Universities partnership vital

Local communities, industry and business are set to benefit from the agreement, which will see the two universities’ business incubator programs co-locate at the Western Sydney University’s planned Bankstown CBD campus.
Other opportunities include delivering postgraduate courses and micro-credentials for those working in start-ups and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialisation, and working with government at all levels to maximise the region’s education and employment opportunities.
Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two institutions, Vice-Chancellors Professor Barney Glover AO and Professor Attila Brungs said that university partnerships are vital if governments are to deliver on their ambitious targets for thousands more new-knowledge jobs for the people of Western Sydney.
“Over the next 20 years, Western Sydney is set to grow by another million people, contributing more than half of Sydney’s overall expected population growth. It is also the centre for some of the most transformational infrastructure projects in our nation’s history – most notably, the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and the Aerotropolis,” Professor Glover said.
Professor Brungs said providing highly-accessible short courses and more postgraduate opportunities for those working in the start-up sector, and collaborating with local business and industry on world-class, translational research are critical elements of the agreement.
“Importantly, our partnership with Western Sydney University strongly aligns with the Australian Government’s ‘Smart City’ objectives – transforming the region’s central business districts into vibrant hubs for employment, creative, entrepreneurial activity and industry engagement,” he said.