As Bond University students return to campus for semester two, the doors on the Bond Institute of Health and Sport (BIHS) officially open for business, with the first wave of students moving into the building today.
More than 160 students are currently enrolled in programs that will operate out of the facility along with 20 Higher Degree Research students.
The University occupies half of the building, with the bottom two floors - including a purpose-built high performance training facility - currently occupied by the Gold Coast Titans.
Bond University's Head of School of Health Sciences, Professor Roger Hughes says students now have unparalleled access to state of the art equipment, with world-class health and sport training and testing facilities, and the opportunity to study alongside professional athletes and industry leaders.
"Bond University offers health and sports science programs of national standing and has this year intensified its focus on this growing field with the introduction of the Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science," Professor Hughes said.
"Exercise and Sports Science, Physiotherapy, Sports Management, Nutrition and Dietetic Practice are just some of the programs that will operate out of the Institute.
"Bond has a proud reputation of offering industry-relevant degrees that lead to outstanding career opportunities, hence the University is expanding the educational programs in the dynamic and growing area of health and sports science and the new building provides our students with outstanding learning opportunities."
Bond University's Vice Chancellor Professor Tim Brailsford says the open plan teaching spaces encourage interaction which contributes to the overall student experience and enriches their learning, while the appeal of the world-class training and testing facilities helped Bond to secure a new four-year partnership with the Qantas Wallabies.
"Bond University and the Qantas Wallabies recently launched our formal partnership, which means the players and team officials will have access to the Institute, its staff and facilities and our students will have the opportunity to work closely with Australian Rugby Union's (ARU) professional athletes, representative teams and coaches,” said Professor Brailsford.
"Students will gain greater knowledge and understanding of elite sporting sides through the partnership, with a number of students being provided with internships at ARU, which is certainly an exciting prospect for our students.
"There is potential for the building to attract other national and international professional sporting teams and events to the Gold Coast, which will provide even greater benefits, not only for our students, but for the Gold Coast community."
The University has also established itself as a national leader in the area of scientific research in sports science and from the new building, Bond will lead its $14 million national Collaborative Research Network Advancing Sports Science project, which involves various partners including the Australian Institute of Sport.
Bond University acquired the iconic building, formerly the Centre of Excellence which is best known as the home of the Gold Coast NRL team the Titans, in September 2012.
The Bond Institute of Health and Sport is located at 2 Promethean Way, Robina, which is next to the Robina Hospital and adjacent to Skilled Park stadium and Robina Train station.
"The location of the building not only helps the University to forge a stronger alliance with the hospital, which already supports Bond medical students, but places the University in the central health and sport hub of the Gold Coast," Professor Hughes said.
"Robina is fast becoming a major health precinct of the Gold Coast and the prime location offers students unparalleled access to public transport including a train line direct to Brisbane and bus lines that connect to the University campus.
“The fact that the BIHS is fully operational, with the May semester underway and students are now utilising the facility, is an exciting, progressive step forward for the University and the whole Gold Coast community."