2019: Going places - University of Wollongong

Global connections

In 2019, alumni networking events were held in Wollongong, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Bega, Batemans Bay, London, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Toronto, Tokyo, Kathmandu, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Jakarta. The global events calendar expanded this year to include two new cities for alumni to connect and reflect; Taipei and Guangzhou.

Spirited networking

Local alumni got into the spirit of things at The Art of Gin event held at Wollongong Science Space. Gin experts from local bar, Births & Deaths, and South Coast Distillery shared the art of gin-making, before some networking while tasting some of the Illawarra region’s best gin.

Thought leadership

As part of the UOW Knowledge Series, showcasing the University’s thought leaders in different locations, we were extremely privileged to hear from Professor Justin Yerbury who has devoted more than a decade of his life to researching Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Seeking to understand why motor neurones are specifically vulnerable to MND, Professor Yerbury, who has the disease, delivered an inspiring lecture entitled ‘Proteins; a story about the stuff of life and how it shapes our understanding of Motor Neurone Disease.’ Alumni who attended this event raised more than $2,000 for MND research at UOW.

Sharing inspiration

From young graduates through to those making waves in the business world several years on, we had inspiring guest speakers present at our Young Alumni Event: A life of purpose, and our Entrepreneurial Women Series Breakfast in Sydney. These events provided a chance to reconnect, network with other young professionals and be inspired by those carving out an exciting new path.

Creating impact

UOW’s UK alumni gathered together for the London Research Impact Event as part of the 2019 Times Higher Education Conference in Surrey. The University of Wollongong had the opportunity to showcase the global impact the institution is having in delivering ground-breaking research. Alumni heard examples of significant research being conducted in key industry sectors such as health, education and technology.

International collaboration

With a commitment to collaborating with international universities, UOW co-hosted two alumni networking events in San Francisco and Washington DC with Johns Hopkins University.

In addition to providing a great forum for other business collaborations and new connections, attendees were treated to a topical discussion panel on virtual reality.

Alumni giving back

Thank you for helping our current UOW students achieve their own educational goals through your generous donations through our phone appeal and supporting our life-changing research through financial gifts. Your ongoing commitment to helping nurture our philanthropic goals is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to our alumni attending domestic events including the MND event, Science Space Family event, the Wollongong Art of Gin and Sydney Life of Purpose events – you raised more than $7,000 this year across three areas - Science Space, MND Appeal and Transforming Teacher Training in Tanzania and Australia.

Likewise, to all our USA event attendees who donated to the UOW USA Foundation, we are extremely grateful.

Volunteering

We also want to thank our volunteers from our various chapters. More than 100 alumni gave their time to our eight week UOW Mentoring Program, who we match with students in their final years of study to help refine employability skills as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Alumni also shared their expertise at guest lectures and provided valuable feedback and industry insight for UOW’s Strategic Plan and curriculum development.

A special thank you to our Campus Chapter - a dedicated group of more than 20 volunteers - who run the Alumni Bookshop in two locations. Money raised supports scholarships and academic prizes across all Schools at UOW.

Graduations

It’s been wonderful to welcome new alumni following many graduation celebrations across our domestic and international campuses. This year we attended celebration events in Wollongong, Shoalhaven, Bega, Bateman’s Bay, Southern Highlands, Southern Sydney, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. We are extremely proud of our global community and our networks which grow and strengthen each year.

We were also pleased to welcome new honorary members, including honorary doctorate recipients Ian Watt AC, Lisa Wilkinson AM, Carla Zampatti AC and Dennis Shanahan (Doctor of Letters), Philip Clark AO and ‘Aunty’ Gail Wallace (Doctor of Laws), and Sarah Springman and Gaoging Lu AO (Doctor of Science) and Peter Robson AO. Our graduation celebrations also included Emeritus Professorship recipients Chris Cook and Anthony Hulbert.

The 2019 Fellowship recipients included Tim Berry, Noel Cornish, Debra Murphy and Pastor Ossie Cruse MBE AM.