Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor George Williams AO with Vice-President Public Affairs and Partnerships and the Centre for Western Sydney Executive Director, Professor Andy Marks
The remarkable, self-driven transformation of our Western Sydney region was the centrepiece of a special Centre for Western Sydney 'In Conversation' event featuring new Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor George Williams AO.
Speaking to an audience of industry, business and community leaders in one of his first public engagements since commencing as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Williams outlined his vision for the University and reinforced its important role as an anchor institution for Western Sydney.
Professor Williams, who became the university's fifth Vice-Chancellor last month, used the event to address the serious reforms facing the Australian higher education sector, including proposed limits on international students.
Together with Professor Andy Marks, Vice-President Public Affairs and Partnerships and the Executive Director of the University's Centre for Western Sydney, they discussed declining trust in universities and public institutions, the role of universities role to serve the public good and focus on student outcomes and the community, and how Western Sydney University intends to forge its own path.
Professor Williams reiterated the importance of shared success – to be the University that responds to the evolving needs of Western Sydney's diverse communities in ways that empower, uplift and amplify the strengths of the most valuable asset of the region, its people.
"I'm really glad to inherit such a well-run university, but the fact is, if we don't change, then we'll be left behind, and I'm focused particularly on technological change at the moment," he said.
"We know that many of the best jobs over the next 10 years will be for people who are very literate in using AI systems, and we need to be the university where a distinguishing feature is that our students are ready not only for the new jobs on graduation, but the new jobs five years after graduation.
"We've also got changes such as student caps that we need to adapt to, and the other big thing we need to evolve with is Western Sydney, which is changing around us. We're well positioned, but we need to be able to articulate what we going to deliver over the next five years for the region,'' Professor Williams said.
Centre for Western Sydney Director, Dr Rhonda Itaoui delivered a regional snapshot that shed further light on the importance of the Western Sydney region and its unlimited potential.
Dr Itaoui said Western Sydney University is not only privileged to witness this region's great story but is actively shaping and sharing in it – using research and evidence to advocate for Western Sydney's communities, strengthening its service to the public good, and driving impact across the region.
"Our evidence-based advocacy at the Centre for Western Sydney highlights that the region is rapidly evolving and advancing beyond expectation," said Dr Itaoui.
"This transformation is one of remarkable growth, of acceleration, of resilience and the realisation of aspiration.
"The Western Sydney region's population has grown by 25.3 per cent in the past decade and is projected to reach 3.4 million by 2036. It has a higher proportion of younger age groups than the rest of Sydney and its economic value is currently one-quarter of the state's economy, contributing $155.3 billion.
"Importantly, the region has recorded a 9 per cent increase in higher education attainment over the last decade, exceeding the pace of national averages. Education attainment has changed the professional profile of the region. In over a decade, we've seen a 6.4 per cent increase of white-collar workers employed as managers and professionals in Western Sydney."
However, despite the advocacy efforts of regional leaders and the hard work of communities, Dr Itaoui said Western Sydney receives minimal reward for its transformation, contributions, and its real-time and projected growth.
"Our work at the Centre for Western Sydney continues to uncover lower educational attainment rates than in the rest of Sydney. There's been minimal improvements in household income, and less local jobs than workers, with only 81 jobs are available per 100 workers in the region, while the rest of Sydney enjoys a surplus of 124 jobs per 100 workers," she said.
Centre for Western Sydney Director, Dr Rhonda Itaoui
Dr Itaoui also stressed the higher levels of place-based intersectional disadvantage, with women, Indigenous communities and those from CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) backgrounds recording some of the highest levels of disadvantage in the state when it comes to education, income and labour force participation.
"Yet, in the face of these disparities and blatant unfairness, Western Sydney continues to shoulder the heavy lifting – 45 per cent of Greater Sydney's workforce comes from this region," she said.
"We're home to nearly 250,000 local businesses working tirelessly to contribute to our economy, and we absorb most of the Household growth in greater Sydney, which has increased by 26 per cent in the last decade, compared to 14 per cent for the rest of Sydney."
She said these persistent disparities highlight the urgent need for a new approach.
"Our team at the Centre for Western Sydney, together with Chancellor Professor Jennifer Westacott's leadership, has developed the Unlimited Potential Economic Plan. Set for release in November, this plan outlines the key actions required to drive the economic transformation that this region deserves," said Dr Itaoui.
"Western Sydney isn't asking for concessions or hand-outs; rather, we are demanding our fair share to keep up with this region's accomplishments. By doing this, everyone wins. Getting our fair share also means the nation prospers. The better Western Sydney does, the better Australia does."
According to Dr Itaoui, the transformation must be driven by evidence-based solutions that are co-designed, implemented and evaluated with the communities that they advocate with.
"One of our Centre's key propositions is to introduce a new model for better local infrastructure funding and community empowerment. One that Western Sydney can leverage its speed to take charge of its own planning and investment as a region," she said.
"We need to ensure that the days of the Western Sydney region only 'being on the menu and not at the table' are in the past."
