Dear colleagues
As we near the end of term and with exams now underway, I’d like to thank you for your ongoing dedication and the invaluable contributions you make to our University community. This year has already been one of significant progress, marked by the launch of our new UNSW Strategy: Progress for All, successful rollout of major student experience improvement systems and the announcement of changes to our academic calendar scheduled for 2028. These developments reinforce the exciting current chapter for UNSW, of which we are stewards, as we look ahead focused on how we can best serve the evolving needs of our students and community, and ensure our education, research and engagement with local and global communities continue to make lasting, meaningful impacts.
Collective focus for collective progress
When I think about the launch of UNSW Strategy: Progress for All in February, I can’t help but smile about the mood in the room that day. The energy and collegiality were palpable, testament to the vision that permeates the UNSW community: the jointly held motivation to use our world-class talents to change the world for the better.
As you will have heard me say on many occasions, there’s so much we’re capable of, but we can’t do everything. That’s one of the reasons why planning for Strategy implementation is essential. A critical part of our Strategy is its connection with the annual Operational Plan. The Operational Plan is the mechanism we use to articulate our cross-organisational priorities, help ensure coordination and concrete delivery, and be realistic about how much can be achieved in one year.
Over the last few months, with guidance from the University Leadership Team and University Planning & Performance, we have established 28 priority initiatives for collective focus in 2025.
When I say ‘collective focus’, I mean two things:
- as a University, we will focus on these particular priorities together, knowing that they are forming a baseline for our ultimate goal of ‘Collective progress’ for all segments of society, and
- every person in every role in every faculty and division of UNSW has a part to play in achieving these priorities, and ultimately, Progress for All.
In this edition of Inside UNSW, you can read more about the 28 priority initiatives for 2025 and how delivery of them will form the concrete platform to help us achieve Progress for All.
A $25m shot in the arm for UNSW’s medical research
UNSW’s commitments to research that leads knowledge creation, innovation and translation (Strategic Pillar 2) and to enabling healthy lives (Strategic Pillar 8) have received a shot in the arm with the recent awarding of more than $25 million in Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grants.
The 11 projects funded in the latest MRFF round span genomics, chronic disease, dementia, cancer survivorship, Indigenous health and mental health. The grants will enable new clinical trials and community-based interventions, and support early to mid-career research.
UNSW has a long history of medical research with significant impacts on people and communities in Australia and around the world. The projects funded under this latest round of MRFF grants have enormous potential to transform lives, furthering our University’s aspiration to deliver substantial improvements in human ‘healthspans’ and longevity.
Congratulations to all the researchers involved in these 11 projects. I look forward to hearing about the advancements made possible through your work.
I encourage colleagues to read more about these projects on the Newsroom.
Which arm? New research reveals vaccine site matters
Our University’s commitment to research which advances our Strategic Pillars was further demonstrated recently by a pioneering study by scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Kirby Institute at UNSW which offers new insight that could help improve future vaccination strategies.
The fascinating research, published in the journal Cell, has uncovered why receiving a vaccine booster in the same arm as the original dose triggers a faster and more effective immune response. It reveals that specialised immune cells called macrophages become “primed” in the lymph nodes near the injection site, enhancing their ability to activate memory B cells when a second dose is delivered to the same location. The findings, made in mice and validated in human participants, mark a significant step forward in understanding how vaccine effectiveness can be optimised.
In an era marked by the rapid emergence of infectious diseases, improving how quickly and effectively a population can be protected is critical. Such research is vital for protecting communities, reducing disease transmission and saving lives. These findings not only shape the future of immunisation practices but also reinforce UNSW’s role as a global leader in impactful, translational health research. The Newsroom story gives an excellent explanation of the findings.
UNSW values academic freedom
At a time when universities internationally are facing concerted attacks on their independence, it is vitally important that we reinforce UNSW’s championing of academic freedom and work as an entire UNSW community to promote the critical and intrinsic role it plays in civil society.
Even here in Australia, we have seen commentary seeking to curtail freedoms including questioning the value of independent university research, even of research itself, suggesting that academics and universities should have less autonomy over the questions they ask, the research they conduct or even the details of curriculum design and delivery.
Academic freedom and freedom of speech are essential ingredients for successful liberal democratic society. These freedoms are profound responsibilities. Exercised responsibly and with generosity of spirit, they are critical to a university’s ability to undertake its fundamental functions of education, research and engagement with the world and, in so doing, fulfil their purpose of advancing public good.
Summarily, these two invaluable concepts make possible the free thinking, intellectual inquiry, inclusivity and respect that are the wellspring of UNSW’s mission for positive societal impact.
This is why academic freedom and freedom of speech are enshrined in the UNSW Code of Conduct and Values, which applies to the entire UNSW community. The Model Code for the Protection of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in Australian Higher Education Providers forms part of our Code of Conduct and Values, at the core of our University.
As we navigate a dynamic national and global operating environment, I would like to thank colleagues from across our community whose empathetic approach and deep listening, combined with speaking up, serve as exemplars in these times. UNSW will continue to champion, protect and defend these fundamental freedoms and responsibilities in the face of public discourse or policy that seeks to restrict their operation.
From building a company to winning an Emmy: the UNSW Co-op advantage
This edition’s staff profile features Luke Tristram, a Co-op scholar from the program’s very first cohort (just a couple of years ahead of me). The UNSW Co-op Program scholarship provides industry training, professional development and financial support to selected undergraduate students. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of welcoming the newest cohort of scholars and sharing some of my experiences of the program. In this edition of Inside UNSW, Luke shares his experiences and how the program has shaped different aspects of his life.
The UNSW Co-op Program is the largest Co-operative Education Program in Australia with more than 3500 alumni. Graduates, like Luke, are making a tangible impact in industries and communities around the world. From building and selling a company with fellow scholars, to winning an Emmy, and forging lifelong friendships along the way, Luke’s story is a testament to what this program makes possible.
Donor-funded scholarships shaping bright futures
Philanthropy plays a vital role in shaping bright futures by supporting students to pursue their education, and by inspiring them to strive for excellence, follow their passions and create meaningful impact.
UNSW Engineering graduate Emily is an inspiring example. Emily was the recipient of the Graham Painton Rural Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship which enabled her to live on campus and pursue her interest in STEMM. She went on to represent UNSW at the inaugural Heart Hackathon Competition in Dallas, Texas, competing with student groups from around the world to develop a prototype of a next-generation total artificial heart.
Last year, $10.8 million in new philanthropic funding was raised for scholarships at UNSW, and more than 500 students were supported by donor-funded scholarships. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, students are empowered to excel and to take on some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Donor-funded scholarships do more than support individual students – they help drive our mission to create positive and lasting societal impact. Read more about Emily’s story in this edition of Inside UNSW.
Threatened species released in ‘Wild Training Zone’
Last month, 15 western quolls, 20 bilbies and 11 golden bandicoots were released into the specially designed Wild Training Zone in Sturt National Park under the Wild Deserts Partnership Project, building on the successful release of animals in previous years. The Wild Training Zone, part of the ‘beyond the fence initiative’, is an area designed to train these reintroduced mammals to survive in the wild, in environments where cats and foxes are present. It requires management of feral predators to low levels, where they can act as a selection pressure.
The Wild Deserts Project (pictured top) is a groundbreaking conservation initiative that is reintroducing threatened native species to their former habitats and successfully restoring the delicate desert ecosystem in Sturt National Park.
I was fortunate to visit the Wild Deserts site and field station in the national park, near Tibooburra, a few years ago. It was inspiring to witness the collaboration that has made this project possible, to meet the researchers and to see first-hand the positive impact of their work in reintroducing locally extinct species and transforming entire landscapes. Read more on the UNSW Newsroom.
All the best as we head into our hectic exam and marking period.
Best regards
Attila
Professor Attila Brungs
Vice-Chancellor and President
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