The student experience offered by UOW has been ranked above all other Australian public universities in the 2018 Good Universities Guide.

As well as achieving five star ratings for staff qualifications and student retention, UOW was one of only two Australian universities—and the only publicly funded university—to achieve a clean five star sweep of all student experience measures: overall experience, skills development, student support, teaching quality, learning resources and learner engagement.

UOW’s reputation as a leader in teaching and learning and particular strength in peer learning has been reinforced after being acknowledged as a finalist at the Global Teaching Excellence Awards (GTEA) 2017 gala event in London in September.

UOW was the sole university in NSW and one of only five Australian universities to be shortlisted for the accolade. The University was identified among 27 tertiary institutions from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

His Royal Highness The Duke of York attended UOW on the 26 September to formally launch the University’s Global Leaders Education and Development (GoLEaD) Program – a new and unique talented students opportunity.

The Duke met with more than 100 high-achieving Higher School Certificate students from across the Illawarra region at the launch. The GoLEaD program will provide direct entry into a coveted Honours degree, facilitate up to 18 months of study at the UOW’s Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong campuses and provide generous paid internships with global organisations.

The University of Wollongong hosted His Royal Highness, Prince Andrew, Duke Of York, along with prominent Australian business people and budding entrepreneurs for the Pitch@Palace Australia 1.0 Boot Camp on 26 September.

The Australian debut is the result of two years of planning, culminating in the final event at Government House, Sydney. The winners of Pitch@Palace Australia were Faebella, Hireup and Nev House, who will attend Buckingham Palace’s global event in December.

For the third year in a row UOW has been ranked in the top 200 universities around the world for graduate employability outcomes.

A fresh round of data released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), confirms UOW’s strong position in the graduate employment field.

A senior delegation from Zhengzhou University (ZZU) in China were recently welcomed to UOW to renew a longstanding partnership between the two universities.

On 25 September, Chairman of the Zhengzhou University Council, Professor Shucheng Niu, met with UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings CBE to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will continue the relationship for a further five years.

UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy) Professor Alex Frino was invited to attend a meeting at the Italian Parliament on the 12 October, where his research into public sector accounting practices in Italy was presented by his research team.

An internationally-recognised economist and researcher, Professor Frino said the invitation from the Chief Executive of the Italian accountancy accreditation organisation, Consiglio Nazionale Dei Dottori Commercialisti e Degli Esperti Contabili (CNDCEC) had special significance for him, as his parents had both been born in Italy.

A group of students and teachers from Hong Kong’s Community College of City University (CCCU) have embarked on an academic and cultural study tour of UOW, the Illawarra and Sydney.

In July 2015 UOW assumed stewardship and governance of CCCU, strengthening UOW’s position as a global higher education provider in North-East Asia.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy) Professor Alex Frino welcomed 26 students and two staff from INTI International College, Malaysia for a week long study tour to campus on 19 September.

During the study tour, students participated in activities on campus including UOW Goes Global and a specialised Global Communicators Program, as well as activities arranged by the faculties of Business and Engineering and Information Sciences. Local sightseeing was also on the agenda, including a visit to Nan Tien Temple. The students all stayed with local families through the UOW College Homestay program.

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global Strategy), Professor Alex Frino, welcomed the Consul General of India, Sydney, Shri B. Vanlalvawna last week to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a Chair of Indian Studies.

The MoU agrees to host a short term, one semester, India Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Chair every academic year until 2022. The Chair will conduct lectures, seminars and workshops spanning politics and economy through society and culture as well as activities including research guidance, publications and scholarly interactions with academics.

The High Commissioner of India, Dr. A.M. Gondane, visited the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at UOW to seek expert advice on establishing a maritime university in Gujarat, India; an initiative which grew out of a recent Australian trade mission to India.

The High Commissioner sought out ANCORS based on recommendations from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on its specific expertise in fisheries management and maritime policy and was keen to explore a future role for ANCORS in India’s maritime education and research.

UOW has already established a Centre for Excellence in Mining in Gujarat.

The UOW and local Bomaderry High School Asia Immersion Program has been named a winner at the NSW International Student Awards.

The awards organised by Study NSW and hosted at Government House in Sydney on the 22 September, celebrated the outstanding contributions international students make to their communities and the State.