Getting to know Jane den Hollander AO - Vice Chancellor of Deakin University Australia

Getting to know Jane den Hollander AO - Vice Chancellor of Deakin University Australia

See below some amazing insights from our interview with Jane.

In 2007 Jane remembers watching Steve Jobs holding up an iPhone. She remembers wanting one and when she arrived at Deakin the university bought in and implemented Big data and technology in this manner across the campus 2 years later. No-one had iPhones, iPads, trapped at their desks. She knew the next generation of students would have iPhones, so this was a necessity for Deakin. The massive change that it was involved Big discussion, everyone had a say. LIVE the future was born, learning, ideas, value and experience. Ambition was to be the best university at the digital frontier. Most proud of the university for embracing this collectively. Education for the jobs of the future and research that makes a difference for the community that Deakin lives in and serves. Total embracement of a student centred plan.

When Jane arrived 8 years ago Deakin was sub 500 ranked for universities worldwide, think Oxford, Cambridge, Yale etc. Jane initially wanted to move the ranking from 500 to sub 400 by 2020, and at the end of 2016/17 would you believe the ranking was down to 215. To date they have jumped another 2 places to 213 and the new goal by the end of 2020 is to be sub 200.

Jane mentions being in the top 2% of universities in the world is an amazing achievement. With over 4,000 permanent and contract staff and many more casual staff all bought into the vision of the university it has been an incredible result.

They changed their approach to teaching: What are the skills students need for their 2nd and 3rd job, how do you assess those skills and then devise the curriculum. What does the student need at the coalface, skills that are enduring and modern content.

Deakin was recently again rated number 1 for learning and student satisfaction in Victoria. This was a dream result.

The reputation for innovation and tech has been a success and contributed to the university being seen as nimble, innovative and a sense of knowing where it is going. We know who our people are and where we are going.

Jane mentions a university education is a great idea, producing life long skills. Many in the start-up culture come from a solid university or TAFE training base. At Deakin she has noticed many students aren't interested in big corporate culture, they are much more interested in pursuing their ideas and entrepreneurship, hence the birth of Deakin SPARK. SPARK helps students take an idea and learn how to take it to market, the ultimate proof is someone wants to buy. What a great initiative. Some of the pitches can receive funding and assistance in getting off the ground.

The sooner you try, the sooner you know and you never know until you try. Deakin have some awesome units on entrepreneurship.

Jane is super passionate about diversity in the workforce and thinks there should be more of a push for women in engineering and IT and men in nursing and education for example.

Here's a quick message from Jane: Deakin is one of a new breed of global universities – agile, dynamic and innovative. 

From our beginnings as Victoria’s first regional university 42 years ago, to our current ranking among the top three per cent of universities worldwide, we have had a consistent goal – to work in partnership with local and international industries, governments, communities and educational organisations to make a difference in the world.

Find out more about Jane here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-den-hollander-33416748/

https://twitter.com/VCdeakin

Find out more about us here:

Our linkedin page - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-burns-44423748/

Our facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/enterprisemonkey/

Our twitter page - https://twitter.com/enterprisemonk

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