— Wesfarmers Court opened as part of $1 million sponsorship —
Curtin University has partnered with one of Australia’s largest listed companies, Wesfarmers, to create a million-dollar business education precinct at the University’s Bentley Campus.
The Managing Director of Wesfarmers, Mr Richard Goyder, today officially opened the first stage of the precinct, which has been named Wesfarmers Court.
The Wesfarmers sponsorship, will assist Curtin to develop the precinct and highlights Wesfarmers’ support and commitment to the delivery of higher education for the betterment of the community in Western Australia.
Wesfarmers Court is co-located with the Curtin Business School Trading Room, to enable it to integrate with the Trading Room’s technology, which includes 20 Bloomberg professional software licenses, and transform the space into a WA business education landmark.
Wesfarmers Court is part of the University’s Greater Curtin Master Plan – a long-term vision for 2030 to create a dynamic economic and innovative hub. The area will provide students, staff and industry with an activated precinct surrounded by state-of-the-art technology in a setting that encourages engagement between students, industry and the broader community.
Curtin University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Terry said the University was delighted to partner with Wesfarmers on this important project.
“Wesfarmers Court is the first of several activation nodes on our ‘Knowledge Highway’, which is a series of precincts through the campus that promote student engagement and activity,” Professor Terry said.
“With the transformation of education, we are seeing the interface between business and universities driving the transition from traditional university campuses to integrated innovation precincts.”
Wesfarmers Managing Director, Richard Goyder said it was exciting to partner with Curtin to provide a learning environment for future business and community leaders that would promote innovation and collaboration and help to develop industry-ready graduates.
“When almost every industry is being challenged by huge and rapid change, it has never been more important to encourage and embed the importance of innovation and collaboration in our region’s future decision-makers,” Mr Goyder said.
Wesfarmers Court is a high-traffic area situated at the northern end of the Bentley Campus adjacent to the Curtin Business School (CBS).
The first stage of the development, resulted in a major transformation of existing space to incorporate world-class technology with flexible outdoor business and study-focussed facilities.
A prominent digital ticker tape display surrounds Wesfarmers Court and supplies news of the day within the hub of the business area.
The second stage, which is due to commence soon, will extend the facilities to provide additional space for students, staff and the broader community to interact in a range of educational, social and business activities.
