University pilot exchange program with King’s College London
In August 2025 the University of Melbourne hosted four academics from King’s College London in a pilot Educator Academic Exchange Program between the two world-leading partner institutions.
The exchange program is part of the University of Melbourne’s Advancing Students and Education Strategy and is one of the ways the University is supporting staff to build education-focused leadership.
Dr Yannis Paloyelis, Dr Julia Ouzia, Professor Craig Robinson and Dr Nancy Tamimi from King’s College London were immersed in the University of Melbourne community for four weeks to develop their educational leadership skills and enhance their professional learning, networks and practice.
The visiting academics were hosted by various faculties and had a range of opportunities to engage with University leadership and educational experts. These included attending and presenting seminars and professional development workshops, participating in teaching and learning activities, and observing leadership and governance meetings. Through these experiences, and the many conversations with leaders across the University, they were able to deepen their understanding and enhance their capabilities in educational leadership.
“I feel like I will be able to engage with colleagues in my new leadership role more confidently, having broadened my understanding of how things work in higher education outside of the UK. I have a number of learnings here I will share with colleagues on my return that will contribute directly to our new faculty education strategy” Professor Craig Robinson said.
Both the University of Melbourne and King’s College London share similar educational challenges that are going to be very important over the next few years. The visiting academics were able to discuss different insights on these challenges including student engagement, blended delivery models, assessment and feedback, and interdisciplinary subjects.
“It was interesting to note similarities and differences in how each institution approaches said challenges and start thinking about synergies that can be developed and how we can learn from each other” Dr Yannis Paloyelis said.
The exchange also facilitated opportunities to discuss educational innovation in curriculum and classroom practice, including advancements from University of Melbourne academics in areas such as inclusive education practices, qualitative methodology and technology, and student mental health.
Networking with colleagues around these innovations has set up strong foundations for collaboration. Many ideas for collaborative projects across both institutions were sparked, and much of this work will continue through the program and into the future.
“Since my interest is primarily in decolonising higher education and research methods, my conversations with scholars working on Indigenous health and research methods will help me develop my work further. I hope that all these interesting conversations will unfold into collaborative projects” Dr Nancy Tamimi said.
Connection was put at the centre of this program to establish meaningful relationships, share insights and understanding and foster mutual learning, in turn strengthening the relationship between the University and King’s.
“I am really grateful that everyone involved put connection at the heart of this exchange; that's really been rewarding and an important reminder of what really matters in collaborations” Dr Julia Ouzia said.
Exciting new opportunities will also emerge when a small group of education-focused staff from the University of Melbourne visits King’s College London in early 2026, as the next step in the pilot exchange program.