Sustainability commitments and action plan

Research

Partnerships

Monash Data Futures Institute

Monash Data Futures Institute combines leading cross-disciplinary expertise, international partnerships and a large affiliate network. Using data-driven AI, we are enhancing health sciences, governance and policy and sustainable development – and empowering more agents of positive change.

Monash Energy Institute

Together with over 150 internationally-recognised researchers, we’re contributing our leading expertise in areas such as data science and smart energy systems, to pave the path to a sustainable energy future.

Net Zero Initiative

Monash is Australia’s first university to commit to an energy reduction target of net zero emissions by 2030. Through our Net Zero Precinct and the wider Monash Technology Precinct, we offer a living laboratory for academia and industry to generate transformative solutions that accelerate deep decarbonisation of our urban energy systems.

Grid Innovation Hub

The Grid Innovation Hub unites industry, innovators and researchers to explore more efficient national energy systems that can incorporate renewable energy sources, grid-side and customer-side technologies – enabling people to become empowered participants in the distributed energy revolution.

Woodside Monash Energy Partnership

Through this partnership, we’re helping Australia’s low-energy carbon transition by exploring high-efficiency and low-cost technological solutions to generate, store, and export carbon neutral energy, including hydrogen and its carriers.

Themes

We’re addressing climate, environmental and Through our key themes within Sustainability Informatics, we address climate change and environmental sustainability through our continued efforts across:

• IT for sustainable energy
• AgTech
• Environmental monitoring and ecological simulations

Centres

Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre OPTIMA

Partnering with industry, OPTIMA aims to develop an optimisation toolkit to:

• improve the global competitiveness of Australian companies
• reduce costs and delays
• enhance quality, efficiency and sustainability
• train a highly-skilled future workforce
• address skills shortages attributed to an estimated $315 billion in missed opportunities for the national economy.

Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs)

• RACE for 2030 CRC: We’re working towards the development of Reliable, Affordable, Clean Energy by 2030 for consumers and businesses. Through our leadership of the Race for Networks program, we’re optimising Australia’s electricity grid through customer distributed energy resources and network integration – making energy solutions more sustainable and accelerating the country’s journey towards a better energy future.
• Building 4.0 CRC: We’re contributing to the creation of an internationally-competitive, dynamic and thriving advanced manufacturing sector in Australia by delivering better buildings at lower cost as well as the human capacity to lead the future industry. Our IT capabilities are pioneering the digital transformation program to develop new solutions towards customer-centric, connected developments in the building sector.

Monash Blockchain Technology Centre (MBTC)

The MBTC is on the blockchain innovation journey. Blockchain is a transformational technology that will gradually revolutionise our economic and social systems. We conduct world-class research and partner with diverse industries to serve our communities and society, and address real-world problems.

Centre for Learning Analytics Monash (CoLAM)

CoLAM is a world-leader in learning analytics – and a globally-renowned hub for educating students and professionals in this area. Gathering top expertise from around the world, we’re developing our field while harnessing data to enhance human learning.

Education

Coursework

Leveraging emerging technologies to create smarter homes. Revealing valuable insights in big data. Optimising natural resources through innovative systems. IT can make a huge impact when it comes to sustainability.

The skills and knowledge gained from our undergraduate and postgraduate courses can be applied in tackling climate change and championing a healthier world. Expertise that’s in-demand across the globe:

• Business Information Systems (bachelor major/minor and master’s degree): Implement eco-friendly IT business practices to advance organisations towards their sustainability goals.
• Data Science (bachelor major/minor and master’s degree): Wrangle big data from diverse sources, such as the weather, satellite imagery and our climate, to uncover hidden insights and inform public decision-making.
• Software Development (bachelor major): Develop high-end, well-functioning apps and websites that can help people be more sustainable.
• Software Engineering (bachelor specialisation): Create and manage large-scale IT projects to address environmental challenges in energy, water, environmental monitoring and more.
• Information Technology (master’s degree): Learn how to problem solve and develop IT solutions to support sustainable practice.
• Artificial Intelligence (master’s degree): Using machine learning and modern optimisation techniques to reduce carbon emissions and our impact on the environment.
• Postgraduate Industry Experience Studio Project (master units): Encouraging students to apply their expertise and create solutions to sustainability challenges such as climate change, waste management and wildlife conservation.

We also offer a range of minor thesis and honours projects focused on sustainability, which are counted as units towards our degrees.

Graduate research

Aligned with our mission, we offer many opportunities for prospective graduate researchers to support and contribute to a social good project. With initiatives focused on food security, smart energy, ecosystem monitoring and more, our PhD students are empowered to contribute to sustainability in their own unique way.

With initiatives focused on food security, smart energy, ecosystem monitoring and more, our PhD students get the rare chance to collaborate with industry partners and contribute to sustainability in their own unique way.

Graduate researchers can find projects that align with their interests through Supervisor Connect.

Commitments

International Universities Climate Alliance

We are a signatory to the International Universities Climate Alliance.

The Alliance provides a central hub for universities to share the latest climate research with the public and enable greater collaboration between leading research teams, supporting global leaders, policymakers and industry in planning for and responding to climate change.

As a signatory, we:

• actively produce and share high-quality climate research to enable innovation and its application
• share our expertise and best practices in climate education to empower the next generation
• engage in effective research collaborations on a global scale.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)

On 8 September 2016, Monash University also signed a landmark commitment to the United Nations SDGs which aims to:

• Support and promote the principles of the SDGs.

• Undertake research that provides solutions to sustainable development challenges.

• Provide educational opportunities for students to gain the expertise needed to promote sustainable development.

• Contribute to achieving the SDGs by ensuring our campuses and major programs are environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.

• Promptly report on our activities in support of the SDGs.

As the Faculty of IT, we’re using our expertise across the spectrum of technology to champion these goals, protect the earth’s environment and biodiversity – and create a safer tomorrow.