Vanessa Campbell is a communications and PR lecturer at Western Sydney University's Sydney City Campus, with 33 years of industry experience that includes radio, tourism, local government, and her own PR consultancy.

In this episode:

• How Vanessa bridges the gap between academic theory and real industry practice in her classroom, including bringing alumni back to share their experiences with current students.

• The key differences between PR, advertising, and marketing — and why PR is less about selling and more about authentic, two-way relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

• The unique communication challenges facing not-for-profits in the children's health and safety space, and why dialogue and a non-judgmental tone consistently outperform oneway messaging

• How not-for-profits outpaced government and corporate bodies during COVID in supporting vulnerable families — and what that tells us about agility, passion, and being close to the people you serve.

• The through-line connecting great teaching, effective PR, and community health communication: relationships built on genuine, two-way dialogue.

This engaging conversation with Ahsan Parvez—structural engineer, educator, and researcher—delves into the journey and nuances of building not just bridges, but also meaningful connections in teaching and engineering. The discussion explores:

• Engineering Education and Research: Ahsan Parvez shares insights from his academic path, spanning Dhaka University, University of New South Wales, and Western Sydney University. He candidly addresses the tension universities face between prioritizing research and quality teaching, highlighting the need to balance both for developing future engineers.
• Practical vs. Theoretical Learning: Emphasizing the limitations of theory without hands-on experience, Ahsan Parvez discusses the importance of lab work, real-world modeling, and the challenge of helping students translate abstract concepts into tangible understanding.
• Adaptation and Resilience During COVID-19: The unique experience of teaching online during the pandemic, the challenges of maintaining student engagement and the tiring nature of continuous virtual instruction, are all topics that surface in the recounting of recent years.
• Innovation in Sustainable Engineering: Ahsan Parvez details ongoing research into sustainable building materials, such as geopolymer concrete, underscoring the global responsibility engineers hold in addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions from materials like cement.
• The Art and Science of Project Management: Discussion expands beyond technical know-how to the people skills, adaptability, and improvisational abilities required in project management—skills as relevant outside engineering as within it.
• Mentorship, Curiosity, and Lifelong Learning: The influence of great mentors and the critical role of curiosity and self-motivation are woven throughout Ahsan Parvez’s reflections, culminating in his core belief: knowledge is abundant, but it’s the inquisitiveness and the drive to learn that set great engineers apart.

Whether you’re an aspiring engineer, educator, or simply intrigued by the human stories behind technical fields, this conversation is a thoughtful look at the values, challenges, and joys of shaping and teaching the engineers of tomorrow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.