In recent years, there has been a significant surge in the enrolment of higher degree by research (HDR) students. It is not surprising that with the opportunities to enter academic career diminishing, a majority of individuals completing their doctoral degree choose careers beyond academia. Despite this trend, Australian research graduates continue to be primarily prepared for research-oriented roles, creating a disparity between the skills imparted by universities and the demands of the industrial workforce. This mismatch underscores the need for a more aligned approach to education and training in order to bridge the gap between academia and industry expectations.

This UniSA-hosted workshop aims to tackle this challenge by convening representatives from the infrastructure and civil engineering sectors alongside university academics. The primary objective is to delve into opportunities for reshaping the direction of PhD training, or at least, introducing the skills expected by Industry . The workshop offers industry partners a platform to contemplate the integration of PhD training into their internal capability development and workforce planning strategies. Additionally, the workshop will promote the Industry Researcher stream of the new National Industry PhD program.

Program

8:45am

Registrations

9:00am	Opening Address Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington, DVCRE
Session 1 – Chair: Mr Richard Kell, AM FTSE
9:10am	Dr David Cook, AO FTSE Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering Presentation: IMNIS- The ATSE Mentoring Program
9:30am	Dr Warren South, CEO Concrete Institute of Australia (CIA) Presentation: Industry Research - Relevant and effective?
9:50am	Mr Kane Salisbury, CEO Hallett Group Presentation: Driving Lower Carbon Through Innovative Green Cement, Right here in SA!
10:10am	Mr David Cook, Manager Water Sciences SA Water Corporation Presentation: Collaboration with University, benefits of investing in PhD scholars in the Water Industry
10:30am	Morning Tea
Session 2 – Chair: Dr Warren South
11:00am	Mr John Phillips, Director AustSTEM Foundation Presentation: Jacaranda Flame Consulting - are there lessons to be learnt from Sydney University's virtual consulting company?
11:20am	Mr David Beecham, Program Director National Industry PhD Program, Campus Plus Presentation: The Triple Win: How Industry-Based PhDs Benefit Academia, Industry, and Students
11:40am	Dr Mark Ellis, Principal Structural Engineer Innovis Structural College, Engineers Australia Presentation: From Uni to Industry to Uni to Industry
Panel Discussion
12:00pm	Chairs: Dr David Cook, AO FTSE Mr David Beecham
12:40pm	Close Professor Yan Zhuge UniSA STEM
12:45pm	Lunch

Speakers

	Dr David J Cook AO FTSE FRSN Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering Dr Cook is currently the Chair of the Infrastructure Forum of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering. His career has spanned academia, government service where he was Executive Director of ANSTO and business where he held several senior management positions with Boral.
	Dr Warren South CEO, Concrete Institute of Australia (CIA) Dr. Warren South, with over 37 years in the heavy construction materials industry, began his career in cement in 1985. Notably, he contributed to cement and concrete development for key projects like the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. Serving as Technical Manager for Golden Bay Cement in New Zealand, he led the development of cements for the South Pacific and pioneered inorganic polymer binders. Awarded a doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Wollongong in 2010, his research on cements with natural pozzolanic materials is commercially impactful. As Director of Valkokivi Pty. Ltd., he advocates for concrete's positive contributions to durability. Warren holds academic positions and is the National President of the Concrete Institute of Australia.
	Mr Richard (Dick) Kell AM FTSE BE(Hons) HonFIEAust Dick graduated in civil engineering from Sydney University in 1959 and has spent his working life as a consulting engineer in infrastructure notably bridges. He was Chair of international consultant Cardno now DT Global and has worked on projects throughout Australia and in Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, Indonesia and Vietnam and in the past 25 years, in PNG and other Pacific Islands countries. Dick was made a Member of the Order of Australia AM in 1998 for services to bridge and international engineering. He was President of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, FIDIC 2003 -5, and was honoured with the Louis Prangey Medal in 2021. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Technical Sciences and Engineering ATSE, and of Engineers Australia, and was awarded the EA Peter Nicol Russell Medal. He was Chair of the Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering and now chairs TWC Humanitarian Engineering Hub.
	Mr Kane Salisbury CEO, Hallett Groups Kane Salisbury, appointed CEO of Hallett Group in 2019, began his tenure with MSP Group in 2013 as CEO of Mining and Construction Materials. With prior experience as Regional Manager of Boral Concrete in South Australia, he brings extensive senior management expertise in manufacturing. Under his leadership, Hallett Group has become South Australia's leading integrated supplier of mining, construction, and building materials, with a growing Timber business in Melbourne. An Industrial Engineer with a Master's in Business and Technology, and a Diploma of Business, Kane is a strategic professional passionate about sustainability, driving continuous improvement through Lean Methodology, and achieving transformative business results.
	Mr David Cook Manger Water Science, SA Water Corporation David Cook is a Scientist and manages the Water Science team at SA Water. The Water Science team of 10 is laboratory based and completes research and investigations focusing largely on drinking water treatment, catchment to tap for SA Water and other water utilities. David has been in the water industry for 28 years and regularly provides advice to SA Water and other water utilities regarding drinking water treatment and has presented outcomes of research at national and international conferences and in scientific journals.
	Mr John Phillips Director of AustSTEM Foundation CEO of SLAM Education John is a systems engineer with extensive international telecommunications project and employee relations experience. He retired from Telstra in 2000 and worked with The Warren Centre where he promoted STEM education. He is a Director of the AustSTEM Foundation which aims to raise STEM literacy in Middle School classrooms across Australia, and CEO and co-founder of SLAM Education based in Newcastle. His earlier experience included the installation of satellite earth stations, submarine communications cables and communication networks with the Overseas Telecommunications Commission; and two years advising an international consortium extending the domestic telephone network in Central Java.
	Mr David Beecham Program director for National Industry PhD Program, Campus Plus David, based in Adelaide, brings over 15 years of experience in the Higher Education sector from both Australia and the UK. His journey began with a competitive Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) 1+3 award, which led him to pursue his Masters and PhD in Sociology at the prestigious University of Warwick, UK. Following his doctoral studies, David secured a four-year postdoctoral position at Coventry University, UK, further solidifying his academic credentials. His extensive experience spans research, grants management, partnership and business development and providing crucial support to researchers for industry engagement and collaboration.
	Dr Mark Ellis Principal Structural Engineer, Innovis Structural College, Engineers Australia Mark is a Principal Structural Engineer with more than 26 years’ experience in the design, documentation and construction of commercial and institutional buildings across Australia and Hong Kong. Mark also worked for the University of South Australia as a lecturer and program director for Civil Engineering. During his time at UniSA, he completed his PhD in structural engineering. Mark has recently returned to industry and is working for Innovis Pty Ltd. Mark is also a committee member of the Engineers Australia Structural Branch – SA.