From the Vice-Chancellor – July 2020

Dear Deakin alumni and friends,

As you scroll and click your way through this engaging edition, I hope you feel a sense of great pride in the endeavour we are seeing among those in our university community.

These stories remind us that optimism, talent and hard work abound. Deakin is still pulsing with energy and offering many opportunities to take part in online events, connect with colleagues and learn more about the positive impact we are making.

I would like to say a special welcome to our newest members of the Deakin Alumni Community who recently graduated. Given the circumstances, we weren’t able to run our graduation ceremonies for you – no doubt a disappointing outcome.

I offer you my personal congratulations. I also encourage you to explore the many ways you can become involved in the alumni community via our website. You join a university community that is local in its contributions to people and place, and global in its reach and ambition. I know that you will lift our achievements even higher.

On 16 July I attended the launch of the SPARK Deakin Accelerator Program – our dynamic entrepreneurship program. Over 100 students, alumni and staff connected online and showcased their efforts in establishing and mentoring start-ups in Melbourne and Geelong, with partners based across the country and overseas. These were energising stories that demonstrated the spirit of innovation and those vital qualities of resilience and creativity – qualities we need now more than ever as we work towards solutions and explore new possibilities.

Deakin’s reputation for excellence was given another boost in July with the release of two rankings that measure the world’s best young universities. In the QS ‘Top 50 Under 50’ we rose another 3 places to 26 in the world; and we gained 8 places to 55 in the THE Young University Rankings, which measures the world’s best 200 universities aged 50 years or under.

In this edition you can learn more about Deakin’s commitment to sustainability and mitigating the impacts of climate change through our membership of the Melbourne Renewable Energy Project 2 (MREP2); and on 28 August, in partnership with the Geelong Cats Football Club, we celebrate ‘Wear it Purple Day’, which focuses on creating safe spaces in schools, universities, workplaces and public venues to show LGBTIQ+ young people that they are valued and supported.

Concerning matters never far from our thoughts, Deakin’s new COVID-19 Research webpage was launched on 30 June. The portal provides a comprehensive overview of the broad range of projects, media coverage and resources that have been developed by researchers across the University in response to the pandemic. Again, a focus on the capability, proactivity and problem-solving of Deakin talent – much more of this to come.

Best wishes,

Iain.

Vice-Chancellor

Deakin University