Teaching in Focus

By Vanessa Huron, Deputy Academic, Director of Teaching and NEXUS Fellow

Thirty and thriving

It is hard to believe that when the School of Aviation opened, it only had 11 students across two programs. Thirty years later, the School has welcomed over 3,000 students and boasts a portfolio of three undergraduate and three postgraduate programs supported by 28 academic staff and 35 professional staff. In addition, it has garnered numerous accolades and praise after the launch of its new undergraduate program suite in 2024.

When thirty and thriving, where to next?

As the School embarks on its next decade of delivering high-quality and impactful education, we are excited to welcome this new chapter and more opportunities to educate the future thought leaders of aviation and beyond. To achieve this vision, we have put more emphasis than ever before on creating national and international opportunities for our students to engage with industry and areas complementary to aviation including engineering and ecology.

We are proud to be reimagining our drone teaching offerings and creating new life-long learning opportunities for fostering engagement with diverse audiences, both within the UNSW community and the public at large. The School is preparing to launch new drone courses and a specialisation in 2026 for a range of UNSW students to enhance their employability with skills in drone applications. In addition to the highly successful ‘Managing Psychosocial Risk at Work’ life-long learning course being offered for its third year, the School prepares to launch other short course offerings to industry professionals wanting to enhance their skillset.

UNSW Aviation is working towards providing education that makes aviation accessible to all. The School is increasingly committed to the integration of traditional aviation with a multidisciplinary approach that acknowledges the breadth of the aviation industry. Importantly, this includes efforts to ensure that the School considers equity, diversity and inclusion for its students.

Given the rapid rise in the last thirty years, I look forward to seeing what the next three decades bring for our students and staff, and in turn, what our students and staff can bring to our communities.