Episode
Professor Alex Zelinsky AO, VC and President, University of Newcastle
- Podcast
- Reimagining HigherEd
- Published
- Dec 17, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2235
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Professor Alex Zelinsky AO reflects on his journey from first-in-family to leading the University of Newcastle, emphasising how his experiences at CSIRO and in defence shaped his commitment to research with real-world impact. Speaking with host, Professor Judyth Sachs, he identifies a ‘triangle of unhappiness’ in the sector, caused by over-regulation, flawed funding models, and a lack of collaboration between government, unions, and universities. To combat these challenges, Prof Zelinsky champions a multidisciplinary, integrated model of education, highlighted by Newcastle’s mandatory career-ready placements, to ensure student success and drive regional economic transformation.