Foreign Arrangements Scheme

Foreign Arrangements

Western Sydney University actively promotes international collaborations, as we believe that such collaborations are critical to enhancing the quality of our research and education. Our global connections also bridge the innovation gap between industry and academia. However, in a world of complex risks, the security of our people, our research and its data, systems and intellectual property, are of utmost importance.

Foreign Arrangements Scheme

In December 2020, the Australian Government implemented the Foreign Arrangements Scheme; established under Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020. The Scheme was developed to guide Universities in their engagement with foreign institutions and to ensure that any new or existing arrangements did not pose a risk to Australia’s foreign relations, national interests or foreign policy.

Managing Foreign Arrangements and Complying with Legislative Requirements

Western is committed to a whole-of-institution approach to managing foreign arrangements through appropriate due diligence processes that are proportional to the risk. The University is cognisant of and responsive to the Australian government’s legislative requirements around foreign arrangements, including the Foreign Arrangements Scheme.

The strategic establishment of Western’s Foreign Arrangements Team re-enforces the University’s commitment to meeting the legislative requirements around foreign arrangements and increasing staff awareness of risks involved with international collaboration through education and training. The Team will work with relevant stakeholders, establish appropriate policies and procedures and offer an extra degree of due diligence to university processes to provide better protection of intellectual property, university values and image, and the academic integrity of our staff and students

Entering a Foreign Arrangement

If you are intending to enter into an arrangement with an international partner, whether it's an institution, government, corporate, or individual, please use the foreign arrangement form to let the Foreign Arrangements team know of your intent. This submission form allows us to evaluate whether or not we need to notify the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding a new partnership.

Notifying the University means that we can follow appropriate policy and processes around developing partnerships, and ensure that staff rights are protected from potential external threats.

Need Assistance?

For further information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), located above. We would also love to hear your feedback about the form through our feedback button. Likewise, if you would like further help and advice, please contact Matthew Hunter in the Foreign Arrangements Team at:

Email: m.hunter@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone: 0423 180 908