By Charlene Gatt
VICTORIA University will increase its online and international presence in a bid to become a world renowned tertiary leader.
VU’s new strategic plan for 2012-16 aims to build on the university’s expertise as a centre of excellence in regional, national and transnational education and boost its research output over the next decade.
Victoria University vice-chancellor Peter Dawkins has spent the past year working on the five-year strategic plan to grow and re-brand the university as it strives to expand its student population from 50,000 to 75,000.
Prof Dawkins told Star earlier this year that his vision for Victoria University had two key aspects: one being the vision for its students, the other for the wider community and industry.
Prof Dawkins said the plan sets out targets in learning and teaching, the student experience, research, knowledge exchange, engagement and excellence to boost the VU experience in coming years.
Targets include:
– To be recognised as a world leader in tertiary education of students from diverse countries, cultures, socio-economic and educational backgrounds;
– To become a top 20 university for research in Australia by 2020; and
– To become world renowned in sport, exercise and active living by 2016 and at least three other areas by 2020.
“As a pioneering dual-sector university providing a full range of qualifications from vocational certificates to PhDs, we have the capacity to support the development of workforces across whole industry sectors,” Prof Dawkins said.
“In the new Strategic Plan, Victoria University sets itself the challenge of building on this set of achievements, to be a leading university by world standards in learning and teaching that prepares students for the changing world of work.”
