VC Message for dKin times newsletter

Dear Deakin community,

Although we all miss the face-to-face interactions at our regular events throughout the year, it has been a blessing to be able to engage with our university friends and supporters so readily online.

Our most recent virtual marquee event was the Deakin Alumni Awards – such a special occasion acknowledging the inspirational achievements of some of our leading alumni. In this edition, we have included the link for the video of the event, as well as links to each of the individual winners' stories. If you weren't able to attend on the evening and are pining for some positivity, I highly recommend these glimpses into the fascinating careers of our award winners.

I would also like to invite you to our end-of-year, faculty alumni virtual events. There is one for each of the four faculties, during which we will discuss the year’s successes, and how each faculty has contributed to the University and the community. Follow these links for more information: Faculty of Business and Law, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Faculty of Health and Faculty of Arts and Education.

The policy environment in the Australian higher education sector has been evolving rapidly over the last few weeks. The 2020-21 Budget was the most telling economic and social announcement in modern times – ambitious with far-reaching implications. Alongside the Job-Ready Graduates Bill, we are experiencing a major shift in direction and a commitment to education and research outcomes that are designed to energise Australia's recovery.

Crucially, the Budget contained important elements that recognise the vital role of universities. The additional $1 billion for the Research Support Program was welcome news, and the additional 50,000 funded places for short courses are an essential investment in lifelong learning and support for those changing or advancing their careers in the years ahead. We were also pleased to see 12,000 funded Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP), although we acknowledge that this will not meet the increased demand we are seeing. We will await to see further details on Deakin's funding allocations across these areas, and will continue to work closely with State and Federal governments to ensure our communities get the maximum benefit from our activities.

2021 is still full of uncertainty and will no doubt continue to challenge us all. However, I believe Deakin is well placed build on its reputation as a university for the times – progressive, agile, and a leader in blending digital technology with our distinctive campus precincts.

I will speak some more of our plans for the year ahead at the upcoming faculty alumni events – please do join us.

Best wishes,

Iain.

Vice-Chancellor
Deakin University