The Protected Cropping Teaching team at Western Sydney University has received a Highly Commended award for Industry Engagement in Engagement Australia's Excellence Awards for 2024. This is in addition to a recent award for Excellence and Outreach from the Australian Society of Plant Scientists.
The team members are Professor Zhonghua Chen, Distinguished Professor David Tissue, Professor Oula Ghannoum, Dr. Jay Bose, Dr. Rob Sharwood, Dr. Michelle Mak, Dr. Jing He, Dr. Amy-Marie Gilpin, and Mr. David Randall.
Staff and students from the most recent cohort.
These awards are in recognition of the partnership between Western Sydney University and the leading horticultural companies in Australia, who have supported the course with scholarships, internships, lectures, and tutorials. These companies are Irribiz, Perfection Fresh, Costa, Flavorite, Lynch Group, Enza Zaden, Yara Australia, Greenplus, Priva, Syngenta, and Green Camel. Support was also received from Hort Innovation Australia, Protected Cropping Australia, and the Hydroponic Farmer's Federation, which are the main industry bodies associated with protected cropping in Australia.
The team leader, Professor Zhonghua Chen, said "We are pleased to receive awards, but our greatest achievement has been developing the workforce for the protected cropping sector. These are the 284 students who have already completed our suite of subjects. These subjects have been taken as part of the qualification for a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, or as a major in the Master of Science degree. These students, many of whom are from South and South-East Asia, will provide a lasting benefit for the protected cropping industry here in Australia and throughout Asia".
For more information:
Western Sydney University
westernsydney.edu.au/