Whilst most Australian universities are still in holiday hiatus, Bond University has embarked on a new era with the commencement of its seventh Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Tim Brailsford.
Wasting no time in getting down to business, Professor Brailsford, who officially took the reins on January 9, has welcomed 4,500 students to Semester One, 2012, which started yesterday.
A highly experienced leader in the tertiary sector, Professor Brailsford has joined Bond from the University of Queensland, having previously held deanship and other senior academic leadership roles at the Australian National University, Monash and the University of Melbourne.
With a number of changes facing the industry globally Professor Brailsford said it was a challenging and exciting time to be in higher education.
“Universities worldwide are at an interesting juncture of rapidly changing government policy, increasing global competition, and they are dealing with a raft of new factors with international students,” said Professor Brailsford.
“Our business is truly global and mobile in a way that knows no boundaries. It is challenging the way we teach, research, and market,” he said.
Widely experienced in international education Professor Brailsford believes the current environment coupled with Bond’s commitment to teaching excellence presents significant opportunities for the University.
“In reality Australia has a narrow experience in higher education. I have worked with a number of operating models globally and there is potential for institutions like Bond to play a significant and successful role on the world stage,” said Professor Brailsford.
“Bond has for the past 23 years offered a personalised and unique student experience providing small class sizes – the lowest student to staff ratio in the country; state-of-the-art facilities; cutting-edge technology; curriculum focused on preparing work-ready graduates; and fast-tracked degrees that give our graduates up to a 12 month head start.
“We are committed to providing Australia’s greatest student experience that produces graduates who are leaders in their field driven by ambition and desired by top-tier employers,” he said.
A distinguished researcher in finance and investments, he says he is looking forward to enhancing the University’s strong position and reputation, particularly internationally and in the area of research.
“I plan to build on the work that has been done in recent years that has seen research become a key area of focus for Bond, translating into a very high rate of growth in research income and a strengthening of research culture,” said Professor Brailsford.
“Along with maintaining the momentum of our growing research portfolio, we will remain equally committed to ensuring our programs remain cutting-edge and industry relevant. This Semester we will introduce new programs that have been created in direct response to industry demand,” he said.
These programs include the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, responding to perceived deficiencies in the current training of mid-level laboratory scientists in Australia and a new infrastructure program in the School of Information Technology that will offer a specialisation in the emerging area of cloud computing.
Students across all degrees will also be able to undertake a new subject being run by the University’s Career Development Centre, called the Bond University Professional Practice Program (BUPPP).
Described as the most comprehensive subject of its type at any university in Australia, BUPPP spans the duration of a degree, providing a learning framework around employability experiences and recognition to students undertaking such activities.
“Bond University has a stellar reputation for providing exceptional graduate outcomes for its students and this program is designed to help maximise our graduates’ employability,” said Professor Brailsford.
The Chancellor, Dr Helen Nugent AO stated: “On behalf of Bond University Council, I welcome Prof. Brailsford to this new era in the history of Bond University”.