Our Research Strategy
Our Research Strategy advocates optimising the collective expertise of our researchers and responding to local and global issues.
We promote a vibrant environment that encourages real world impact research that matters through active industry and community involvement in knowledge exchange, research translation and research commercialisation initiatives.
Our distinction
Industry's University
We focus on creating knowledge addressing practical solutions to challenges as we aim for innovation to benefit our partners. We are very connected to our research end users. Our partners range from large global corporations to small community based not for profit organisations.
University of the future
Our research program is critical to ensuring the university maintains the quality and relevance of its curriculum and prepares our graduates for the world of work. As the fastest growing university in Australia, we have grown from 164 students to over 21,000 since 2014. Our research activities are expanding at an incredible rate. Our research student community has doubled every year since 2019.
Global university
We work both globally and locally with studies and partnerships located in communities around the world. As we are owned by an international company, Torrens University Australia has an international outlook. 50% of our Higher Degree by Research students are international students, who contribute new insights to our Be Good mission and support our commitment to our B Corporation certification.
We are a Certified B Corporation
Our Research Strategy is informed by our Be Good principles which advocates using our institutions’ collective skills to create positive and lasting change towards a better world.
We continue to build upon the momentum of research that has been achieved in our short history.
Over the next few years, our goal is to create thought leadership across our four research themes as we develop high performing research teams with our partner network.
We will maintain our focus on four key principles; our research matters, our researchers matter, our reputation matters and real-world impact matters as we develop impactful research through collaborative efforts with industry.
Interdisciplinary research university themes
Today’s world problems are complex and may be beyond the scope of a single discipline or field or research practice.
Interdisciplinary research integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialised knowledge to advance our fundamental understanding or create new solutions.
Our research aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We are a Certified B Corporation and collectively research to create positive impact in the world. Our researchers work together on challenges to develop applied and innovative outcomes through four major University wide research themes.
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Building health solutionsOur applied health research provides data, evidence and tools to make health care affordable, safe, effective, equitable, accessible and patient-centred. Through this evidence base and an interdisciplinary approach, we create solutions for individual and community well-being, patterns of healthcare and health care costs.
People and industry for impactThe world is seeing massive innovation in how education, work ready programs and training are delivered preparing students for future employment. Rapid technological change is disrupting businesses across all industries. Interdisciplinary research in this theme creates positive impact through identifying the new skills and capabilities for the future.
Security and sustainabilityWe face global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. This research theme is developing an evidence base to create frameworks for sustainable and secure practices and addressing local and global challenges with a focus on creating social, environmental and ethical impacts safeguarding the future. We are committed to the Sustainable Development goals to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
Discipline research
Our targeted areas across our research centres include the following disciplines:
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Centre of Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimisation (AIRO)Cutting-edge research in Artificial Intelligence and Optimisation providing leadership and creating intelligent solutions to benefit societies. Starting with industry, community, professional bodies, and government’s needs, we engage in the research process with collaborators, end users and advisors.
Centre for Healthy Futures (CHEF)Through research on environmental, lifestyle and economic factors that impact health and quality of life, our research contributes to better understanding healthcare systems and developing technology for both individual and whole of population Health.
Centre for Organisational Change and Agility (COCA)Our practice and theory informed research approach spans research topics from finance and global project management, global supply and value to leadership, business systems and organisational behaviour.
