Latest news with #JenniferWestacott
India Today
20-06-2025
- General
- India Today
Australian University's groundwater initiative transforms 20,000 Indian villages
Western Sydney University's work on the MARVI project in India has reached over 3 lakh households in more than 20,000 villages across seven states. The project focuses on improving groundwater use and irrigation security through local management. In Rajasthan's Dharta watershed, the Village Groundwater Cooperative model, based on the '4S' approach -- Scrutiny, Store, Share, Sustain—is helping farmers manage shared water university is also training NGOs, government staff, and water professionals, supporting long-term water management and capacity building. These efforts contributed to Western Sydney's 9th place global ranking for SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Professor George Williams described the repeated ranking success as proof of the university's role in delivering public good and effective community partnerships. He emphasised that the ranking measures real-world outcomes -- not just academic metrics .Chancellor Professor Jennifer Westacott also praised the MARVI program, highlighting its focus on female groundwater volunteers, known as Bhujal Jaankars, and its support for women-led water said the program empowers farmers to make informed crop choices based on water availability, reinforcing both community engagement and skill development.\HOW DID UNIVERSITY PERFORMadvertisement4th worldwide for SDG15 (Life on Land)7th for SDG5 (Gender Equality)8th for SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)9th for SDGs 17,6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and 11 (Sustainable Cities)10th for SDG14 (Life Below Water) and SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)The THE Impact Rankings assess universities on teaching, research, operations, policy, and outreach -- all tied to positive societal and environmental workThis year's No.1 positioning underscores Western Sydney University's position at the forefront of universities applying knowledge to service communities and the planet.
AU Financial Review
09-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Westacott, Fagg lead corporate Australia's King's Birthday honours
Jennifer Westacott was sitting in her office at Western Sydney University when an email dropped in her inbox informing her she'd been given Australia's highest honour: an appointment as Companion of the Order of Australia. 'It's obviously very humbling and a great honour,' said the former Business Council of Australia chief executive, who joined WSU as chancellor in 2023. Recognition like the letters AC after one's name was always a team effort, she said on Monday. 'You never do these things alone.'
Perth Now
08-06-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Grit and determination characterises women honoured
Grit, determination and a lot of teamwork are credited by several women as the secrets to their success. Notable women in business, banking, the law and tertiary education, have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List for their leadership contributions and gender-equality advocacy. Jennifer Westacott served as chief executive of the Business Council of Australia for 12 years before becoming chancellor of Western Sydney University in 2023. Having grown up in public housing and as the first person in her family to attend university, Sunday's appointment came as a full-circle moment. "Getting the opportunity to study at university changed my life," she told AAP. "(Universities) have that responsibility to produce the most skilled people in the world … so people have fulfilling and thriving lives." Ms Westacott's career has included time as a public servant, a variety of director roles and as patron of Mental Health Australia and Pride in Diversity. But a career highlight has been changing the stigma around public housing. During her time at the housing department she met with public-housing residents who told her they could not let their kids play in the gardens because there were no fences to keep them safe from traffic. "After we put the fences up I would often drive past and seeing the kids all playing there was a highlight for me," she said. "What I've tried to do is turn my difficult childhood into a life-long mission to see better lives for people and fight for equality, and to turn around the stigma of people living in public housing and in poverty." Ms Westacott is appointed a Companion (AC) of the Order of Australia, along with Kathryn Fagg, former CSIRO chair, Reserve Bank board member and non-executive director of NAB. Early in her career, Ms Fagg was often questioned on whether she got her role because of her gender. "We have come such a long way but that doesn't mean there aren't still challenges for women in the workplace," she said. Gender-equality advocate Helen Fisher said her time as a discrimination and human rights lawyer opened new ways of thinking. But it's her work undertaking gender impact analysis for federal government policy that she is most proud of. It means every government policy and expenditure is looked at in terms of how it will affect Australian women and girls. "It was really important to get the government to think actively about women," she said. "We've gone from developing an idea of gender impact analysis to formalising it in the budget process and now using the budget to improve gender equality." While Australia had made real progress, Ms Fisher - who has been appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia - said there were still challenges for women. "We need more men to be working on gender equality," she said. "The next frontier of feminism is to move beyond the idea of a binary opposition between 'us' and 'them' towards investigating how we overcome patriarchy to the benefit of all." Former Bendigo and Adelaide Bank chief executive Marnie Baker has always been a keen advocate for regional Australia and the opportunities it provides. She is being recognised as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to the financial and banking sectors. "I grew up on a dairy farm in northern Victoria and because kids in regional and rural areas didn't really have the same infrastructure and opportunity as kids in the city, you had to have a bit of grit and determination," she said. "I've grown up thinking if you needed something done, you do it yourself." Her work at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is her proudest achievement as she stayed true to her purpose and saw firsthand how finance could be a force for good.
