2026 marks a decade-long collaboration between Aurecon and RMIT University's School of Property, Construction and Project Management, working together to redefine how higher education and industry build professional capability through lifelong learning.
At the heart of this collaboration is the Aurecon Design Academy (the Academy).
Beginning as a professional development initiative in 2016, the Academy has evolved into an internationally recognised, industry-embedded postgraduate program delivered through RMIT's Graduate Certificate in Design Management, integrating applied research, multidisciplinary learning, industry mentoring and real-world project challenges.
The Academy is founded on the belief that developing professional capability requires more than technical expertise alone.
Building on the concept of the T-shaped practitioner, the program cultivates technical mastery and professional eminence while extending capabilities in multidisciplinary collaboration, systems thinking, regenerative design, human-centred problem-solving and strategic leadership.
From a single cohort in 2016 to a globally recognised postgraduate program, the partnership has demonstrated an innovative model for lifelong learning and industry-embedded education.
More than 120 Aurecon Scholars have now completed the program from countries including Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, China and South Africa.
Professor Ron Wakefield, Dean of RMIT's School of Property, Construction and Project Management, said the partnership represents a significant and deliberate investment in advancing design capability within the engineering profession.
"Through the Graduate Certificate in Design Management, professionals are better equipped to navigate complexity, communicate their expertise and contribute to more integrated and impactful outcomes," he said.
Dr Karolina Bartkowicz, Program Manager of the Graduate Certificate in Design Management, said the Academy continues to evolve in response to the changing needs of industry and the capabilities required of practitioners today and into the future.
"The Academy is about investing in people throughout their professional careers, deepening their technical expertise while broadening their ability to think across disciplines, navigate complexity and approach challenges through a human-centred lens," she said.
"Our ambition is to develop practitioners who are not only experts in their fields, but also confident collaborators, critical thinkers and leaders capable of shaping meaningful change."
A defining feature of the partnership is its commitment to genuine co-design, with Aurecon contributing directly to curriculum development, teaching, mentoring, research supervision, assessment and ongoing program evolution.
Jointly designed, delivered and continuously refined by RMIT academics and Aurecon industry leaders, the program integrates academic rigour with contemporary industry practice, creating an authentic learning experience that extends beyond the classroom.
Chris Schell, Graduate Certificate in Design Management alumnus and Director, Environment & Planning at Aurecon, said the program equipped him with skills that fundamentally transformed his approach to professional practice.
"This change has been pervasive, and noticed by not only my peers at Aurecon, but also our clients. This change has been dramatic and positive, allowing me to solve problems in a holistic and transdisciplinary manner," he said.
The partnership's innovative approach to lifelong learning and industry engagement has received significant national and international recognition in 2026.
The Aurecon Design Academy was awarded Best in Class - Design Strategy at the Australian Good Design Awards and received a Silver Stevie Award at the International Business Awards for excellence in collaboration between academia and industry.
The Academy was also named a finalist in the AUBEA 2026 Industry-Academic Collaboration Award, recognised as an Excellence Awardee in the Human Resources Director Australia Awards for Best Learning and Development Program, and nominated for the 2026 Engagement Australia Award for Excellence in Industry Engagement.
As the partnership celebrates its 10-year milestone, the Aurecon Design Academy continues to demonstrate how industry and academia can work together to advance professional capability, foster organisational innovation and develop the professional capabilities needed to address increasingly complex challenges facing the built environment.
