Why Edith Cowan is one of the 15 ‘fast moving’ research universities

Edith Cowan University’s deputy vice-chancellor (research) Caroline Finch explains why her institution is one of the 15 ‘fast moving’ research universities.

Edith Cowan University’s campus at Joondalup in Perth.

Edith Cowan University is well-known as a top teaching university with a long record of exceptional scores in the government-backed funded Student Experience Survey, conducted annually. But that’s not the full story. Deputy vice-chancellor (research) Caroline Finch says the university has invested strongly in supporting its academics to reach their best as both researchers and teachers.

She says the university has been increasingly targeting research areas that have potential and allows them to grow.

Caroline Finch

“When you support areas like that, you attract more people, both from internal to the university to work in the area, but also external appointees,” Finch says.

“It creates a culture, and a wonderful place to work, where everyone is sharing the knowledge and the approaches, but also sharing and celebrating the successes of others.”

Finch says it’s a priority for research to have impact and for the university to engage with its stakeholders. “We’ve always co-designed out projects with stakeholders. We’ve conducted the work with them.”

The university has also focused on better communicating what it does in research. “We’ve invested in things like media training for our staff, social media training, too. Some of these things now become basic skills that our researchers have,” Finch says.

The university also strongly emphasises developing research talent, supporting people in their early to mid-career. Finch says she personally believes that giving young researchers affirming, genuine feedback is “one of the best gifts I can give them”.

“I’m really passionate about working with our early to mid-career researchers to really give them the best foundation.”