The team at the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, based at the Waite campus, has won the 2020 Australian Council of Graduate Research Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Supervision proudly supported by ResearchMaster.
The team, led by Professor Vladimir Jiranek, Professor in Oenology, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, includes Associate Professor David Jeffery; Professor Kerry Wilkinson; Professor Steve Tyerman; Dr Renata Ristic; and Professor Leigh Schmidtke (from partner Charles Sturt University).
The awards shine a spotlight on exemplary graduate research supervisors and leaders. They celebrate and promote quality in higher degree research supervision, leadership and industry engagement.
Professor Vladimir Jiranek says the key to success for his team is the strong industry partnerships which help postgraduate students play a vital role in developing the wine sector.
“The Training Centre model is set up so students have direct contact with industry partners, meaning we are training the next generation of industry-aware researchers,” he said. “Because we can train PhD students at that research / industry interface, they receive much more than an academic education; they also learn applied and practical skills to take into their viticulture and oenology careers.
“One of the most rewarding aspects for the team is that because the students come from all over the world, we get a real diversity of views, experience and technical capabilities in the Centre. It is a pleasure to see our students develop quickly as independent researchers who then quickly move into solid and successful research, academic and technical careers.”
The University of Adelaide also won a second award with Associate Professor Natalie Edwards, Director of Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Arts taking the individual ACGR Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Leadership, proudly supported by SkillsForge.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anton Middelberg said the awards presented to University of Adelaide academics was testament to the calibre and hard work of those recognised.
“There is no doubt that our staff are passionate about helping postgraduate students excel in their studies,” Professor Middelberg said.
“The University prides itself for providing a world-class education, and these two awards demonstrate that we can guide them to make a real impact on the world’s most challenging problems.”
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