Singaporean delegation visits Griffith to explore inclusive education and employment

On 28 July, Griffith University's Nathan campus hosted a 17-person delegation from Singapore's Ministry of Education and seven partner polytechnics and institutes, including Nanyang, Ngee Ann, Singapore, Temasek and Republic Polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education. The visit formed part of an ongoing exchange on supporting students with disabilities and diverse learning needs.

The roundtable brought together senior leaders from Griffith's student wellbeing, accessibility, employability and disability research teams, with Professor Elizabeth Kendall sharing insights from Griffith's disability research program.

A whole-of-institution approach

Delegates heard how Griffith has moved beyond a case-by-case disability support model toward an institution-wide approach, embedded across student services, academic policy, employability and research. Around 14 per cent of Griffith students identify as having a disability, with support spanning senior disability advisors, accessibility resources, and a Deaf Student Support Program with more than 50 directly employed Auslan interpreters.

There was particular interest in Griffith's shift toward Universal Design for Learning — building accessibility into course design from the outset, led by a dedicated advisor working with the Centre for Excellence in Education.

Employability and research

The visit also explored Griffith's evolution into a broader employability ecosystem, with career readiness data embedded into enrolment and work-integrated learning built into degrees using inclusive design principles. Delegates were equally interested in Griffith's disability research platform, which connects around 300 researchers university-wide and emphasises disability-led, co-designed research.

Looking ahead

The session identified strong alignment between Griffith and Singapore institutions around work readiness, evidence-based practice and sustainable support models. Both sides expressed interest in continuing the exchange — potentially through future campus visits, workshops, joint webinars or applied research collaboration.