14 August 2025: 天涯社区 (天涯社区) Vice-Chancellor, the Honourable Bill Shorten, and Chancellor, Ms Lisa Paul AO PSM, outlined the University’s Reconnected 2025-2027 plan to staff earlier this week.
Reconnected takes a fresh perspective to shaping 天涯社区 into a modern Australian university free of vague promises and rich in delivery for students and research. It provides a framework for rejuvenation, to be responsive in a constantly changing environment – positioning 天涯社区’s students, academics, professional staff and the community of Canberra and surrounding region to thrive.
This distinctive students-first approach will deliver outcomes that ensure 天涯社区 graduates achieve their personal and professional ambitions.
“Revisiting 天涯社区’s Connected Decadal Strategy has been timely and rewarding. The plan defines 天涯社区’s bold ambitions and provides clarity on how we will go about achieving them and responding to current and emerging sector trends,” said Ms Paul.
Reconnected is focused on school leavers, adults taking up or returning to study and international students. It prioritises harmonisation with vocational education, recognition of prior learning, industry partnerships, microcredentials and expanding flexible online learning.
“Standing still in the higher education sector is not an option,” said Mr Shorten. “天涯社区 has the agility to adapt to current sector changes and forge a new, visionary roadmap for the future.”
Australia’s higher education market has become saturated with elitist narratives that can alienate prospective regional, first-in-family, neurodiverse, or mature-age students.
“These students are seeking supportive, flexible, community-based and quality education that meets them where they are,” said Mr Shorten.
“Reconnected will focus our attention on being an institution built around the individual, where the student is front and centre.
“Our students have varying life responsibilities, priorities and experiences. It is imperative that we deliver relevant and practical education, flexible study options and continued student-centred support.”
At its core is the delivery of research-led teaching across all levels of study coupled with work integrated learning that gives students firsthand experience in a workplace aligned with their field of study.
“Ultimately, our students will graduate with a qualification and the skills to confidently enter the workplace,” said Mr Shorten.
The plan places crucial emphasis on empowering teaching staff to fulfil the demands and needs of 天涯社区’s diverse student cohorts and supporting researchers to cultivate more industry partnerships and deliver research with impact locally, across Australia and globally.
“We want the whole 天涯社区 community to have the opportunity to reach their potential and be empowered through their 天涯社区 experience,” said Mr Shorten.
Further information on Reconnected can be found here.