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The experiences were unprecedented for 1000 students then and resulted from leadership and facilitated collaborative planning . The opportunities for many times more student interns , across multiple universities in 2032 , can ’ t be left to chance . An example in 2018 were the 40 journalism students who ran a press office for a week co-located with the games ’ village . They produced a daily newspaper for all athletes and officials , with unprecedented access . Try replicating that in a classroom or other learning setting .
Students and staff contributed to medal design , baton relay manufacture , ventilation installations in velodromes , stadium architectural design , digital marketing strategies , HR planning , water quality management , opening and closing ceremony performances and to the first reconciliation action plan ever adopted by any major games .
But it is the sustainable partnership and engagement legacy that can arise from involvement in a major event such as this that is the enduring opportunity for all universities . If a university , or groups of them , simply prepare and rock up for two to three weeks and then return to previous practices for learning , research , partnerships and engagement , a huge opportunity will be lost .
A major event , such as the Brisbane Olympics , gives an opportunity for many Australian universities to demonstrate their value on a world stage , when everyone is watching , in ways that change how all universities are perceived , valued and engaged with , sustainably .
Imagine what could be possible if universities started planning early for this together , rather than treating it as a competition and a race ? There is a sense that we are coming out into the light at the end of the tunnel , into a new arena of partnerships and collaboration . The planning that starts now for the Brisbane Olympic Games gives a real chance to
The Brisbane Olympics provides an opportunity for many Australian universities to demonstrate their value on a world stage , when everyone is watching .
build an Australian team that can go for gold . It is probably what the organising committee , nation and world expects . ■
Martin Betts is Emeritus Professor at Griffith University and co-founder of HEDx .
Jennifer Whyte is Professor of Project Management , Head of School of Project Management and Director of the John Grill Institute for Project Leadership , University of Sydney .
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