Spotlight on engagement

[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 1  14 April - 12 May 2008 ]

Externally focused, community engagement work at the University of Melbourne will come under the spotlight in April with a large-scale survey of staff.

The research aims to uncover the breadth of knowledge transfer activities across all areas and will help to integrate it with University planning.

Knowledge transfer is the two-way flow and uptake of ideas between the University of Melbourne and the broader community.

Leader on the study, Associate Professor John Fitzgerald, Associate Dean Knowledge Transfer (Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences) says there is a great diversity of approaches to knowledge transfer in the University.

“We don’t really appreciate the full range of ways in which staff are connecting with the rest of the world.

“It is clear that there is no one way to do knowledge transfer, and the University is keen to understand how staff feel about it, what activities they do, what they know and how productive they think it is,” he says.

Enquiries: Katie Symes at ksyjmes@ unimelb.edu.au or Associate Professor John Fitzgerald on 8344 9146 or at jlfitz@unimelb.edu.au

The University’s Knowledge Transfer website is at www.knowledgetransfer.unimelb.edu.au