AUSTRALIA: First university YouTube channel

27 April 2008

The University of New South Wales in Sydney became the first Australian university to officially launch a channel on YouTube last week. Among the first three universities in the world to link with YouTube, the UNSW channel has become one of the most watched local online sites, scoring more hits than television competitors such as Channel Ten, Beat TV and SkyNewsShowbiz.

Executive producer of UNSWTV, Mary O'Malley, said the presence on YouTube had attracted more than 30,000 channel views, ranking it as one of the most popular local sites on the video sharing website, according to the latest calculations. It now routinely ranks among the most viewed in Australia each day and each week.

"This is a vehicle for communicating research and selected teaching material and is part of an overall strategy of publishing content where it can be most easily accessed," O'Malley said.

She said the university had added two additional services - a community channel and an eLearning channel. These were designed to host learning and teaching material as well as student-generated content so students could communicate with each other, articulating their ideas and experiences. Recent videos from the YouTube channels were uploaded to China's number one education site, Tigtag, which has 1.5 million page impressions per day, and were featured on Pakistan's premier education website Ilmkidunya.

"Video has become a mainstream form of communication and we can no longer afford to ignore the potential offered by rich media," O'Malley said. "It is an excellent way for us to communicate with an international audience and potential students and researchers."

Heading the list of most watched UNSW videos is a series on the Robocup robotics finals held in China, a mini documentary on Muslim Life on Campus and a research snapshot about UNSW's 'green' steelmaking technology - From Shopping Bags to Steel.

O'Malley said the YouTube initiative was a precursor to a high-resolution online channel, UNSWTV, that would offer academics, staff and students "a complete solution to the management of digital material".

Receive UWN's free weekly e-newsletters

Sponsored Article

Getting to net zero, one community at a time

University of Victoria staff

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation.

Promoted by the University of Victoria.

Sponsored Article

Africa pays a premium for global climate change sluggishness

Stellenbosch University staff

Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Promoted by Stellenbosch University.

Sponsored Article

Innovations to ensure energy savings in a hot, arid climate

UAE University staff

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates.

Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.

Sponsored Article

A new global university ranking with an ethical mission

Aftab Dean

A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges.

Promoted by Globethics.net.

Sponsored Article

SDG progress report launches university into new territory

University of Pretoria staff

In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Promoted by the University of Pretoria.