Shaping the future through collaboration

How Southern Cross University is driving sustainability through partnerships

Researchers using equipment to test river health
Nursing student with anatomy model

Global partners in healthcare education

Every year hundreds of Southern Cross students travel abroad to learn how others overcome the challenges of healthcare in their own countries. These experiences are life-changing, fostering a deep sense of cultural connection to another country, while also enabling students to understand more about global healthcare and how to apply this knowledge in their practice as skilled and empathetic healthcare professionals.

Nursing placement in India
Scientist in overalls crouched in creek with equipment

Water science supporting population growth

Rivers are critical veins for our urban centres, often the place where treated wastewater and stormwater runoff is discharged. But as our cities grow rapidly, we need to ensure our rivers can cope. These researchers are working with utility providers, using their knowledge of water systems and nutrient cycling to assist urban planning decisionmakers.

River health study
Person crushing food in mortar with pestel

Shaping the future of natural medicines

A recent forum, run by the University’s National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine highlighted the role of University-run clinical trials in developing a safe and effective complementary medicines industry. NCNM researchers are also focused on the role of Indigenous Knowledge in product development and making sure the benefits of this billion-dollar industry are shared more equitably.

Indigenous knowledge in naturopathic medicine
Diver swimming above coral reef

Buying time for fragile ecosystems

Coral reefs around the world are underwater gardens of biodiversity threatened by marine warming. The Great Barrier Reef has suffered diverse mass bleaching events in recent years. Now scientists in partnership with universities around the country are looking at innovative solutions to buy some time for reefs through cloud brightening, using water cannons to spray seawater into the sky.

Cloud brightening to protect corals
Hands holding cement cylinder showing plastic aggregate

Seeing waste as a resource

Champion of local circular economies that can scale, the ReCirculator program at Southern Cross has developed diverse pilot programs to turn trash into treasure. These have included converting waste plastics into a concrete additive, into fuel or even into filament to 3D print housing. The project has also developed solutions with the agricultural industry to turn their waster products intro nutrient-rich compost or clean water.

ReCirculator
Two people in protective clothing inspecting honeycomb

Feeding our planet in a changing climate

Agriculture is at the frontline of climate change. These researchers are working with farmers and industry to develop crops that are more resilient, use less water, emit fewer greenhouse gases and that can substitute resource-hungry traditional crops while providing greater nutritional value. Their work covers cannabis, rice, tea tree, coffee and the insects that pollinate a third of our food crops: honey bees.

Harvest to Health Research Cluster

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