Asia Pacific Focus
With a proud history of global collaboration and success, we will pursue opportunities for partnerships and engagement in the Asia Pacific Region across business and government. As a globally and socially committed institution, we will invest the capabilities of our students and staff to drive solutions to significant global issues. The initiatives put in place will make a University of Newcastle education available and relevant to the Asia Pacific Region.
Australia will engage with the Pacific with greater intensity and ambition.”
Foreign Policy White Paper, Commonwealth of Australia
Students: Jingyi and Jiasheng
Priorities
Strategic priorities
Strategic partnerships
Partnering with other universities, civic organisations, industry and philanthropists ensures we are able to amplify our ingenuity and success in contributing to solutions to global challenges.
We will work with partners to address these issues through multidisciplinary research and two-way exchange of our staff and students. We will be recognised globally as an institution of excellence for our engagement and impact and sought out as a collaborative partner in the Asia Pacific Region.
Driven by people
People are the foundation of cooperative partnerships – our staff, students and alumni. Our staff will be globally engaged, contributing their knowledge and expertise to our regions. Our students will have a truly global experience and outlook characterised by diversity, mobility and knowledge exchange. Our alumni will be advocates for our University globally, helping to build our reputation and fostering a community of past, current and future learners.
For Global impact
Our physical and virtual presence in the Asia Pacific Region enables us to address challenges aligned to our Engagement Priorities through research collaboration and enriched student and staff experiences. We will establish global gateways between the University and the Asia Pacific Region.
Initiatives
Key initiatives
Asia Pacific partnerships
We will forge mutually beneficial partnerships in the Asia Pacific Region to support collaborations, international student recruitment, transnational education programs, staff and student exchange, and both outbound and inbound student mobility. These partnerships will enhance the University's research strengths, expand access to international research funding schemes, increase impact and entrepreneurship opportunities, and build reputation.
We will establish joint institutes with partner institutions in the Asia Pacific Region to address complex global issues and to drive the activities of our partnerships.
Globally engaged education
We will embrace a global focus in all learning, ensuring curriculum and programs are internationally relevant, attractive and flexible, and contribute to making our graduates life-ready.
Empowered and connected
We will strengthen connections with alumni, recognising the significance of their lifelong relationship with the University. We will take opportunities to use our outstanding alumni and staff to assist with student recruitment, marketing, industry introductions and engagement, government liaison in offshore locations, running lectures, mentoring start-ups, student outbound and inbound mobility and career-ready placement opportunities.
Our Asia Pacific Hubs: Sydney and Singapore
We will maximise the potential that our activities in the gateway cities of Sydney and Singapore bring in enhancing student experience, connecting students and researchers with business and industry and building our global presence and reputation.
Progress
Record number of New Colombo Scholars to exchange knowledge in Indo-Pacific
The University of Newcastle has secured more than $1.9 million to support 334 students to participate in 23 New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility projects across 14 countries in the Indo-Pacific region over the next two years.
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International recognition for young entrepreneur
Ms Ruyen Sarah Voon, a highly accomplished digital media professional and alumna of the University of Newcastle, has won the Young Entrepreneur Award at the 2024 Malaysian Australian Alumni Council (MAAC) Alumni Awards.
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Further international success for public health pioneer
Professor Xiaofei Zhang, a highly accomplished health professional and alumnus of the University of Newcastle, has been awarded the Life Science Award at the 2024 Australia China Alumni Awards (ACAA).
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Journey of hearts and minds: Ma & Morley Scholars in China
The experience of a lifetime awaited 27 Scholars from the Ma & Morley Scholarship Program who travelled to China for a 12-day cultural immersion earlier this year to broaden their global awareness, connect with other cultures and gain insight into life in China.
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Matilda masters expanding her health career
After working in infectious disease during the COVID-19 pandemic, Matilda Boey knew she wanted to contribute further to Singapore’s health system, inspiring her to study a Master of Public Health.
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Ma & Morley Scholars return to China
More than forty years since the chance meeting at West Lake in Hangzhou, China that sparked the friendship between Jack Ma and the Morley family, the Ma & Morley scholars visited China for a unique cultural exchange.
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Goals
Our
2025
goals
Excellence
We will establish three partnered institutes that deliver demonstrable improvements in our research engagement, our education programs, our student experience, and promote the stature of the University on a global stage.
Equity
We will see continued growth in the number of students participating in inbound and outbound mobility opportunities in the Asia Pacific Region, making us a leader in student mobility, measured as a proportion of our student cohort.
Engagement
We will see an increase in uptake of engagement opportunities for alumni that enable them to contribute to our University's outcomes, including mentoring and career-ready placement opportunities, research and engagement partnerships, and philanthropic support.
Sustainability
We will diversify our student cohort and experience by growing the number of students from Asia and the Pacific and reach the national average for international student commencements.
Asia Pacific Focus
We will pursue opportunities for partnerships and engagement in the Asia Pacific Region across business and government.
In focus
Partnering in the South Pacific
As a globally and socially committed institution, we are working with partners across the world to build equitable prosperity, social cohesion and healthy communities. Of critical importance is ensuring that our nearest neighbours, the Pacific Islands, are supported in the face of significant environmental, social and economic challenges. Our partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme will deliver cooperative and sustainable solutions to complex challenges faced by Pacific Island communities. With a focus on collaboration, we have formed educational partnerships with the Fiji National University and the University of the South Pacific. Through these initiatives and partnerships, we will invest in the capabilities of our students, staff and partners to deliver multidisciplinary research and research training, particularly in the areas of agriculture and fisheries, disaster management and health, in order to drive solutions to significant global issues.
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Traditional Custodians
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal Nation, Darkinjung Nation, Biripai Nation, Worimi Nation, Wonnarua Nation and Eora Nation. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.