Flinders University, TAFE SA and the University of South Australia have joined in an agreement with Seeley International that will bring new benefits to engineering education in South Australia through close collaboration with industry.

Seeley International is Australia’s largest air conditioning manufacturer and a global leader in developing energy-efficient cooling and heating.

Signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the higher education representatives yesterday, Seeley International Chairman Mr Frank Seeley said the agreement would allow students opportunities to gain real-world experience through exposure to Seeley International’s state-of-the-art testing and manufacturing facilities at Lonsdale.

He said it would also provide classroom and workplace access to experts responsible for developing a number of market-leading and global award-winning products.

“This partnership is a new thrust for South Australia, and will bring industry closer together with educational partners to broaden innovation, grow the State’s capabilities, and offer valuable teaching and research opportunities for students,” Mr Seeley said.

The Dean of the School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics at Flinders, Professor John Roddick, said a closer relationship between education and industry was precisely the model that the new Flinders location at Tonsley was designed to foster.

“Flinders’ goal is an integrated experience for its engineering students that brings together academic excellence with commercial experience and entrepreneurial know-how,” Professor Roddick said.

“Thanks to collaborators like Seeley, Flinders graduates will have the capacity to lead and support a range of innovative technology-based industries that will be key to the State’s future employment and economy.”