Professor Iain Martin

If you’re thinking about a partnership with Navitas, I think it is important to recognise that Navitas brings nearly three decades of experience in high quality international education. 

Hi, my name’s Iain Martin. I’m Deakin University’s Vice Chancellor. I’ve been here now just over five years. 

When and how did your university come to partner with Navitas? 

Deakin first partnered with Navitas more than 25 years ago. We started in a small way and the strengths and capabilities and capacity of Deakin College has grown over that time. So, this is a very long standing and very fruitful partnership for Deakin. 

What has been a highlight of your time with Navitas? 

When I think about my time with Navitas or working with Navitas, what’s been the highlight? Well, it’s hard to pull out one thing, but I think always you come back to the students. And you see the students who come into Deakin College, they succeed, go on into Deakin and make a real difference in their own lives and their careers. And each time you come across that, that’s sort of, I guess the highlight. 

But I think in terms of the specific Deakin College relationship, it has absolutely been the strengthening of that relationship over time. And even through COVID, we were able to build strength in our partnership and our relationship. And I think that robust friendship, collegiality is really important to us. 

How has partnering with Navitas made an impact on the university? 

So, Navitas has made a big impact on the university over the time that we worked together from those early beginnings 25 years ago. But during my time, I think what it’s done is it’s opened the doors for an Australian Deakin quality education for more people, and that’s critical. It’s enhanced our ability to build international friendships and partnerships, and it’s grown the capacity of what we can do for education on our campus. 

And then more recently, of course, we’ve been working together on the joint campus in Bandung in Indonesia. And that is absolutely enhancing both Deakin and Navitas coming together to do something almost unique in partnership with the University of Lancaster. 

What key achievements come to mind during the partnership with Navitas? 

When I look back at my five years at Deakin, what do I think about the key achievements? Well, I think undoubtedly it is deepening the strength of the relationship and particularly focusing on the quality of what we do together. That’s been a really important part of what we do. I think it is critically important we really concentrate on that. 

But again, it’s also been a very open partnership where if there are concerns or worries on either side, there is open, friendly but frank conversation that gets the problem sorted out and we can continue to deliver. 

I mentioned COVID earlier, but I think again, the way we were able to work through what was such a big change together has been very significant. 

What would you say to a university considering partnering with Navitas? 

If you’re thinking about a partnership with Navitas, I think it is important to recognise that Navitas brings three decades of experience in high quality international education. They’ve worked with a large number of partners, they’ve worked with a considerably wide range of models. So, they are adaptive and flexible, but also they’re a partner that you can work with. They’re a partner that you can bring challenges to, where things aren’t quite going how you’d like them to go, and they will work with you and adapt to make sure those issues are addressed. But they’re also a partner who understands that we have complementary but important, distinctive roles in post-18 education, and they understand the significance of that. They understand how to work together. 

So yep, they’ve been a great partner for Deakin, but as with any partnership, it’s only as good as the effort both sides puts in.