Deakin vice-chancellor talks fibre at breakfast

THE outgoing vice-chancellor of Deakin has looked back on her time in charge at the university, saying she was confident the tertiary educator was on the right track in Geelong and had grown into a “damn good university”.

Professor Jane den Hollander was the guest speaker at Entrepreneurs Geelong’s latest breakfast event, held at the Australia Post Small Business Hive on May 4.

She said she was often asked why Deakin had decided to spend so much time and resources on advanced manufacturing, particularly the developments being made in carbon fibre at the Waurn Ponds campus, and Geelong’s history was part of her answer.

“It was a no-brainer… people are exceptionally good at wool in this town.”

Professor den Hollander said Deakin sought a long-term project for investment, and with many manufacturing jobs being lost in Geelong, settled on future fibre.

“What’s a future fibre? Carbon fibre. Did we know anything about carbon fibre? Not very much.

“We, the university, had to take the risk and bet the house on Geelong – I remember getting all the staff together for a huge town hall meeting – because it’s our job as a public university to do our bit and to create jobs for the future.”

Speaking on the subject of risk, she said her advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs was that they should “decide what your values are, and never change them”.

“And be ethical. You cannot break the law – look at the banking Royal Commission and learn.”

The next Entrepreneurs Geelong breakfast will be on June 1 with Ashley Bent from Sketch and Etch.