Old rec centre, childcare service to be refitted as Western Sydney ‘suburban university study hubs’
The Education Minister wants to see more uni crests than ‘golden arches’ popping up in Western Sydney, pouring money into new study hubs to connect locals with higher education.
NSW
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An old recreation centre and former childcare service are among four Western Sydney sites being transformed into new “study hubs” for university students who can’t make the journey to an inner-city campus.
Two universities and one local community organisation will receive federal government funding to set up or expand three new suburban university study hubs across four sites, giving all locals enrolled in tertiary education free access to computers and support staff.
UNSW will operate one of the new hubs out of a refurbished level of a TAFE building at Liverpool, while Western Sydney University (WSU) will expand its existing Fairfield Connect hub which opened to students in April last year.
Migrant and refugee support organisation Mount Druitt Ethnic Communities Agency (MECA) will operate the third location across two sites, one of which was previously a childcare centre in Mt Druitt while the other was a recreation hall in Emerton.
Emerton has the lowest university-educated population of the four Sydney suburbs, with 8.4 per cent of adults holding a bachelor degree or above, followed by Fairfield (12.3 per cent).
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the suburban hubs were designed to “bring university closer” to Australians who would otherwise feel like higher education was not for them.
“I know growing up in Western Sydney I saw a lot of golden arches and KFC and Westfield, but not a lot of university crests,” Mr Clare said.
“A lot of my friends felt like university was somewhere else for someone else.
“I want this to change, and that means bringing university closer to where people live.”
UNSW Vice-Chancellor Attila Brungs said he was “absolutely delighted” to have the federal government’s support in extending UNSW’s 35-year presence in the Liverpool region with more education and research offerings.
“The Study Hub will play a critical role in addressing barriers to education, fostering equitable access, and improving academic outcomes for the growing and diverse populations in the communities of South West Sydney,” he said.
Additional locations – including two in Queensland – are due to open later this year and will take the total number of suburban study hubs to 15, with 56 more established in regional communities.
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Originally published as Old rec centre, childcare service to be refitted as Western Sydney ‘suburban university study hubs’
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