Industry HDR Origin Stories: Developing and Sustaining Industry Engaged PhD Partnerships

About the Event

Industry engagement is increasingly central to academic research, particularly in the context of PhD training. Yet, successful partnerships between academia and industry rarely happen overnight—they are the result of years of relationship-building, trust, and strategic networking.

This event brings together leading academic voices to share their journeys in developing meaningful industry collaborations that support impactful, industry-engaged PhD projects. Attendees will gain insights into the nuances of these relationships, the environments that foster successful PhDs, and the challenges and opportunities that arise when academia meets industry.

Panellists

· Prof Bronwyn Fox AO – Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise).
Bronwyn brings a wealth of knowledge through her extensive experience in current and past roles across multiple universities and leading organisations, including CSIRO, ATSE, the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Museums Victoria.

· Dr Nattai Borges – Program Lead, Exercise Science, School of Health Sciences.
He is currently supervising two Industry PhD candidates collaborating with the Sydney Swans.

· A/Prof Fatemeh Vafaee – Deputy Director (Science), UNSW AI Institute; Group Leader of Vafaee Lab, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences.
Her lab hosts 8+ industry-engaged PhD candidates working with partners such as 23 Strands, Differentia Bio, Algorea Pharmaceuticals, and NSW Breast Screen.

Who It's For & What You'll Gain

This session is relevant for academics, HDR candidates, and anyone involved in the industry-engaged research environment.

What to Expect:

• 🎙️ Hear real stories from researchers about how and why they built academic–industry partnerships.

• 💡 Gain practical insights into relationship building, managing partnerships, and maintaining academic integrity in a supportive research environment.

• 🤝 Build meaningful connections with peers and partners.

• 🌱 Strengthen our community of industry-engaged researchers through collaboration, curiosity, and shared purpose.
  
  

Event Schedule

4:30 pm – Door opens, registration

5:00 pm – Welcome and Introduction

5:10-5:40 pm – Panel discussion

5:40-5:50pm – Q&A

5:50 pm – Networking and canapes