Sustainability Learning in Action

Tonkin is proud to showcase our industry partnership with the University of Sydney - Australia’s top ranked university, and the world’s 11th university for sustainability.

This exciting collaboration supports the development and education of Australia’s next generation of environment and sustainability professionals by integrating university learning with real-world experience and mentorship from our professional team, empowering students to step confidently into their future careers with practical insights and industry-ready skills.

“Partnering with the University gives us a unique opportunity to support students with valuable, hands-on experience in an industry setting,” said Saad Haque, Tonkin’s National Environmental and Sustainability Lead, and partnership facilitator. “Industry integrated learning supports multi-disciplinary thinking which is a critical skill needed to solve the real challenges of implementing sustainability initiatives in the infrastructure industry.”

As part of this partnership, 40 students from the university were provided with a challenge – help Tonkin integrate sustainability into our projects, in alignment with our vision for resilient infrastructure, climate action and water innovation.

To support their efforts, the students received mentoring and coaching sessions aimed at deepening their understanding the work that engineering consultancies do, and identifying current opportunities for embedding sustainability.

Students pitched their findings as research recommendations and pilot projects in front of Tonkin leaders in our Sydney office. “A highlight from this engagement, was the broad range of backgrounds and potential solutions provided by the students,” said Saad.

Tonkin staff were presented with a range of innovative solutions, including the implementation of decarbonisation tools, and biodiversity frameworks. Students also had the opportunity to network and engage with Tonkin staff, who shared insights from their industry experiences, and highlights of working in the field.

"Working with the industry integrated learning really helped with the stepping stone between academia and industry. Meeting with a consultancy and being able to discuss industry challenges has really broadened my perspective on what working in engineering will be like in the future," said student Gabby Henson.

We’re proud to continue partnering with the University of Sydney, bridging the gap between academic learning and practical application in a real-world consultancy environment.