As Leaders in Sport we have over 200 partnerships and affiliations with peak sporting bodies, professional and community sporting clubs and groups that focus on public health and education.
The Real Madrid Graduate School Unversidad Europea, Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Institute of Sport and the Western Bulldogs Football Club are some of many unique strategic industry partnerships. They offer students and staff the best possible environments and collaborations to advance their careers.
It’s partly due to the strength of these partnerships that the University’s research in human movement and sports science, which includes elite athlete development, has been recognised as ‘well above world standard’ by the latest Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment.
Partner organisations offer our students placements and internships in Australia, contacts within the industry and sometimes a career upon graduation.
Most of our partners benefit in some way through access to our research, our staff, students and facilities. Affiliating with us enables them to target specific aspects of sport and exercise.
In 'Partnerships & affiliations':
Real Madrid Graduate School Universidad Europea
The five-year deal signed early 2015 with Real Madrid Graduate School Universidad Europea will see students in selected masters programs travel to Spain where they will be embedded at the school as part of a residential program and have access to the club.
Our recently signed off partnership with Real Madrid Graduate School Unversidad Europea highlights our unique position as we are the only University in the Asia Pacific to partner with them. They work in partnership with Real Madrid Football Club, the biggest sporting club in the world. Their decision to partner with Victoria University further cements our reputation as Australia’s leading sport university.
The partnership will also bring Real Madrid expertise directly to classes in Australia. Real Madrid Graduate School Universidad Europea staff will visit Victoria University to teach courses, and share their expertise with students in Australia.
More about the partnership between Victoria University and the Real Madrid Graduate School Universidad Europea.
Australian Institute of Sport / Australian Sports Commission partnership
In 2011, VU's Institute of Sport, Exercise & Active Living (ISEAL) (part of the College of Sport and Exercise Science) signed a partnership agreement with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).
The ASC is the Australian Government's primary national sports administration and advisory agency. The ASC plays a central leadership role in the development and operation of the Australian sports system, administering and funding innovative sport programs and providing leadership, coordination and support for the sport sector. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is Australia's premier sports training institute, internationally acknowledged as a world's best practice model for high performance athlete development.
An important part of the long-term partnership was the establishment of jointly funded research positions such as the appointment of Professor Damian Farrow, funded by the AIS and VU.
Joint appointments and scholarships such as those with the AIS and the ASC increase collaboration between our organisations to bring together the best of academia and the sport industry.
In 2011, the Australian Institute of Sport launched a national applied research effort in collaboration with the National Institutes and other relevant external agencies (CSIRO, ISEAL at Victoria University, NICTA) to enhance athlete performance.
Athlete Friendly University Network
VU is a member of the Australian Sports Commission's Elite Athlete Friendly University (EAFU) Network. Our athlete support program aims to help students balance study with training and competition demands.
Sporting Success project
The Sporting Success project is jointly funded by the Australian Sports Commission, Gymnastics Australia and Victoria University. Through a systematic 5-year program of research, the project will identify the key predictors of long-term engagement in sport and physical activity and its association with academic achievement.
Western Bulldogs AFL club
The Victoria University and Western Bulldogs partnership is one of the longest relationships between an AFL club and a university. This unique partnership is like no other, with the range and depth developed over two decades of association.
In 2018 VU will not only sponsor the AFL team, but we'll also partner with the state VFL team and the women's football team (AFLW). We'll also support upcoming players through the Next Generation Academy.
Key factors in our partnership with the Western Bulldogs include:
- training and research
- conjoint or shared staff
- Bulldogs friendly schools program
- practical placements for our students in business, event and hospitality fields.
The Bulldogs use our facilities and expertise of our sport scientists in performance enhancement and development, rehabilitation and recovery.
An article on the Bulldogs website explains how players are using the facilities in our Altitude Hotel to recover from injury.
Maribyrnong College
Victoria University also has a close association with the Sports Specialism at Maribyrnong College, Victoria's first government sports school.
The College has access to Victoria University staff for expert advice and input into a range of fields connected to the specialist sport curriculum - exercise physiology, biomechanics, exercise prescription, rehabilitation.
Elite athletes from the school have the opportunity to transition into tertiary education through relevant and convenient study and career pathways to our sports themed courses.
Western Jets Football club
We provide the Jets with access to our state-of-the-art facilities including an aquatic centre, gymnasium and indoor training facilities, allowing the Jets to operate as a professional organisation. Our relationship also assists young Jets players make a smooth transition into tertiary study after they finish high school. Students are given access to our facilities to receive a solid grounding in exercise science.
The Jets partnerships gives us access to the TAC Cup's state-wide advertising through the TAC Cup record as well as assisting with several major VU events including Open Day.
Watch a video of our staff working with the Western Jets.
Netball Victoria
Our researchers in ISEAL have teamed up with Netball Victoria and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to develop a world-leading indoor player tracking system.
PhD researcher Alice Sweeting from Victoria University is working closely with a cross-sectional group of netball players including the Australian Diamonds over the next three years to monitor the performance, speed and agility of the athletes on court.
Universidad Europea Madrid
One of our newest partnerships is with Universidad Europea Madrid – the research organisation for Real Madrid – the biggest Football (soccer) club in the world.
Sport and Recreation Industry Pathway (SARIP) Program
Sport and Recreation Industry Pathway (SARIP) is a Department of Education & Early Childhood Development (DEECD) funded project that is a partnership between the College of Sport & Exercise Science and Essendon Keilor College, Maribyrnong College and Manor Lakes College.
The SARIP program delivers a quality sport based curriculum in conjunction with Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) guidelines.
Other collaborations
A full list of strategic partnerships and collaborations is available on our ISEAL website.
A few of the key relationships are:
- Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS)
- CSIRO
- ESSA
- YMCA
- Australian Sports Technologies Network.
Opportunities for our students
Our partnerships, in addition to providing platforms for our research, also provide great learning and career opportunities for our students.
Our Sport and Exercise Science students enjoy the facilities of our industry partners including the $8 million VU education research centre for sport and exercise sciences at Whitten Oval Stadium.
Our Bachelor of Sport Science students have the opportunity to pursue a cadetship with one of our partners – the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne Storm and Maribyrnong College – to gain practical experience in a professional sports environment.
Australian Sports Technologies Network
Leaders in Sport
Victoria University (VU) is the leading sport university through our approach to sport, exercise and active living-related:
- research
- teaching and learning
- industry and community engagement.
