‘We have achieved great things over the past 50 years’

Education leads to personal development and marketable skills acquisition. The choice of institution and location count when anyone considers their future career path. In this interview Michael Kidd, executive dean of Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University makes a case for Australia. He spoke to Stephen Onyekwelu. Excerpts:

Tell us about yourself.

I am Michael Kidd, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University, with responsibility for the university’s School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Midwifery, and School of Health Sciences, including departments of Allied Health, Public Health, Indigenous Health and Disability Studies, and the faculty’s research centres and teaching facilities in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Victoria. I have worked for 28 years as a general practitioner in urban and rural practices in Victoria, NSW, SA and the NT with special interests in the care of people with HIV and Indigenous Health.

I am the current president of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) serving as World President until November 2016. From 2002-2006 I was President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners; 1995-2009 Professor of General Practice at The University of Sydney and 1998-2009 Head of the Department of General Practice at The University of Sydney. I am the Patron of General Practice Registrars Australia, and the Australian General Practice Students Network.

Why are you in Nigeria?

I am in Nigeria as President of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), meeting with government officials and the members of professional organisations to talk about the importance of initiatives to strengthen primary care to ensure that health care services are available to all people, and our work with the World Health Organization.

  Why should Nigerian students consider studying in Australia?

Despite being such a small country in terms of population, Australia is the third most popular destination to study for international students. There are many reasons for this including fantastic lifestyle, living cost affordability and student support however two of the main reasons include, quality of education and the opportunity to combine work with your study. Over half of Australia’s 38 public Universities are ranked in the top 3% of all Universities globally with many study areas at these Universities ranked in the top 50 worldwide and unlike some other destinations around the world, students can combine part-time work with their study and potentially apply for post-study work rights at the completion on their studies.

Why should students consider studying at Flinders University?

Flinders University which is located in the city of Adelaide is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary. We have achieved great things over the past 50 years and as a result of our success we are currently ranked in the top two percent of universities worldwide. Flinders is also ranked in the world’s top 300 universities, and in the top 50 universities under 50 years’ old globally (Times Higher Education 2015-2016).

Flinders is also a truly multicultural university with a diverse number of cultures represented on campus. We currently have more than 24,000 students from over 90 countries studying with us; studying at Flinders means students join a truly global community.

Of particular note, in 2016, for the first time Nigeria joins our top 10, being our 10th largest international commencing student group. There has been a rapid rise in students from Nigeria studying at Flinders over the last couple of years with Nigeria now joining Kenya as the African countries in our top 10.

What type of courses does Flinders offer?

Flinders offer a very diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in areas ranging from Engineering to Business, Education to Law, Social Work to the Environment.

Within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science we are renowned for our excellence and innovation in teaching, research and professional practice, some of our courses include Medicine, Paramedics, Nutrition and Dietetics and Public Health.

All our courses continue to evolve with industry trends and many include professional placements and practical experiences. Our teaching is designed for our students to gain specialised skills in their chosen field providing them the skills they need to succeed in their careers.

An example and one of our most popular course in Nigeria is our Bachelor of Nursing. We have three entry pathways into this program, one for students who have just completed their schooling – this is a 3 year programme, one for those looking to change careers – a two year programme, and finally a single year program for currently qualified and registered Nurses. All of our students gain practical experience in hospitals and clinics and our facilities include state-of-the-art labs and simulation suites on campus, our course is also professionally accredited.

Where is Flinders located?

Flinders University is located in Adelaide in the southern part of Australia. Adelaide is Australia’s 5th largest city with a diverse multicultural population of almost 1.5 million people. Consistently ranked as the 5th most liveable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Adelaide has a reputation for being Australia’s safest city with has a warm Mediterranean climate to go with its coastal location. Adelaide is known as the Festival State hosting regular cultural social events.

Another key reason that Adelaide is a great place to live for International students is its affordability. Statistics show that Adelaide is almost 20 percent more affordable than the larger cities of Melbourne and Sydney in terms of living costs.

How do Nigerian students find out more about studying at Flinders?

The first thing students can do is have a look on our website, we’ve got detailed information specifically for International students about studying in Australia, all out study areas, the application process, entry criteria and living in Adelaide. The website address is www.flinders.edu.au/international

Secondly, we have a number of local partners based all over Nigeria. These partners assist the students with their application, both to ourselves as the education provider and also the second stage of the process with is the student visa application to the Australian government.