Four University of Melbourne initiatives win Engagement Australia Excellence Awards
The University of Melbourne has won four awards at this year’s Engagement Australia Excellence Awards, in recognition of its commitment to partnering for societal impact and contributing to the public good.
The University received awards in the categories of Excellence in Indigenous Engagement, Community Engagement, Outstanding Engagement for Research Impact, and Outstanding Engagement for Student Learning.
The winning engagement and partnership initiatives are the Budj Bim On Country Learning and Research, the Innovation Practice Program (IPP) - both from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology - the Students with Additional Needs (SWANs)/Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES) initiative from the Faculty of Education, and the Melbourne Social Equity Institute Community Fellows Program.
Award for Excellence in Indigenous Engagement - Budj Bim On Country Learning and Research, Associate Professor Juliana Prpic and Gunditjmara community partners
The partnership between the University of Melbourne and the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation is based on a world-leading approach to in-place engagement and intercultural knowledge exchange with Indigenous peoples and supporting the Gunditjmara vision of Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara (Healthy place, healthy people).
Over the past ten years this partnership has evolved to give students and academics from across the university an extraordinary opportunity to engage with the Gunditjmara people and learn about Gunditjmara cultural heritage and the ancient engineering practices at Budj Bim.
Associate Professor Juliana Prpic, Indigenous Engineering Learning and Engagement, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology said: "Outcomes of this collaborative program have blossomed far beyond our expectations, with significant benefit and impact for both the Gunditjmara and university communities, and for engineering education across Australia".
Award for Excellence in Community Engagement - Melbourne Social Equity Institute Community Fellows Program, Professor Jo Barraket, Charlene Edwards and colleagues
The Community Fellows Program responds to unmet research needs of small-to-medium sized community organisations addressing social inequities. Selected Fellows are matched with experienced academic mentors; together, they co-design a year-long research project that informs, documents, evaluates, shares and scales their work for the benefit of their organisation and the people they serve.
Regarding this recognition of the Community Fellows Program, Professor Jo Barraket, Director, Melbourne Social Equity Institute said: “The Community Fellows Program disrupts the typical researcher-researched relationship, putting knowledge creation and access to the research infrastructure of the University of Melbourne in the hands of the community leaders and organisations we seek to serve. I am very proud of all involved.”
Outstanding Engagement for Research Impact - Students with Additional Needs (SWANs)/Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES), Jayne Johnston and Dr Toshiko Kamei and Department of Education Victoria
Students with Additional Needs (SWANs)/Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES) program from the Melbourne Assessment initiative in the Faculty of Education has been a long-standing research collaboration between the University and the Department of Education Vicroria, since its initiation in 2007. A testament to the unwavering commitment to inclusive education, it empowers teachers to make better informed teaching and learning decisions for students with additional needs in the classroom.
Today, this innovative program has made a profound impact across Australia, by fostering inclusive educational practice for all students. With over 1.2 million assessments completed across Australia, the SWANs/ABLES pioneering research has transformed the landscape of education, and supported students with additional needs with their learning.
Outstanding Engagement for Student Learning – Innovation Practice Program, Associate Professor Peter Cebon and colleagues
The Innovation Practice Program (IPP) is collaborative, and its many industry, government and community sector partners share in its award, along with past students, mentors, O-Lab interns, Innovation Consultants, markers, and teaching and support team.
This program leverages sponsor relationships to achieve unprecedented teaching outcomes while the students create opportunities for sponsors and researchers that were previously out of reach. The IPP Spark program, with 369 projects delivered since 2017, equips students with critical mindsets and professional skills, creating a lasting impact beyond graduation.
The IPP is a testament to the transformative power of student engagement, showcasing how universities can bridge the gap between academia and industry, fostering a symbiotic relationship that benefits all stakeholders involved.
Engagement Australia is the leading alliance that unites Australian and New Zealand universities in their pursuit of excellence in higher education engagement. The Engagement Australia Excellence Awards celebrate the exceptional efforts of institutions and individuals who are committed to knowledge, collaboration, and societal impact in higher education.