Dear colleagues
If you wandered past the Home Ground lawn last week you may have seen rows of cooks with hot-plates and fresh vegies in an open air culinary demonstration. Arc and UNSW are hosting free cooking classes where dedicated chefs teach students some of the foundations of cooking. It is part of the University’s Food Security Strategy developed in collaboration between UNSW and Arc. In the face of a cost-of-living crisis that appears to be worsening, students are at particular risk of experiencing hunger. Cooking classes are but one of a comprehensive set of initiatives offering free or cheap food accessible through Arc or the University.
2026 University Annual Plan
Our 2026 University Annual Plan (UAP) initiatives are live on myCareer SharePoint, and I encourage you to take a look. It brings together five or so priorities across each of the nine strategic pillars from Progress for All (45 in total). It focuses our effort where it will make the greatest impact across faculties, divisions and campuses.
A few highlights for 2026. We will begin exploring and assessing our future Learning Management System to ensure our technology enables innovative teaching, AI enabled learning, multi-campus delivery and Lifelong Learning. We will also deliver academic, operational and student experience readiness for UNSW Bengaluru by August 2026, and design and pilot our UNSW Missions Framework to guide partnerships and drive impact.
Following the opening of the Health Translation Hub (HTH) we will develop a vision and framework for a complete precision health translation ecosystem. We will pilot and embed our Societal Impact Framework and invest in technology systems to strengthen our data foundations, modernise business services, and deliver on multiple campuses including our growing Canberra City Precinct and Western Sydney presence. Everyone knows about 'administrivia', the low value, time soak, that takes the joy out of what we do. In 2026, I’m hoping that colleagues across UNSW feel a real reduction in that form of bureaucracy.
This is a year about disciplined implementation. Everything we do is part of the strategy. Our focus on planning and prioritisation is designed to help us deliver Progress for All in a responsive and people-focused way. It welcomes ideas that strengthen implementation, assesses them alongside existing initiatives, and ensures decisions are evidence based and aligned to impact through our Societal Impact Framework.
If you have a strong idea that advances our priorities, the door is open. The Strategy Office is partnering with UNSW Innovation Hub to offer help to design and shape early concepts.
Please read the plan, engage with it, and bring your ideas forward. I’ve been hugely encouraged by the way the University community has adopted Progress for All, and I have enormous confidence in the energy and creativity you’ll bring to implementation. Read more about the 2026 UAP initiatives in this edition of Inside UNSW.
UNSW alumni event in Malaysia
Above and top: UNSW Alumni Malaysia reception in Kuala Lumpur.
Last week I had the opportunity to celebrate with graduates at a UNSW Alumni Malaysia reception in Kuala Lumpur. It was a great event and a real joy to see more than a hundred UNSW graduates, including as recent as 2025 and at least as far back as 1963. The people I met confirmed my belief in the vital role universities play in building links to the future leadership of our regional neighbours. There is a genuine sense of belonging that comes from a shared mission and set of values. They are very much part of our UNSW ethos of education as an opportunity to make a positive global impact.
It was also a real privilege to celebrate Ramadan in a Muslim-majority country, witness the Maghrib prayers and enjoy an Iftar banquet Malaysian style.
Self-nominate for and vote in the 2026 UNSW Council elections
Colleagues, I encourage you to take part in the 2026 UNSW Council elections, whether by voting or standing as a candidate. The UNSW Council is the University’s governing authority responsible for overseeing our performance and academic activities, and approving our mission, strategic direction, annual budget and business plan. By participating, you will have the opportunity to help shape UNSW’s future, strengthen our systems of accountability and risk management, and gain invaluable leadership and governance experience while contributing meaningfully to our University community. I also strongly encourage our students to get involved. It is a wonderful opportunity to help shape the decisions that affect their education and future, while developing the skills that prepare them for their careers and for active participation in civil society. Read more in this edition of Inside UNSW.
There’s more to read Inside UNSW…
- Read about the AI Services Framework which gives UNSW teams a structured reusable way to design and review AI solutions with safety, privacy and governance guidance.
- Jayaseelan Thangavel in People & Culture Transformation first picked up a camera before his daughter was born to capture the important moments to come. Photography is now a passion for him and his camera goes with him almost everywhere – including the Kensington campus. Read more in this edition’s staff profile.
- Thank you to Mylene Turban in UNSW Sustainability and Rebecca Martin in the Division of Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement for organising the well-attended Climate Action Week events held at UNSW last week. It was inspiring to see so many students, colleagues and members of the broader community engaging so thoughtfully with this critical global challenge.
Best regards
Attila
Professor Attila Brungs
Vice-Chancellor & President
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