RMIT University and Mandaya Hospital Group Memorandum of Understanding

It is a pleasure to join you all here today.

Last year, I joined thousands of RMIT University students at a graduation ceremony in Melbourne, where I had the honour of being conferred an Honorary Doctorate.

In my address to the graduating class, I quoted Herbert Spencer, who once said that “the great aim of education is not knowledge but action”.

Today we gather to mark the signing of an agreement that embodies that spirit of action.

I had the privilege to lead RMIT as its third Vice Chancellor and President from 2005 to 2014.

It is a University with a proud tradition of seeing scientific and technical education as an engine for innovation and change.

This kind of education is forged in and from action and experience – “learning by doing”.

Today, Victoria is a global leader in health and life sciences and clinical trials capabilities.

35 per cent of Australia’s dedicated Phase One facility beds are in Victoria, and we conduct about one-third of Australia’s clinical trials.

We also produce 60 per cent of Australia’s pharmaceutical exports, and are ranked in the top 10 per cent of global life science startup hubs.

Improving real-world health outcomes can often be a long and difficult journey.

It is made easier not only through collaboration between institutions and industry, but also between jurisdictions.

As the proverb goes: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’

While Victoria can be proud of its significant achievements in medical research, its impact would be limited if it were contained to our shores only.

To benefit the greatest number of people, it is vital that knowledge is exchanged, and advancements are shared with our partners abroad – including Indonesia.

We are, after all, united by a shared goal to deliver better healthcare.

Indonesia, as our nation’s most populous neighbour, has significant potential to create shared benefits for our communities and workforces.

Australia and Indonesia also face similar challenges in ensuring our remote populations have access to health services, as remote regions are challenged by lack of traditional health infrastructure.

This new partnership between RMIT University and Mandaya Group represents a growing collaboration between Victoria and Indonesia in the health and life sciences sector.

It also signifies a commitment to tackling these opportunities and challenges together – through digital health, medical technology, and applied research initiatives.

But while we can speak broadly of these possibilities, it is the ‘action’ at the heart of this agreement that really matters.

That action will lead to more people living longer and healthier lives.

And that’s as much a cause for celebration as the signing of this significant agreement.

Congratulations to all involved, and best wishes for the years to come.

Thank you.