Partnering with Sandbox

Personalise
2022 UNSW Sandbox End-of-Year Event

Contribute to the development of future-ready graduates, examine exploratory projects and develop meaningful relationships and connections with leading academics at UNSW.

Academic Experts

Opportunity to contribute research expertise in addressing real-world challenges and support students in getting future-ready.

Students

Expand experience by working on real industry challenges with support from academics and professionals from the industry, cultivate transferable skills required for lifelong learning and a successful career.

Industry

Contribute to the development of future-ready students through direct input into curriculum design and active involvement in challenge-driven education and create greater visibility, and gain direct access to talented students and subject matter experts while gaining fresh perspectives and creative solutions to current problems.

Partnering with Us – 3 Simple Steps:


1)     Submit a Sandbox Challenge 

The starting point of a Sandbox is the identification of a meaningful problem. Industry partners are invited to propose enticing and important challenges – we are looking for challenges that would benefit from a fresh perspective and facilitate the acquisition of contemporary knowledge. The expected solutions of a challenge can take various forms, from proofs-of-concepts and information slide decks, to pitch videos and professional whitepapers.

Academics with relevant expertise will work with industry partners to scope the project, formulate requirements, and define appropriate expectations. The project will then be embedded in the appropriate course(s) as authentic assessments.

2)     Engage in tripartite collaboration

We provide flexible engagement options. Our academics collaborate closely with industry partners to identify the most suitable engagement model, taking into consideration factors such as project scope and course level.

In every Sandbox, our industry partners will conduct a Project Launch session at the onset of the academic term. This session introduces the project(s) and provides relevant background information to the students, equipping them to develop the most feasible solutions. Throughout the term, academics serve as mentors to the students, leveraging their subject matter expertise to guide them towards effective solutions for the projects.

3)     Celebrate the impact! 

At the conclusion of a Sandbox, industry partners will review the solutions created by the students, and provide feedback to support students’ reflection and consolidation of learnings. This usually includes a formal session where students present their solutions to the industry partners and obtain feedback. 

The trilateral relationship developed from the Sandbox engagement will continue to grow beyond this point. Subsequent engagement can take various forms, including a longer-term mentoring program, work-shadowing and internship opportunities, co-hosting events, new research partnerships and more. Many of our students who have completed a Sandbox course commence their careers in graduate and vacationer positions at the partner organisation.

UNSW

“What makes a Sandbox Program different from any other projects that I have experienced was the level of access to industry professionals who are experts in their field.”

- Jack Pittman, Bachelor of Commerce/Information Systems, 2023

UNSW

“The industry partnership with Ernst & Young in my cyber security Sandbox was really influential. I will be joining the company as a graduate.”

- Caroline Ng, Bachelor of Information Systems (Honours) (Co-op), 2023

UNSW

“My team had an opportunity to experiment in a low-pressure environment, but still get feedback from both peers and industry partners.”

- Michael Jacinto, Bachelor of Actuarial Studies/Commerce, 2021

UNSW

"Completing a Sandbox Project was enriching as it was very different to other courses. It encouraged me to be analytical and become aware of how companies operate and the complexity of cybersecurity in the digital space.

As I near the end of my degree, this project was memorable as it gave me a networking opportunity whilst also educating me about my own digital footprint.

After completing the course, my family members, friends, including myself have been more conscious about our online activity e.g., managing cookies. When I asked them about what they thought about the course, they mentioned that more courses should be designed like this where students are able to interact with companies whilst undertaking real-life experience as it is more enjoyable and sparks our interest/engagement!”

- Zoe Kanginan, Bachelor of Commerce, 2022

UNSW

“Working with an actual organisation raises the stakes of the project and incentivised every member to put in extra effort to attain an outstanding result, knowing that our work would be reviewed by professionals in the industry. It also provided useful insights into the state of cybersecurity at large organisations and how we can devise strategies to elevate an organisation's cybersecurity landscape. Overall, it was an amazing learning experience.”

- Anthony Cho, Bachelor of Civil Engineering & Commerce (Information Systems), 2022

Sandbox Highlights

Watch our project showcase here

Meet our people

Founding Director, UNSW Sandbox Program Dr Yenni Tim
Founding Director, UNSW Sandbox Program
Deputy Director, UNSW Sandbox Program Dr Kevin Liu
Deputy Director, UNSW Sandbox Program