President and Vice-Chancellor's Message

Even for those back at work there’s still a hint of holiday left in the air, warm nights, longer days – a time to reflect on the year that was and to plan for the year ahead.

Deakin finished 2017 on a strong note. We were awarded the Australian Export Award for Education and Training and the Governor of Victoria’s Export Award for Education and Training for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.

We continue to drive the digital frontier. The Deakin Genie app received the Global ICT Support and Services Award in the Wharton Business School/QS Reimagine Education Awards for 2017. Deakin Genie gives students personalised ‘just in time’ alerts and briefings. Deakin introduced a number of virtual and augmented reality initiatives in 2017, including the award winning cARdiac ECG Augmented Reality (AR) app which enables students to see the human heart in 3D. Our partnership with FutureLearn, one of the world’s first and largest open learning platforms, has triggered a shift in the quality, profile and scale of all our Cloud Campus courses. In our first year over 100,000 learners have accessed our suite of free two-week introductory taster courses, and I encourage you to consider giving one a try. For those thinking of more formal study in 2018 the postgraduate bursary for Deakin alumni and their immediate family has been increased to 15 per cent.

Student employability and a premium learning experience for all of our students continue to be my top personal priorities for Deakin and I am delighted that Deakin is still first in Victoria for student satisfaction (fifth in Australia) and first in Victoria (second in Australia) for learning resources. Our Graduate Employment team was voted the best careers service at the 2017 Australian Association of Graduate Employers national conference.

Finally, very best wishes to you all for a wonderful 2018. Enjoy reading our monthly alumni newsletter, it’s a great way to keep in touch with Deakin and hear the latest news and research.

Jane den Hollander AO
President and Vice-Chancellor