Inside UTS: Building the Next Generation of AI and Data Leaders (Part 2 of 3)
If AI is Australia’s superpower, then universities are the training grounds where that superpower is forged.
In this second article of a three-part series (read part 1 here), I continue my conversation with Professor Mike Blumenstein to uncover what makes UTS a standout in the landscape of higher education. At a time when employers demand graduates who are “work-ready,” UTS has developed a model that blends academic excellence with deep industry immersion.
From dual internships to startup incubators to partnerships with tech giants like AWS, Cisco, and SAS, the university has embedded collaboration at the heart of the student experience. What emerges is an institution not content with producing employees, but committed to nurturing entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders. Here, we explore how UTS bridges the gap between classroom and industry, preparing students not only to participate in the digital economy but to shape it.
If universities are the factories of talent, then the best ones are also the laboratories of ideas. Yet too often I hear companies complain that graduates arrive armed with theory but untested in practice. That disconnect between classroom and workplace has been a stubborn barrier in many education systems worldwide. UTS has been held up as a different kind of model — one that fuses industry, entrepreneurship, and hands-on learning. Mike, what makes your approach stand apart from the rest?
The first thing I’d say is that we are unapologetically a university of technology. That means we don’t just teach theory; we integrate industry at every step of the student journey. In our engineering degree, for example, students complete two embedded internships, often with different companies — that’s unheard of in Australia. Add to that our “Studios” model, which are essentially turbocharged tutorials where student teams solve live industry problems, and our capstone projects co-designed with partners. Beyond the classroom, we have initiatives like Tech Fest, where students spend their breaks working alongside industry in hackathons and challenges. When you add it all up — internships, projects, extracurricular opportunities — UTS provides more touchpoints with industry than any other university in the country.
Ian Edwards: I’m intrigued by this shift in ambition I see among young people. A generation ago, success meant landing a job at a large company; today, many students dream of creating the next Canva or Atlassian. The entrepreneurial instinct is not just alive, it’s flourishing. What’s fascinating is that UTS isn’t just tolerating that shift — you’re nurturing it at scale. How have you built an environment where students can genuinely become founders while they’re still studying?
Prof. Mike Blumenstein: That’s exactly what we’re seeing — a cultural shift where nearly 80% of students tell us they want to lead their own business, not just work for someone else. That’s why UTS Startups has become such a phenomenon. It’s now the largest student-led startup community in Australia, with more than 1,000 ventures incubated — and about half of them are in AI. We’ve just opened a new startup space with 400 desks, and it was full before it even launched. Students are building companies while they study, and thanks to our location in Tech Central — right next door to Atlassian and Canva — they’re part of one of the most exciting tech ecosystems in the world. It’s reminiscent of how SAS itself was born out of a university partnership in the North Carolina Tech Triangle. Our students are not just preparing for the job market; they’re shaping it.
Ian Edwards: When I visit innovation hubs around the world, what separates the good from the extraordinary is often the physical environment. Spaces that hum with creativity and collaboration seem to unlock ambition in ways that lecture halls never could. Sydney is becoming one of those places — and UTS sits right at its heart. What role do your facilities play in transforming students into professionals ready for the frontier?
Prof. Mike Blumenstein: Facilities like our Botany Bay Tech Lab and the new Cyber Precinct are game-changers. At Tech Lab, we have eight industry partners co-located on site, from small startups to companies building satellites — students can literally walk across campus and contribute to world-class space technology. Our Cyber Precinct simulates real-world cyberattacks in a safe, controlled environment, giving students hands-on experience they couldn’t get in a traditional classroom. And then there’s the UTS Vault, a secure facility where students check their phones at the door and operate under conditions resembling government and defense environments. These spaces don’t just teach — they immerse students in the professional realities they’ll face after graduation. That’s the advantage of being a technology-focused university: we replicate industry inside the university walls.
Long View: The story of UTS is not one of incremental improvements, but of a structural reimagining of what a university can be. As Professor Blumenstein explains, every touchpoint of the student journey — from labs to lecture halls to startup spaces — is designed to collapse the distance between education and industry. That approach has already yielded one of the largest student startup communities in the country, a thriving presence in Sydney’s Tech Central, and graduates who are as confident leading companies as they are joining them. This second article in our three-part series highlights how UTS is uniquely positioned to deliver the next generation of AI and data leaders. In the final article, we’ll zoom out to consider the longer-term challenges and opportunities facing graduates, as universities adapt to accelerating disruption and an AI-powered workforce.
Part 3 is available here.
About University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
As Australia's #1 young university, UTS stands for creativity and collaboration where award-winning researchers fuel innovation across disciplines, empowering UTS to push boundaries and shape new ideas. Recognised globally for its commitment to positive social impact, UTS ranks among the world's top 100 universities and stands out as a leading partner in building a sustainable future. UTS works with partners across the globe to create meaningful change, connecting with industry to tackle the world's big challenges.
