Education in the Great Southern
The Great Southern region offers a diverse range of educational opportunities, including tertiary education through the University of Western Australia (UWA) Albany Campus and South Regional TAFE, which has campuses in Albany, Mount Barker, Katanning, and Denmark. These institutions provide courses in fields such as natural resource management, marine sciences, general education, health services, and more. The region also features the Albany Regional University Hub, which supports both domestic and international students with co-working spaces and student services.
Looking ahead, the Great Southern has significant growth potential, particularly in attracting international students. Plans include expanding student accommodation and the Regional University Hub’s facilities, alongside strategic marketing and government support to enhance the region’s appeal as a unique and vibrant place to study.
Projects
UWA Albany Centre
In 1999, the GSDC collaborated with the University of Western Australia (UWA) to establish the UWA Albany Centre. The centre enhances the Great Southern with tertiary teaching and research in association with Western Australia’s oldest university.
Students at the UWA Albany Centre can complete entire degrees or start their studies in Albany before transitioning to UWA’s Crawley campus in Perth. The centre supports both school-leavers and mature-age students in a friendly environment, offering honours and postgraduate studies, including a unique Master of Ecotourism degree, the only one of its kind in Western Australia.
The UWA Albany Centre hosts regular public lectures from visiting academics. The GSDC sponsors an annual scholarship for an honours student at the centre.
Affordable Student Accommodation
In 2016 the GSDC began the process of assisting Advance Housing in the Affordable Student Housing Project.
The project began with the understanding that affordable student accommodation is an integral part of growing the education sector in the Great Southern.
The GSDC created a business case for the development of further affordable student accommodation options in Albany. Following this, Stage 1 of the project involved the construction of student units opposite the University of Western Australia Albany Campus. Stage 2 of the project was a $16 million redevelopment of the Old Albany Primary School, creating an additional 40 student units.
Regional benefits of the project have included student retention and attraction, a broadening of the skills base and knowledge pool in the region, economic flow-on from increased student population, and growth of higher education institutions
Centre for Excellence in Natural Resource Management
The Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management (CENRM) is an Albany-based research centre of the University of Western Australia (UWA). It was established as an initiative of UWA and the GSDC, with the financial and in-kind support of a number of state and other entities, including the Commonwealth through the then Great Southern Area Consultative Committee.
The cutting-edge research at the centre, seeks to study and solve natural resource management issues.
Great Southern International Education Strategy and Action Plan 2023-30
In 2023, we worked with education industry experts and stakeholders to develop a roadmap for further development of the region’s higher education sector. The result was the Great Southern International Education Strategy and Action Plan 2023-30, which outlined the plan to grow international student recruitment by leveraging the region’s comparative advantage, education infrastructure, existing education providers, course offerings and support services.
