Message from the Vice-Chancellor

Award-winning Work Integrated Learning program

A highlight of 2024 was Swinburne’s innovative Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program earning national recognition by winning the Employability category at the 2024 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards.

Swinburne remains Australia’s only university committed to integrating WIL into 100 per cent of undergraduate courses, equipping students with the practical skills and industry experience essential for success in today’s global job market.

Over 12,000 students engaged in 50,000+ WIL experiences across 2,500 industry partnerships this year. These efforts yielded impressive results: 35 per cent of students in placements and 20 per cent in internships secured employment directly through these opportunities. This recognition underscores our commitment to producing job-ready graduates and the tireless efforts of our WIL coordinators.

Supporting student success

Our commitment to delivering exceptional student outcomes was further affirmed by the 2024 Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) survey, which ranked Swinburne among Victoria’s top institutions for Educational Experience and Teaching Quality. Nationally, we achieved top three rankings for Student Support in Teacher Education and Creative Arts and we ranked first in Victoria for Nursing.

These achievements reflect our dedication to supporting students throughout their academic journey and preparing them for impactful careers.

This year, Swinburne introduced groundbreaking courses that blend technology with traditional disciplines.

We launched a redesigned Master of Finance and the first-of-its-kind Master of Professional Accounting, incorporating cutting-edge elements like AI, FinTech, Blockchain and Cyber Security. Similarly, our new Bachelor of Design (Fashion) equips students with skills in technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and smart fabrics.

Swinburne also became Victoria’s first university to offer the Australian Government’s Startup Year program, supporting aspiring entrepreneurs to join the ranks of our many ventures that are transforming ideas into impact. These initiatives exemplify our commitment to preparing students for the workforce of the future.

Globally, Swinburne’s reputation for excellence continues to grow. In addition to maintaining our top 300 place in the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the 2024 Shanghai Global Rankings placed our Automation and Control discipline first in Australia and 13th in the world, while Business Administration climbed to 24th globally.

These rankings reflect our promise to create real-world impact through world-class teaching and research, but beyond these, we measure success by the meaningful outcomes we deliver.

This year, we joined the global More Than Our Rank initiative, reaffirming our dedication to highlighting the true value of universities through their impact on students, research and communities— not just metrics.

Rising to challenges

In September, I spoke at the inaugural TEDx Swinburne event about how universities must evolve to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. I argued that universities must adapt to meet the needs of our time, a challenge which Swinburne is rising to.

With AI and online learning transforming how we access knowledge, universities must shift from simply disseminating content to curating it, while empowering students to become skilled curators themselves. Equally important is strengthening collaboration with industry, forging partnerships to drive innovation, tackling society’s greatest challenges and equipping students with practical, real-world skills—all hallmarks of Swinburne’s approach to education, research and impact.

Despite our successes, challenges remain. The Federal Government’s Australian Universities Accord process offered us much hope in 2024. While we welcome this focus on education reform, we are disappointed by the lack of representation for dual-sector institutions like Swinburne on the Implementation Advisory Committee.

With only six dual-sector universities nationwide, these institutions play a vital role in addressing skill shortages and supporting emerging industries such as space, clean energy and quantum technologies. Their exclusion risks overlooking critical insights needed to build an integrated and efficient tertiary education system.

Similarly, continued uncertainty and changes in government policy positions have undermined Australia’s reputation as a global education destination and threatens our progress as a knowledgedriven economy. While we will continue to work tirelessly to deliver high-quality education for all, the Federal Government must find ways to restore fairness, stability and trust to our education system.  

Our commitment to reconciliation

Swinburne’s commitment to Indigenous matters remains stronger than ever. In 2024, we launched Indigenous Learning Circles at each of our Melbourne campuses in collaboration with Wurundjeri Elders, the Moondani Toombadool Centre, Indigenous staff and students, and architects Jefa Greenaway and Paul Herzich. These spaces, part of our next gen_campus transformation, foster connection to Country and cultural exchange.

We appointed Associate Professor Sally Waller as our inaugural SwinburneCSIRO Indigenous Research Fellow, who will work with communities on water quality challenges through the AquaWatch Australia initiative. Additionally, Dr Kirsten Banks, a Wiradjuri astrophysicist and science communicator, joined Swinburne to advance astrophysics research and embed Indigenous knowledge into our academic community. We are proud of the steps taken under our Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and look forward to launching our next RAP in 2025 to build on this progress.

Investing in our future

This year also saw advancements in our next gen_campus transformation. We opened the Construction Simulation Hub and Applied Mechanics Hub, offering hands-on, tech-rich environments to prepare students for real-world challenges. The launch of the Campus Heart facilities in Sarawak further enhances our inclusive and vibrant campus experience.

Our continued efforts toward equity were recognised with our first Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Cygnet Award, acknowledging our progress in supporting women’s academic success, as outlined in our SAGE Action Plan 2022–2025.

Our global impact in education, research and student recruitment was also strengthened by the appointment of the highly experienced Bronte Neyland as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement).

In 2024, Swinburne achieved a net operating surplus of $71.2 million, which included an operational surplus of $28.1 million. This strong result is a reflection of the transformative impact that our Horizon 2025 strategy is having on everything from student experience and engagement, to research and operations. We are proud to be reinvesting this surplus in even better facilities, technology and campus upgrades, and ensuring our financial sustainability in the face of continuing policy and funding changes facing the sector.

Looking ahead, we are collectively shaping our future through Swinburne Unlimited: Beyond Horizon 2025, an ambitious project to define our strategy into 2030 and beyond. By uniting staff, students, alumni, industry, and partners, we are crafting a bold vision for the university’s future. Together, as One Swinburne, we are not just reaching for the moon—we are choosing to slingshot around it, using the momentum to go even further. This is our opportunity to redefine what is possible and to chart a course that takes us far beyond what we once thought achievable.

Thank you for your support

On behalf of the university, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the entire Swinburne community for your passion and steadfast loyalty to our shared goals. To our past and present students, our incredible staff, the Executive Group and the Council—thank you for your hard work, professionalism and the invaluable contributions you have made throughout the year. Your efforts are truly appreciated, and they inspire us all.

I also congratulate our Chancellor, Professor John Pollaers OAM, on his reappointment for a second term, ensuring continuity and strong leadership as we pursue our trajectory beyond Horizon 2025.

As we reflect on a year of extraordinary achievements, I am filled with pride and optimism for the future. Swinburne’s purpose—to create tomorrow’s technology and the human capital and talent required for a tech-rich future—is at the heart of everything we do. Together, we will continue advancing Swinburne’s vision of people and technology working together to build a better world.