The University of Western Sydney and many other Australian Universities have a policy of community engagement and an associated strategic plan that includes increasing experiential learning opportunities across curricula and increasing undergraduate involvement in engaged research activities plus integrating engaged learning and research into postgraduate study. In addition, a variety of student involvement mechanisms (vacation employment, internships, research projects and international placements) are available to employers at modest (or zero) cost.
In the RAAK project carefully selected students will work with industry partners in teams comprising (where practical) a technology student and a business student supported by a researcher as a University engaged learning activity. They will initially help benchmark the current innovation and collaboration capabilities of the industrial partners and identify opportunities for improvement plus technology inputs needed. Subsequently student teams may assist in trying out new ideas.
It is intended that an informal network of Australian Universities with prior collaboration experience in Adelaide (UniSA), Brisbane (QUT), Melbourne (Deakin) and Sydney (UWS) will provide local student teams as appropriate.
The students will benefit from having a practical perspective on their studies, and industry partners will benefit from being stimulated by some unexpected questions and being able to work with prospective future employees. This has worked well with a number of UWS client firms in past projects.
The topics students will explore are:
(a) Characterising an environmental innovation initiative,
(b) Sharing ideas about new innovation development support tools
(c) Capturing lessons learned in an environmental innovation project.