The Industry Alumni role will provide technology leadership, mentorship, education and innovation focus in driving industry collaborations, and support solving industry challenges in alignment with the University’s commitment to being an AI-first university. The Industry Alumni Program is designed to extend Cisco’s engagement within the NIIN by leveraging the expertise of former Cisco engineers and business leaders.
Drago Sijan, a recently retired Cisco employee of 27 years, will bring his significant experience in technology, industry and customer knowledge to La Trobe, working with Professor Wei Xiang, the Cisco Research Chair of AI and IoT and the Director of the Cisco-La Trobe Centre for AI and IoT.
Professor Xiang said he was delighted to welcome Drago as a Professor of Practice at La Trobe.
He said the position would strengthen the strong ties between Cisco and La Trobe by driving industry linkages and helping solve industry challenges, particularly through the Cisco AIoT and the Innovation Central Melbourne (ICM).
This position, affiliated with La Trobe’s School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, will lead industry-integrated curriculum development, foster industry collaborations and placements, and engage in teaching and mentoring activities.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry Engagement) Dr Megan Fisher said the appointment aligned perfectly with La Trobe’s commitment to being an AI-first university, a vision that drives innovation and research across all disciplines.
“The expertise and leadership of the new Professor of Practice will strengthen our partnership with Cisco around sustainable AI, as well as our capabilities in cutting-edge digital technologies to ensure our students and researchers remain at the forefront of AI advancements,” she said.
Cisco Director, Education and Strategic Industries Australia and New Zealand, Reg Johnson, said: “The partnership with La Trobe University is a strategically important element in terms of what we are trying to achieve with the NIIN. Cisco is investing in strategic partnerships with universities to accelerate the adoption of emerging technology and innovation to address major industry and national challenges.
“The NIIN is achieving a real impact in areas as diverse as critical infrastructure, sustainability, digital skills, hybrid work and accelerating digital transformation.
“We’re seeing another significant transformation in how people live and work - with AI following the internet, and cloud as technologies that forced organisations to change how they operate to stay competitive.
“The Cisco alumni program is an exciting development to further support our work with La Trobe and our university partners, contributing technical leadership, mentorship, education and innovation support.”
Cisco-La Trobe Centre for AI and IoT, Cisco Innovation Central Melbourne, and the Optus 5G Lab are part of the La Trobe University Digital Innovation Hub, which assists businesses to transform their products, services, and processes through the integration of digital technologies
The Hub provides organisations access to advanced facilities to problem solve digital solutions for their business through collaboration with experts in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), software development, data analytics and networking.
About the National Industry Innovation Network (NIIN):
The National Industry Innovation Network (NIIN) was formed to create a collaboration vehicle for industry, academia, and government to apply innovation at scale to industry challenges and high order economic and societal priorities. The NIIN is an industry led collaboration with universities linked by a common goal: to increase the pace, scale, and impact from digital innovation in Australia. The NIIN’s industry anchor is Cisco which was determined to change the way innovation through university collaboration was done in Australia. Our capacity to be competitive, productive and resilient is underpinned by effective and efficient industry-university collaboration.
The NIIN is also active in anticipating and responding to skill shortages and talent development. By providing opportunities for students to work with on industry projects we are not only helping industry solve problems, we are helping to prepare students for the jobs of the future.
