Net-zero with high-schools

As the urgency of addressing climate change intensifies, expertise in industry-specific practices becomes paramount in teaching courses focused on achieving net-zero goals. With rapid advancements and evolving methodologies within various sectors, collaboration with industry experts ensures that learning remains at the forefront of innovation, a principle exemplified by TD School's 'Innovation in Complex Systems' course. 

The course is designed to equip students to be change-makers, enabling them to “develop general skills about creativity and innovation, problem-solving, understanding, empathy, visualisation and how to use play as a tool to break-down complexity, all while practicing their team-working skills,” explained subject coordinator, Dr Paul Brown.

Industry engagement in the program plays a critical role in supporting the development of these skills. 

The UTS microcredential is led by Dr Brown, a national and international award-winning scholar, alongside all-rounder Albert Ong - a hybrid mechatronics engineer, biotechnologist, and interaction designer.

With a background in educational innovation, accounting and business, Dr Brown specialises in innovation, particularly the measurement of sustainable interventions. As the Course Director of the TD School’s Diploma of Innovation, Dr Brown oversees the program from which the microcredential originates.

Meanwhile, Ong's extensive experience across various faculties at UTS, including engineering and IT, science, design, business, and transdisciplinary innovation, underscores his versatile skill set. His entrepreneurial journey as the founder and managing director of EdTech startup Tinkery, coupled with his time as a technology analyst at Accenture, highlights his commitment to tackling complex challenges and driving innovation across diverse organisations.  

Dr Brown and Ong’s deep understandings of innovation and complexity are supplemented by a constellation of industry partners.  

“For students, working with industry introduces a higher level of critical thinking and understanding of complexity as opposed to just working with academics or the information available online,” shared Ong.

Renowned for his lifelong dedication to climate change and extensive collaborations with government, industry and international bodies, Dr Patrick Crittenden, Director of Sustainable Business Group, was a key industry partner in this pilot program. 

Brown explained, “[Patrick] was able to bring a new perspective of what is happening in the industry, current challenges and what has previously been attempted, he helped the students to identify novel opportunities.” 

Stephen Rutter, a proud Trawlwulwuy man, and founder of The Scale Institute - a centre for innovation focusing on contemporary entrepreneurial education, enriched the program as an industry partner by facilitating an Indigenous perspectives workshop, equipping students with essential skills for respectful engagement with First Nations communities. 

To conclude the students' learning experience, the microcredential involved contributions from the UTS Sustainability team, who conducted tours of the university, offering insights into the sustainable innovation and infrastructure on campus, including the Green Gown Award-winning UTS Plastic Free Food Court and ground-breaking algae bioreactor, Green Genie.  

The ‘Innovation in Complex Systems’ microcredential is conducted partly at UTS and partly at the student’s high-school campus. Hills Grammar staff, including those across building operations management, accounting, finance, and the executive team contributed to the program by facilitating tours of typically restricted areas of the high-school campus, equipping students with ample data to make informed observations.  

With the program looking to expand and reach more secondary students, Dr Brown shared his vision, “we want industry partners who are in the business of sustainability or doing energy efficiency and who are actively and deeply involved in the problem space.”   

We want industry partners who are in the business of sustainability or doing energy efficiency and who are actively and deeply involved in the problem space.”  

Dr Paul Brown, UTS.

He added, “We want industry partners that have the problems that need to be solved and those with cutting-edge solutions so we can work together to produce these innovative mutual learning experiences.”  

For both Dr Brown and Ong, industry partners are an essential component of the transdisciplinary approach required to intervene in the net-zero challenge space. 

“The value of having guest speakers and industry partners is in the unique experience they bring. Everyone has their own experiences, own perspectives, and own lens, so by sharing these, students gain a more holistic view, especially when it comes to tackling and understanding complex systems,” concluded Ong.

If you are interested in being involved as an industry partner in this microcredential, please get in touch with   tdschoolpartnerships@uts.edu.au

To enquire about this microcredential for your school, please contact td.learning@uts.edu.au

To find out more about TD School’s microcredential offering, please visit    https://open.uts.edu.au/courses/td-school/