26 ] September 13-14, 2014 The Weekend Australian


 Going global in your own backyard
 Australia has 39 home-grown universities, but there are some surprising overseas options available right here in Adelaide.


AS more postgraduates look to give themselves an edge in the international employment market, some are completing an overseas degree right here in Australia.


As part of the University City vision outlined by former Premier Mike Rann, Adelaide has attracted “two of the world’s best universities” to its CBD in the past decade. The US-based Carnegie Mellon University opened its doors to students in 2006 while University College London (UCL) accepted its first cohort in 2010.


UCL’s School of Energy and Resources is a graduate school offering masters and PhD programs developed specifically for the Australian context.


Chief executive, David Travers says while UCL’s enrolment currently sits at 88, the campus hopes to reach its statutory cap of 120 students in the next few years.


He says students are attracted to UCL Australia for a range of reasons.


“We get enquiries from students at the top universities around the world. They want the UCL brand recognition, they want to specialise in mining and resources and they are also open to our geographical location in South Australia.”


Travers says another key feature is UCL’s relationship with industry – giants such as BHP Billiton, Santos and Chevron fund chairs, scholarships and research and companies such as Rio Tinto, ANZ and AGL host research projects.


"Our graduates are snapped up by Bain, Woodside, Santos, BHP – after three graduating classes we can now see where our alumni actually go. As head of the campus that is one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” Travers says


“Our emphasis is on quality. We are consistently ranked as one of the top five universities in the world so our standard of entry is high.”


Graduates from UCL Australia receive the same parchment as their peers at UCL in Bloomsbury, London. Their degrees are equally recognised in Australia and the UK, says Travers.


UCL has recently reregistered with Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency and has also achieved self-accrediting status, which Travers says may generate the option for UCL to branch out beyond energy and resources.


“Given the federal government’s proposed reforms and the possible opening up of competition in the higher education market, it’s something we’re looking at.”


Located next to UCL is Carnegie Mellon which offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in information technology, public policy and management. Graduates earn an American degree which executive director, Dr. Emil P Bolongaita says has seen the Adelaide campus experience rapid growth.


“The majority of our students are interested in global careers, especially in IT and information systems. Employment outcomes are a big drawcard for prospective students because they can see that the investment they make in the degree can be recovered fairly quickly,” says Bolongaita.


Students can also complete part of their degree at CMU’s home campus in Pittsburgh.


“This opens the US market for them, which is very attractive. We are looking now at also offering students the opportunity to complete part of their course in Silicon Valley.”


After several years gaining traction and establishing a name in the local postgraduate market, Bolongaita says he feels confident about Australia, the region and the future of Carnegie Mellon in Adelaide. More than 80 per cent of enrolments are international students.


“Many come from China and India, but also Vietnam, The Philippines and more recently Argentina. We have had a lot of interest recently from South American students. “We are growing at around 10 to 15 per cent a year. With such momentum, we feel very positive about our future in Australia.”


 


From here to Pittsburgh and back
Megan Boundey


WHEN Megan Boundey began a masters of science in information technology at Carnegie Mellon University in Adelaide, she was told the qualification would open many doors. “This has certainly been the reality for me,” says Boundey, who graduated from the course in 2008 and now works for Google in Sydney.


“A huge plus was the opportunity to spend a semester of my degree in Pittsburgh. It was there that I really began to realise the value of graduating from Carnegie Mellon. It’s as highly regarded as Stanford or MIT.”


In her final semester, Boundey attended a seminar led by a recruitment director from Oracle. Taking the bull by the horns, she approached him about a job. Two days later she was booked on a plane to San Francisco for interviews.


“Spending three and a half years working in Silicon Valley was incredible and I don’t think I would have had such an opportunity without Carnegie Mellon.”


Boundey says she chose the masters at Carnegie Mellon because she felt its subjects would give her the skills she needed to progress her career.


As the winner of a Telstra Media Communications and Technology Scholarship, her tuition fees were paid.


“That was absolutely amazing. I wouldn’t have been able to do the degree full time without financial support.”


Now, as a product manager with one of the world’s most recognised technology companies, Boundey is loving life.


“At Google, there are opportunities to extend yourself every day. Every project is different and bigger than the last one so you’re always developing new skills.”


 


 

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40