Since inception Torrens University has prioritised being home to global citizens and digital leaders. We are excited to have Torrens University Australia on board as a Supporting Partner of Champions Retreat this year!
In this blog, Todd Wegner, Chief of Staff at Laureate Australia & Torrens University Australia, shares more on the values that guide Torrens and his experience as a seasoned Champions Retreat attendee.
When Torrens University Australia (TUA) was established in 2014, it became Australia’s first new university in more than 20 years. Only five years later, we have now over 13,500 students descending from 105 different countries, proudly delivering programs at campuses across Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, China and online.
Since inception, TUA has focused on ensuring its graduates are career-ready, global citizens. The delivery of quality education and bringing public benefit to society, communities and the environment has always been paramount.
As such, TUA has always been strongly aligned to B Corp. In 2015, TUA became a Certified B Corporation, and in 2017, it was re-certified with a 12 percent score increase. TUA’s journey to became a B Corp, however, is more than a “badge of honour.” The values and beliefs that make up the B Corp movement are built into the fabric of our business, with our mission to transform lives through education and our commitment to the communities we serve, while meeting the highest social and environmental standards, accountability and transparency.
As both a B Corp and a higher education institution, we measure ourselves against our core values – begin and end with people, be good, be creative, be bold, and be global. These extend from our boardroom to our student services and our academic staff who are at the forefront of preparing our students to be global leaders.
This year’s Champions Retreat in Tasmania, which we are supporting wholeheartedly, has particular meaning for me. In my previous role at Laureate Education in the United States, I was lucky to attend three Global B Corp Champions Retreats (Philadelphia, Toronto, and New Orleans), seeing firsthand the power of collaboration to achieve a common goal. These experiences have always left me feeling humbled by the incredible companies and people working tirelessly to use business as a force for good, but questioning what role I play in helping to grow this movement.
Now, having recently relocated to Sydney to work for TUA, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to the growing B Corp community in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. What is particularly meaningful is joining me at this year’s event will be four of our incredible Hospitality students who will be helping the B Lab team make the event magical for all attendees.
More importantly, these students are giving up their time to come take part in this event – eager to learn, but also to contribute to growing the movement of companies using business as a force for good. If you see them around, be sure to say hi, ask them where they are from, and thank them!
