The partnership announced this week includes an initial commitment by the University of Sydney to contribute more than $60M for new education facilities, upgrades to existing spaces and new academic programs and initiatives.
This is on top of the university’s annual $35M staffing commitment to the precinct.
The funding boost will ensure clinicians, students and researchers at Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead Institute for Medical Research and the
Children’s Medical Research Institute will be able to continue to meet the health needs of western Sydney and beyond.
The new facilities and programs will support expanded expertise and educational opportunities in areas like data sciences, engineering, physics, business management and the social sciences.
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner welcomed the agreement.
“I congratulate the University of Sydney and the precinct partners on this partnership,” she said.
“Students across Westmead – who are the clinicians and researchers of the future - will enjoy the contemporary teaching, learning and working spaces to be built with this new funding.”
University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Dr Michael Spence said the partnership was an important part of the university’s work in western Sydney.
“A key focus of the next era of strategic growth for the University of Sydney will be in – and for – western Sydney, and this is the early phase of what we anticipate will be a $500m investment over the next 15 years,” he said.
“Importantly, this investment will build on the university’s areas of strength with its partners at Westmead.”
WSLHD chief executive Danny O’Connor said Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney had a long-standing partnership, dating back to the hospital’s official opening in 1978.
The new spaces will be available to other precinct partners, giving them access to contemporary education facilities not currently available at Westmead.
The university is also working with the precinct partners on the proposal for the Westmead Innovation Centre - a knowledge-sharing hub for patients, clinicians and researchers that will foster a culture of innovation.
The investment is one part of the $3.4 billion earmarked by government, universities and the private sector for investment at Westmead over the next decade, including new commercial and residential facilities and development of the Parramatta Light Rail.
