The past year has been productive for the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT). As 2022 draws to a close, we are reflecting on some of our achievements and plans for 2023 and beyond.
The year 2022 was indeed special, despite some of the challenges that the previous year presented. With the global COVID-19 pandemic restrictions finally eased, a shared sense of hope, possibility, and new beginnings came.
There’s no denying that the world has changed on many fronts — including how we socialize, work, and even study. As a demonstration of the sheer resilience and adaptability of the human spirit, many of us came up with new and creative ways of pushing on with work and life as usual. And this was no different for EIT, our students, and our staff.
Even at the tail-end of 2021, our collective determination had already yielded a notable accolade as EIT snagged the Australian International Education and Training gong at the Australian Export Awards. None of this would have been possible without our established online learning platform, passionate staff, and outstanding students in Australia and worldwide.
We were delighted to once again rate so highly on the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (a suite of Australian government-endorsed surveys for higher education). Out of 55 Australian engineering schools, EIT topped the undergraduate ‘Quality of Educational Experience’ and was ranked second for the post-graduate experience. For ‘Student Support,’ EIT came second overall and was ranked third for teaching quality.
In addition to the existing list of programs recognized via engineering accords, an accreditation success involved Engineers Australia’s tick of approval for another two EIT programs under the Dublin Accord and another two under the Washington Accord:
This past year also saw our research efforts rewarded due to our academic staff and student collaboration; we published 24 papers.
Our institution has grown an exciting student body. As the year rolled in, welcoming all new international students to our campuses in Perth and Melbourne was heartwarming. Our students’ numbers for 2022 were very positive:
To celebrate our incredible students worldwide, we held our first in-person and live-streamed graduation ceremony in Perth after a three-year hiatus due to strict yet much-needed COVID guidelines. And what better venue to honor our graduates than the Optus Stadium, one of Perth’s own engineering marvels. With 183 students physically attending the ceremony, some flying in from 19 countries, and another 100 live-streaming the event, it was a day to remember.
After a few years of no face-to-face gatherings, the past year also witnessed a couple of well-attended in-person conferences in collaboration with our sister company, IDC Technologies. For starters, the IDC Earthing Conference Birmingham 2022 in May again saw EIT staff come together to support IDC Technologies in the UK.
The IDC High Voltage Conference followed this in Melbourne from 28 to 29 September, created for those working with high voltage systems in the mining, industrial plants, and oil and gas utility industries.
If you missed it, this year’s EIT Doctor of Engineering (DEng) Conference was also more robust. It showcased many more research topics presented by students and principal supervisors who are also international research leaders.
And, of course, bringing the year to a close was our inaugural LearnTech Conference & Exhibition that took place in Perth on 20 November 2022. With technology becoming an essential and exciting part of the student experience, LearnTech brought together leading thinkers and educators and offered practical approaches to training and education for the modern economy. The hugely successful event included ten expert speakers, an exhibition, product demonstrations, and a panel discussion.
Looking ahead to 2023, we are equally excited about the Hydrogen Safety and Hazardous Areas Conference in Brisbane in February and 12 other conferences planned for the rest of the new year.
And, on the topic of hydrogen, alongside other new professional certificate courses for 2023, our Professional Certificate in Hydrogen was launched late this year. EIT is determined to work with industry and global communities to tackle sustainable development through education and training. We know that hyper-automation, sustainable energy, cybersecurity, supply chain management, and space technology are trending topics, and they are on our radar too.
EIT’s heartbeat has always been education. The past year provided many opportunities for budding engineers to join the ranks thanks to a range of services and all the courses and qualifications at EIT.
The year of higher education short courses (Undergraduate and Graduate Certificates) supported by the Australian Government. EIT ran 36 short courses with 384 students who enrolled. The most popular ones were:
13 programs ran for the very first time in 2022:
It is no secret that EIT hosts a range of interactive events and webinars across a broad spectrum of topics and disciplines. This past year was jampacked with discussions ranging from Hydrogen Production to Industrial Automation, Practical Engineering for the Future, and much more. Although spoilt for choice, some of our most popular webinars included:
If you missed any of them, you can access past webinars via the EIT YouTube channel.
Ultimately, EIT has had quite a busy and hugely productive 2022. Other points of interest over this past year also include:
In 2023, we look forward to building on growth, and our Perth teams look forward to moving to EIT’s new HQ. EIT In Victoria has moved to a new campus in Flinders Lane, in Melbourne. We will work hard during 2023 to gain Degree Awarding Powers in the UK.
All that we do at EIT we do for our students, to help YOU in your engineering career.
Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2023,
Steve Mackay, Dean of Engineering
