Constructing futures with France: Swinburne’s international engineering collaboration

Swinburne University of Technology, French university École Spéciale des Travaux Publics (ESTP), and Bouygues Construction Australia (BYCA) will provide engineering students with valuable exposure to important Australian infrastructure projects.

It allows qualified ESTP students to undertake Swinburne’s Master of Engineering Practice, followed by a paid two-year internship with BYCA to work on one of their large scale Australian infrastructure projects.

Starting in 1995 with the Sydney Airport Link, BYCA has been leading important infrastructure projects for over 25 years. They have built eight solar farms across Australia, and are working on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel and Sydney’s Westconnex 3A: M4/M5 Link.

Swinburne Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Engagement Dr Douglas Proctor said, “we’re delighted to establish a trilateral partnership between Swinburne, Bouygues Construction Australia and École Spéciale des Travaux Public in Paris to bring together education and industry links between Australia and France.”

“Swinburne is bringing people and technology together to build a better world, which will benefit our students, address the growing needs of our partners, and advance research in areas of common interest.” 

Learning and work experience 

Connections with established global industry figures such as BYCA provide a unique opportunity for students to gain valuable learning and work experiences. With aligned values and a commitment to giving students real industry experience, future collaborations may see engineering students increasingly involved with these projects. 

The partnership will bring high quality students from ESTP to Swinburne and create a more diverse student cohort. It will also play a role in educating BYCA’s future workforce, and in the longer term, enhancing course curriculum and potentially producing future joint research projects. 

BYCA Chief Executive Officer Seved Robin said the program will help students develop technical and critical skills in Australia’s booming construction industry.

“Working in Bouygues Construction Australia is a great opportunity to enter a world-class building, infrastructure and renewable energy company committed to a strong modern diverse culture.”

“We aim to clear decarbonisation objectives by 2030, and are determined to providing our employees with dynamic career opportunities and developments. I look forward to our shared future,” he said.