QUT has committed to enhancing the staff and student experience and more than doubling Indigenous Australian enrolments over the next five years in its Connections: QUT Strategy 2023−2027.
The plan builds on Blueprint 6 with new targets and bold plans to transform the learning experience.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said an important part of the university’s real-world focus was to enhance access and opportunities for students who were traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
“We want to connect aspiration to opportunity for both our students and staff, and provide learning experiences that will transform people’s lives,” Professor Sheil said.
“This means expanding pathways for Indigenous Australians to engage in higher education and achieve their full potential; expanding opportunities for students to have entrepreneurial or professional experiences; building supportive research environments; and helping our staff and students craft their best lives and careers with flexible workplace and study environments and access to lifelong learning opportunities.”
As well as continuing to grow the university's Learning Potential Fund to enable more students to access university, QUT is launching a new Research Potential Fund to accelerate and support research capability and academic success.
Professor Sheil said by 2027 QUT planned on having up to 60,000 students across its urban campuses, with additional sites to align with industry, research and students’ needs, comprising up to 25 per cent international students, and at least four per cent of our students will be Indigenous Australians. This will include rebuilding in some areas the university’s international student offerings.
She said QUT was developing a curriculum transformation approach that responded to demand from students to support their journey from high school to graduation and beyond, and would reinforce the value of professional connections within in the curriculum.
“We want students to be able to tailor their study to meet their life and work needs, and will offer flexible learning so up to 15 per cent of students can learn wholly online by 2027.
“QUT is also committed to embedding sustainability and a sense of connection to Country in everything we do – we want to walk the talk and instil in students and staff a sense of responsibility and respect for our natural world and its traditional owners,” she said.
Download the strategy at QUT - Connections.
Media contact:
Sally Dillon, QUT Media, 07 3138 8666, s.dillon@qut.edu.au
After hours: media@qut.edu.au
