A message from the Deputy Dean (International)
The key to successful internationalisation is through partnership networks that are diverse in geography and function. Important internationalisation-related goals for the SET Faculty are therefore to build, strengthen and maintain partnerships with leading international organisations and collaborators that are in line with the Connected to the Global World is Ideas pillar of the university’s Future Making Strategic Plan.
Strategic partnerships offer several benefits to our SET Faculty, namely
- reputation building,
- recruitment of outstanding students for undergraduate coursework, postgraduate coursework and HDR,
- mobility activities for onshore students and staff to participate in offshore activities, and for offshore students and staff to participate in onshore activities, and
- overseas-derived research funding.
Like any healthy relationship, there needs to be an investment in time and energy in each partnership. This an activity that we refer to as servicing. We are always on the lookout for champions to contribute to servicing activities for our partners. Contributions here can range from guest lectures (to overseas student cohorts who are based in their home country) to information sessions for recruitment agents. Every bit helps and please do contact me for further information about how you can become involved. I have found it extremely rewarding to engage with international partners and colleagues throughout my career.
We have a team of colleagues in SET and across the university to support us in building and maintaining our international partnerships. At the faculty level we have four Associate Deans of International responsible for key regions, namely:
- Europe and UK (Damien Fordham),
- South Asia and Africa (Amit Srivastava),
- East Asia (Zonghan Xie),
- South East Asia (Nam Tran).
I look after the Americas and Oceania, while Ashleigh Mercury is our Faculty international Coordinator and she is supporting partnerships particularly related to education pathways. Each SET school also has an Associate Head of International. Centrally, we work with colleagues from Division of External Engagement that is headed by DVCEE Jess Gallagher.
Please do make contact with myself (scott.smith@adelaide.edu.au), Ash (ashleigh.mercury@adelaide.edu.au), Damien (damien.fordham@adelaide.edu.au), Amit, Zonghan (zonghan.xie@adelaide.edu.au), Nam (namnghiep.tran@adelaide.edu.au), as well as your school international representative, should you wish to discuss international activities and to also pursue opportunities. Such an initial discussion will help establish the best path forward to working with a partner. For your information, here is a link to the university’s International Agreements Database to see where our current partnership agreements are: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/global-engagement/agreements/database.