Key Strategic Objectives

Attract and retain the highest quality academic staff

Both Monash and Warwick have established reputations for research excellence. Naturally, each institution has its own particular research strengths and the Alliance provides both universities with mutual and complementary opportunities for new areas of research collaboration. Initially, our priority areas include green/sustainable chemistry, tropical and social medicine, advanced materials, and understanding cultures. We will soon be moving to advertise our first joint appointments: other areas of research collaboration are rapidly being identified as academic networks increase. Our Alliance appointments will range from early career researchers through to highlycited scholars, as appropriate. Our aim, by attracting and appointing the highest quality academic talent, is to ensure our academic departments are recognised globally as the best in the field.

Ensure improved access to new and additional sources of funding

By working together (for example, in shared research agendas, offering dual Master’s degrees, and providing exchange and joint learning opportunities for undergraduate students), we believe we will become more attractive to different sources of funding, whether public or private. Creating world-leading and distinctive research and education capability will enable the Alliance to present strong, innovative proposals and solutions to government, industry, research funders and donors. Indeed, this policy is already beginning to bear fruit: in April of this year, the Monash-Warwick partnership resulted in a grant worth just over half a million UK pounds from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Research Council
(EPSRC) as part of its Building Global Engagements programme.

Enable both Universities to offer an enhanced student experience to both undergraduates and postgraduates

The Alliance aims to deliver a seamless international experience for students, offering innovative academic programmes as well as opportunities for real and virtual student exchanges. We intend over the next year to offer a joint PhD programme in which both institutions are the ‘home’ institution, with a pilot commencing in the Arts and Humanities, as well as joint and dual Master’s programmes that combine the distinctive strengths of each University. The Alliance is also keen to develop undergraduate research further, including the joint journal of undergraduate research, Reinvention. Through such measures, we expect to achieve greater academic options for students, and distinctive and innovate models for collaborative global higher education.

Achieve enhanced reputation and brand visibility

The new model of higher education to be delivered by the Alliance will provide a challenging and innovative environment for staff and students. We expect this to increase our attractiveness to both staff and student applicants, in terms of quality, retention, and wider geographical location. We aim to enhance our profile and recognition internationally, enhance our respective reputations for innovation and quality, and gain greater recognition of the benefits of collaborating through the Alliance amongst students, academics and industry.

Enhanced operation performance

The Alliance presents opportunities to share assets and organisational capability to the benefit of both partners. We are exploring opportunities for sharing educational and research platforms to produce efficiency and enhanced access to facilities. There is also potential for shared services and infrastructure to support administrative and commercial services. Both partners are benefitting from sharing expertise and learning in common organisational development areas.