From the Vice-Chancellor November 2021

Dear Deakin community,

As the end of the year approaches, we are seeing well-deserved, external recognition being awarded to many of our alumni, staff and students. It reaffirms that, despite the months of isolation and remote working, creativity and ambition has certainly not diminished at Deakin.

Last month we acknowledged our talented Alumni Award-winners. This month we celebrate staff who were finalists in the 2021 AFR Higher Education Awards. My congratulations to Professor Peter Macreadie (Emerging Leadership); the teams at FLAIM Systems (Research Commercialisation) and Counting on U (Industry Engagement); and the winner of the Employability category, DeakinTALENT, a program which has once more proven the immense, ongoing value it provides to current students and alumni.

During November, Deakin was also recognised as a global leader in a number of research fields in The Australian’s 2021 Research Magazine, namely in Education, Higher Education and International Business. The University was named the top research institution in Australia across diverse fields, including Academic and Psychological Testing, Education Administration, Ethics, Ethnic and Cultural Studies, Evolutionary Computation, Feminism and Women’s Studies, and Psychology.

This kind of success is not possible without ongoing support for our student and researcher community. To maintain financial support for those still navigating the many challenges of studying during a pandemic, we have again partnered with Community Bank at Deakin University who are matching any donation of $100 or more, up to the value of $30,000, before 31 December 2021. This '100% Double Donation Challenge’ will assist at-risk students and early career researchers to continue to achieve. Please donate if you can – every little bit helps.

In this month’s edition of dKin Times, you can read about our research on the oceans, and climate change and how it may impact our future – topics never more relevant or important; Professor Huxley’s insights into a four-year research project she’s leading on Australian women living with coronary heart disease; as well as a look behind the scenes of those working in the incredibly difficult job of being a contact tracer during a pandemic.

As we look to 2022, what new (or renewed!) possibilities await us? Premier Andrews has lifted all but a few remaining restrictions in Victoria; all but a few interstate borders have reopened; and at Deakin, we are rapidly progressing our plans for the return of more face-to-face learning and campus activities, and international students.

While there are still many challenges to overcome, the Deakin community is an incredibly resilient, diverse and caring one. These qualities have been clearly evident, day after day, week upon week, throughout this year and last. The ongoing support and engagement from so many of you has been truly remarkable. These qualities will help propel Deakin into a future of possibilities, and our continuing exploration of ideas and innovation.

Best wishes,

Iain.

Vice-Chancellor
Deakin University