Deakin University’s Centre for Humanitarian Leadership (CHL) has won an Engagement Australia Excellence Award for its work transforming and improving the humanitarian sector.
The annual Excellence Awards for Engagement recognise the most impactful and purpose-driven engagement leaders across Australia and New Zealand.
They identify and celebrate the most exciting engagement activities undertaken by universities that demonstrate far-reaching impact and innovation in the Australian and New Zealand economy and community.
CHL, a partnership between Deakin and Save the Children Australia (SCA), won the Excellence in Industry Engagement category for 2023. This category recognises outstanding collaborations of mutual benefit between tertiary education institutions and industry that contribute to enhancing the quality and impact of higher education.
Associate Professor Mary Ana McGlasson, the Centre’s Director, said CHL worked to combine evidence and practice for better humanitarian action.
Its mission is to lead and influence change within the humanitarian system through critical, meaningful, and transformational contributions to humanitarian education, research, and policy.
“The Centre is thrilled to have won the Excellence in Industry Engagement category at the Engagement Australia Awards in recognition of our work towards transforming the humanitarian system,” Associate Professor McGlasson said.
“With our unique partnership bridging the gap between academia and humanitarian practice; we are delivering learning, events and research to equip humanitarians with the skills and knowledge to effectively lead the ever-growing number of crises affecting our world.”
Other nominees for the Excellence in Industry Engagement category were projects by Curtin University, the University of South Australia, Monash University and the Australian National University.
Winners in each of the eight award categories were announced at a ceremony held at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, Sydney, on November 21.
Mat Tinkler, CEO of SCA, said that CHL was a true industry and academic partnership, allowing both Deakin University and SCA to leverage their strengths for better educational outcomes.
“Dialogue with industry ensures CHL’s programs respond to the changing needs of the sector, are relevant to enduring challenges, and embed local or regional considerations when targeting humanitarians working in particular crises.
“In turn, the CHL’s active engagement in scholarship provides assurance to industry partners that courses will be based on the latest research and evidence.”
Engagement Australia creates inclusive forums for discussion and development of engagement, promoting practice, fostering awareness, building capacity and developing resources for universities and other member organisations.
It was formed in 2003 with a vision to cultivate understanding and awareness of engagement as a strategic methodology for individual and institutional achievement in unison with societal improvement and impact.
