
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Swinburne Hosts 2007 IDP IELTS Australia Peace Scholarship Awards
7 May 2007
Swinburne hosted the 2007 IDP IELTS Australia Peace Scholarship Program Student of the Year Award Evening on Friday 4 May. Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Ian Young opened the ceremony, which was held at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), at the Prahran campus.
The IDP IELTS Peace Scholarship Program is an industry-wide initiative providing scholarships for eligible students to study abroad in Australia for one or two semesters. Swinburne is hosting one Peace Scholar this year - Laura Navarro from Mexico (pictured at left with her friends).
The Student of the Year Awards recognises the achievements of students who have contributed significantly to the university or local community during their time in Australia. The theme for this year is "Respecting other cultures". Five finalists received A$250, with the winner receiving an additional A$500 in prize money. Prizes and travel for the finalists were sponsored by IELTS Australia.
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ECIU Membership Helps Increase Student Mobility
7 May 2007
Melissa Sgarioto is an example of how Swinburne students can benefit from the University's relationships with its international education partners. She is the first PhD student from Swinburne to participate in a cotutelle program with the Université de Technologie de Compiègne in France.
Cotutelle arrangements are made on the basis of pre-existing research linkages between the research units of both universities. Swinburne's linkage with the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) made this possible with fellow member, Compiègne.
The program enables PhD students from France or abroad to divide their research time between their home university and a foreign university. Students spend 12 months abroad and two years at home in a three year PhD course, finishing with two PhD's - one from each institution.
Melissa started her PhD in the field of Biomedical Sciences at Swinburne in 2006 and commenced her year abroad last August. "It's a great opportunity," she said. "I learn a new language, I get to travel, and I get two PhD's in the time it takes to earn one".
"Having two PhD's is a lot better than one," she added. "It means I'll be fully recognised anywhere across Europe, as well as having the contacts and friends based there".
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Fast track your degree over Winter with electives-plus @ Sarawak
Swinburne has recently developed a new winter Study Tour: 'electives-plus @ Sarawak'. On this program, a group of lucky students would have the opportunity to spend 6 weeks of their winter in tropical Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, studying elective-plus units towards their degree. Feedback from students, however, indicated that a 3 week program was more suitable to students' needs - it was more convenient to study just one unit over winter but still get the chance to have an overseas experience. As Swinburne is always looking to deliver your education in a way that suits your needs, the 'electives-plus @ Sarawak' is new and improved for Winter 2007 with a 3 week duration to study 1 elective unit, and you are still able to apply for this exciting opportunity!
Details: |
Study Tour: 'electives-plus @ Sarawak' - a group of students will undertake one electives-plus unit and fast-track their degree during winter at our Sarawak campus |
Unit of Study: HET215 Multimedia Applications |
Electives Plus?: This unit is an electives-plus unit, allowing students to access units that will help you integrate career skills into your degree |
When: Expected dates are July 7th - July 28th, 2007 |
Where: The Sarawak campus is in the city of Kuching, Malaysia |
Costs: Program is $2500 for airfares, accommodation insurance, etc, does not include tuition (tuition on HECS) |
Scholarships: Participants will be granted a $1250 scholarship |
Expression of Interest deadline: Email your interest to Karen Docking kdocking@swin.edu.auby this Thursday 17th May |
Application deadline: Interested students can submit their application by Thursday 24th May |
Sarawak has always been a popular destination for students undertaking a semester of exchange. Now, those of you who might not fit in a semester of exchange can enjoy 3 weeks of our Malaysian campus. To give you an idea of what the experience might be like, read on! But don't stop after that - apply for the program and become a scholarship recipient to Swinburne Sarawak.
Billy Robinson, Exchange 2006:
My year at Swinburne in Kuching was one of the best experiences of my life. Prior to going there I had little idea what Malaysia was like and whether I would enjoy it or not. It was a bit like stepping into the unknown which is naturally a bit daunting. However I wanted a new experience in life, something to open my eyes and teach me new things- and I certainly got what I was after. The differences in culture between Australia and Malaysia exist in virtually every aspect of life. To me, this is what I wanted in an exchange experience. Its probably easier to go to another Western, fully developed country where a lot of the things youre used to are also there. But then why leave home? All you need to go there with is an open mind and open heart (dont forget luggage as well).
Erin Morris, Exchange 2005:
A memorable moment in the first week or so was when we went trekking in a national park. Walking back down the mountain from the jungle to shelter was the first time I felt as though I made a real connection. The rain in Malaysia is so different to rain in Australia; the drops are heavy and big, and spaced widely apart. You get completely soaked, but youre always warm. My friends and I didnt speak as we made our way to the bottom. We just grinned widely, embracing the sky that was one massive shower, drenching us after a long, hot trek.
Daniel Giacomini, Exchange 2004:
My time at Swinburne Sarawak was one of the most memorable times of my life. Great friends, good people, good food, a nice city and a great university made it so memorable. In the first few weeks I began to come accustomed to the different culture, the food, the weather and the people. I thoroughly enjoyed the first few weeks because everything was new to me and I loved watching how other people lived. There was so much I could learn from the Malaysians and so much they could learn from me. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that they had welcomed us into their country with open arms and that they were happy for us to be there. I just hope that one day I can return the favour.
More information about electives-plus @ Sarawak
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Swinburne Alumnus is Oman’s First Microsoft “Most Valuable Professional”
20 April 2007
Swinburne Masters of Information Technology (MIT) graduate Mr Tariq al-Barwani has recently become the first Omani to be awarded Microsoft's "Most Valuable Professional" (MVP) award. Mr al-Barwani is also a popular media commentator on Information and Communications Technologies issues in Oman.
Created twelve years ago, the awards are designed to recognize IT professionals for outstanding contributions to their communities as well as technical skill. Rich Kaplan, Microsoft’s vice-president said: “Microsoft MVPs represent the most active community members from around the world who provide invaluable online and offline expertise and are an inspiration to all of us. They are technology’s best and brightest, and we are honoured to welcome Tariq as one of them“.
Mr al-Barwani said what set Swinburne apart from other universities was that it offered IT courses that were highly relevant to the needs of industry.
“Unlike other universities, Swinburne's courses are practical as well as being theory-based. I chose to study at Swinburne because the university offers cutting-edge IT courses and technology that ensure graduates are ahead of the rest in the job market.”
Mr. al-Barwani attended the MVP Global Summit held in Seattle March 12-15. Speaking to Omani media upon his return, he stressed the need for the Sultanate to invest heavily in technology infrastructure and education to develop its global competitiveness and diversify its industry beyond its dependence on oil.
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Swinburne International's Ruth Pring Wins JWT Education Emerging Leadership Award
2 April 2007
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Ms Ruth Pring - Marketing and Communications Manager, Swinburne International, Mr Peter Brown - Monash University (winner of the Hong Kong JWT award), Ms Allison Doorbar - Managing Partner, JWT Education, Professor David de Kretser - Governor of Victoria. |
Swinburne International's Marketing and Communications manager, Ruth Pring, has won the prestigious JWT Education Emerging Leadership Award, a national marketing award presented at the AVCC Universities Marketing, Communications and Development Conference held recently in Melbourne.
The award, which makes its debut this year, recognises outstanding achievement in university marketing communications. The winner is selected by a panel comprising senior marketing, international and human resources staff from a range of Australian universities.
Ruth was selected from a strong field of candidates for the transformational marketing work she has undertaken in her two years at Swinburne. The award was presented to Ruth by the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser AC, at the conference dinner held at the Melbourne Aquarium.
Ruth's prize was a trip to London, as a guest of JWT Education. On her trip she will visit the JWT head office, as well as some of their clients, where she will gain some firsthand insight into the operations of a global, multi-disciplinary marketing company.
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Swinburne Students Win 1st Prize at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
2 April 2007
A team of Swinburne
horticulture students won first prize in the 'Achievable Gardens'
competition of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) in April 2007.
The group won first prize for their 'Taste of a City Garden' construction. This is an outstanding achievement at an international show where all the displays are of an extremely high standard.
This year at the show Swinburne's major display is titled 'Indian Summer' and celebrates the influence of more than fifty Indian students currently studying horticulture at the Wantirna Campus. The display was officially opened this morning by Dr Joshi, Honorary Vice-Consul for India. This year's display is a collaborative effort involving staff and students from the Department of Horticulture and Environment, building studies and staff and students from the supported learning network who did all the tiling.
Swinburne is also well represented by floriculture and visual merchandising displays in the Exhibition Building.
Swinburne’s Horticulture students also had great success at last year’s show, with their display awarded a commendation for ‘The Best Outdoor Feature Exhibit’.
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New Supercomputer for Swinburne
15 March 2007
Due to our commitment to expanding the University’s research infrastructure, Swinburne has recently acquired a new supercomputer that will greatly expand the computational power available to its users.
Housed in the new supercomputer room constructed at the Hawthorn campus, the new machine The new machine will have 1,160 processing cores, 2320 GB of RAM and a theoretical peak processing speed of over 10 Trillion floating point operations per second! The disk capacity will be expanded by 194,000 GB and there will be access to 76,800 Terabytes of magnetic tape storage via 3 robots. It is, for a time at least, the first 10 Teraflop+ machine in Australia on the top 500 list. The new supercomputer also uses the new INTEL “Clovertown” processors, meaning that it will be much more environmentally friendly than the current generation of processors in use.
The new machine will be used for applications ranging from molecular simulation, to network and application design, to simulations of the Universe. It will also be capable of running graphics applications for rendering.
If you would like to find out more about Swinburne’s new supercomputer, visit the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing website.
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"A Taste of Circus"
NEW Short term program at NICA
13 March 2007
The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) have an exciting new short term program, with places available this June. "A Taste of Circus" is a 4-week circus program, designed for students with an interest in contemporary circus arts. This course will allow students to develop their physical skills through experiential lea rning, while also undertaking performance, dance and cultural studies.
Students will have the opportunity to:
• Explore contemporary circus and physical theatre, and its relationship within the Australian cultural environment
• Harness existing physical and performance skills in a circus environment
• Build awareness of circus as a growing art form and a tool for engagement with young people
• Experience a uniquely Australian style of contemporary circus, drawing from Russian, Chinese and European styles
• Experience the artistic and cultural landscape of the city of Melbourne
Program Details
"A Taste of Circus" runs for 20 hours per week, and is broken down as such:
Course component |
Duration per week |
|---|---|
Circus training |
10 hours |
Performance arts |
3 hours |
Dance |
3 hours |
Cultural studies |
4 hours |
Students will develop the physical skills required in circus performance, such as flexibility, handstands, tumbling and partner work. They will also practise ground, ground-to-air and aerial acrobatics, as well as dance and performance skills.
The dance component focuses on ballet, choreography, contemporary dance and contact movement, while the performance component focuses on playing and Complicite, improvisation, as well as characterisation and neutral mask. The cultural studies component consists of classroom-based tutorials, off-site excursions and key industry lectures.
Students also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the artistic life of Melbourne through visits to cultural institutions, which may include: Circus Oz, Melbourne Theatre Company, the Victorian Arts Centre, the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Museum, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.
Course |
Annual Fee |
Campus |
Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
A Taste of Circus |
US$4,335 |
Prahran (NICA) |
June 18 - July 18 2007 |
Course fee includes: accommodation, local transportation, daily breakfast, lectures, presentations and workshops, and excursions. International airfare is an additional cost.
Based as Swinburne's Prahran campus, NICA also provides professional training through a three-year Bachelor of Circus Arts, preparing students from across Australia and around the world for exciting careers in all facets of the circus industry. NICA is the only training institution of its kind in Australia.
How Do I Apply?
Please contact us for further information.
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Astronomy at Swinburne Ranked
No. 3 in Australia
27 February 2007
The 22 January, 2007 edition of Sci-Bytes ranked Swinburne the No. 3 University in Australia for Impact in Space Sciences, 2001-2005.
This is a fantastic achievement for Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing. Established in 1998, they are Australia 's newest and fastest growing astronomy centre. They are the largest astronomical research group in Victoria, and one of the largest in Australia.
Sci-Bytes is a weekly summary on the latest developments in space research, published by Thomson Scientific's Research Services Group.
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NEW Exchange Scholarships for Swinburne Students
27 February 2007
An additional A$130,000 of exchange scholarships are now available for Swinburne undergraduate, postgraduate and TAFE students undertaking an International Exchange program. International students are also encouraged to take part in an exchange program.
Swinburne University of Technology recognises that the opportunity to study overseas has the potential to greatly enrich the educational experience of students, to broaden their understanding of the world and to build cross-cultural links," says Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young.
The scholarships offered range from $500 travel grants under the Sarawak Scholarships scheme, $2,500 scholarships to our European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) partners and the $5,000 pinnacle Vice Chancellor's Education Abroad Scholarship.
For more details visit the Education Abroad website.
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Swinburne Welcomes Another "Way to Olympia Peak" Champion from Vietnam
14 February 2007
Swinburne recently welcomed another "Way to Olympia Peak" champion, Le Vu Hoang, competition winner from 2005.
Hoang, who is from a very small village outside of Hanoi, managed to beat representatives from schools all over the country to win the coveted US$35,000 in prize money from LG Vietnam, as well as a 100% scholarship from Swinburne.
He now joins a growing number of scholarship students at Swinburne, all of whom are excelling in their studies. After completing a five-week intensive English program, Hoang will embark on his Bachelor of Engineering studies.
Coming to Melbourne will be a new and exciting challenge for Hoang, and we wish him all the best as he begins his studies.
2001 winner of the Way to Olympia Peak competition, 23-year-old Tan Phanh's outstanding performance at Swinburne has recently won him another scholarship at Swinburne! Having completed an honours degree in information systems as part of the quiz show scholarship, Tan says he always had his sights on postgraduate study.
Swinburne University has offered Tan a postgraduate award that will cover all costs of his research and he has also just received an industry-funded PhD scholarship. Tan's research is in software engineering in the field of service-oriented computing (SOC). SOC looks at computer networks and applications from a business service perspective.
As part of his research, Tan will work with multinational software company Computer Associates for two days a week to research the company’s IT and systems needs. He says the PhD provides a good opportunity to gain expert mentorship and advice from people working in the industry.
Congratulations Tan from all of us at Swinburne International!
Swinburne
International News Archive
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