When global perspectives meet local impact: Reflections from the Diversifying Visitors to UNSW Engineering Scheme 2025

In engineering, the most meaningful breakthroughs often begin with a conversation or a new perspective shared across borders, disciplines and lived experience.

The Diversifying Visitors to UNSW Engineering Scheme is an annual program that brings international academics to UNSW Engineering. This year, the fund enabled the Faculty to welcome visitors from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe—not just as visitors—but as collaborators, co‑creators and long‑term partners.

In one week, a conversation about manufacturing data evolved into plans for AI‑based predictive maintenance, linking algorithms tested at UNSW with real‑world vibration signals from a large industrial facility in Vietnam. Drafts are now moving toward joint studies and publications while discussions continue on joint supervision.

Across campus, a different dialogue took shape around circular energy systems, financial and environmental models for repowering and recycling.  That dialogue now anchors a joint manuscript and expanded team connections spanning UNSW’s Artificial Intelligence Characterisation Defects Research Group (ACDC), Australian National University and European partners.

Postdoctoral Fellow from School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy, Rama Sharma, was responsible for the visit the prompted this dialogue.

He said, “The visit fully met both my personal and the faculty’s expectations. It facilitated meaningful research collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategic networking opportunities.”

Another international visitor took us from lecture halls to wastewater plants and research labs, translating site insights into ideas for hydrologic modelling, curriculum design around the SDGs and humanitarian engineering placements—the kind of learning that moves seamlessly between field and classroom.

In Biomedical Engineering, a chance meeting grew into a diagnostics project for precision oncology complete with an invited seminar, cross‑school lab visits, a joint publication and a co‑submitted funding application.

“This visit established long‑term collaboration leading to joint projects, funding applications, publications, and PhD supervision,” said Fei Deng, Lecturer from School of Biomedical Engineering.

The Faculty also welcomed a senior humanitarian practitioner from the World Food Programme (WFP), who co‑created a UNSW–WFP concept note with clear pathways to external funding, engaged students and leadership. They also delivered a public seminar and showcased SDG‑aligned work, bridging research, teaching, and real‑world impact in food systems.

“The visit achieved its objectives of strengthening strategic engagement with the World Food Programme and diversifying international perspectives within the Faculty,” said Associate Professor from School of Chemical Engineering, Alice Lee.

Mehrisadat Makki Alamdari, Senior Lecturer from School of Civil and Environmental Engineering was also responsible for hosting a visitor in 2025. She praised the scheme, saying, “The scheme proved highly beneficial for both UNSW and the visitor, providing a strong basis for future collaboration. I extend my sincere thanks to the Faculty of Engineering for their generous support in making this visit possible.”

Looking back, the success of the 2025 program lies not only in the publications submitted, grants pursued, or partnerships formalised, but in the trust and momentum created. Relationships formed this year are already continuing through co‑authored work, reciprocal visits and shared supervision of future researchers.

The Diversifying Visitors to UNSW Engineering Scheme is a powerful reminder that investment in people and perspectives is an investment in research excellence. As we look ahead, the Faculty of Engineering remains committed to deepening these global connections because when diverse experiences come together, the possibilities for impact grow exponentially.