Curtin plays to its new strengths

CURTIN University of Technology plans to halve its 900 courses of study in favour of concentrating on its strengths and continuing to develop joint ventures with industry.

CURTIN University of Technology plans to halve its 900 courses of study in favour of concentrating on its strengths and continuing to develop joint ventures with industry.

Vice-chancellor Jeanette Hacket said many courses were too small to be financially viable, indicating a lack of community demand for them, and they ran the risk of compromising quality.

"We are aiming to have much stronger connections between our researchers and health practitioners and industry service providers," Professor Hacket said.

Her plan for the next decade is to boost the institution's capability in health, resources, sustainability and information and communications technology, including expanding its presence in Singapore, where it already operates facilities with education services company Navitas Ltd.

Recent examples of Curtin's entrepreneurial approach are the $110 million Resources and Chemistry Precinct, a partnership with the state Government and BHP Billiton, and its $10.7million partnership with Rio Tinto to improve research into mine technologies.

Curtin plans to build a health institute within three years to house its investigations of new models of preventative health care, specialising in the elderly and on lifestyle diseases such as obesity as well as workforce health.

One collaboration is with Silver Chain health services group, which manages wound care. "There are a lot of those cases that can be managed outside of hospital but at the moment they represent nine per cent of emergency admissions nationally."

Sustainability -- economic, environmental and social -- is another focus. Professor Hacket said Western Australia had not been prepared for the size and speed of the change generated by the resources boom. One challenge was "getting sustainable regional and remote communities, especially in the northwest and with indigenous communities".

Professor Hacket took the reins in April 2006 and has presided over a boost in the university's surplus from $21.9million in 2005 to more than $75 million in 2006, which was maintained in 2007.

"This gave us an enormous strategic capability," Professor Hacket said. Now she is to manage the transition of the university, which has 41,000 students across nine sites.

"Our university is very clear about where we will invest and where we can be relied on to provide leadership in the state," she said.