UNSW Transforms Education and Research through Cloud Skills Development on AWS

The University of New South Wales (UNSW), established in 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is a leading public research institution. Known for its commitment to research, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, UNSW drives impactful advancements in fields such as quantum computing, renewable energy, and biomedical engineering. By prioritizing applied research, the university addresses critical global challenges, including climate change, health, and sustainable development. For instance, UNSW has pioneered breakthroughs in solar energy technology, offering significant potential to advance clean energy solutions worldwide. Consistently ranked among the top 50 universities globally, UNSW also holds membership in Australia’s prestigious “Group of Eight” (Go8) universities.

UNSW embarked on a journey of digital transformation to enhance IT security and optimize its infrastructure, while advancing its core mission of research and education. Tanya Freeman, deputy chief information officer at UNSW, explains, “We took a deep look at our underlying IT infrastructure and the way it was managed. A lot of our IT infrastructure was aging, and we made a conscious and strategic decision to move from an on-premises IT environment to the cloud.” Following an evaluation of cloud providers, UNSW selected AWS to lead its transformation efforts. “AWS demonstrated deep expertise and a strong partner network we would be able to engage to assist with the cloud migration,” Freeman says. “That gave us confidence that we could deliver on our promises to the university.”

UNSW leadership saw beyond technical migration: “While the technical migration was crucial, we recognized that sustainable transformation required a fundamental shift in how our teams worked together," Freeman explains. "Our vision wasn't just about moving to the cloud—it was about creating a culture where teams could confidently innovate and operate independently.”

The move to the AWS Cloud provided UNSW with an opportunity to transform and improve its established working methods.  However, achieving cultural transformation on this scale required support and training from AWS experts who could drive lasting change. “To sustain this transformation and help drive productivity, we knew we had to make a strong investment in our people, both in cloud skills training and in embedding a new way of working with a culture of self-sufficiency,” comments Freeman.

UNSW recognized that successful transformation required a parallel focus on infrastructure modernization and team capabilities. “We needed to keep university operations running while undertaking this complex cloud migration, and a strong network of collaborators was the only way we were going to ensure seamless operations during this major change,” Freeman says.

AWS Professional Services and partners provided the technical foundation for UNSW’s transformation. The migration team, led by AWS Partner DigiRen, developed a comprehensive plan to move more than 400 university applications to an AWS Landing Zone environment. The team focused on essential workloads, including student management and financial applications, and worked closely with UNSW's cybersecurity team to implement robust security controls. This approach ensured continuous operation of essential university services throughout the transition.

Alongside the technical migration, UNSW implemented a strategic capability program. Working with AWS Training and Certification and DigiRen, the university conducted an AWS Learning Needs Analysis to evaluate current skills and identify gaps. “Establishing the program was crucial because it secured buy-in from IT leaders and aligned the initiative with the university’s business strategy,” says Kate Black, training and enablement practice lead at DigiRen. The group held weekly sessions with 12 IT leaders to gather input and co-design the program.

The resulting education framework included role-based learning pathways tailored to various needs across the university. Leaders received training in cloud strategy and governance, while technical teams developed practical AWS skills. The framework encompassed instructor-led sessions, self-paced courses on AWS Skill Builder, Immersion Days, AWS Certification exam preparation, and 10 highly customized online courses co-created by AWS, DigiRen, Shine Solutions Group, CyberCX, and UNSW. “The training program content was tailored to UNSW's specific needs and the skills required for our digital transformation journey. This led to increased engagement levels among participants,” says Freeman.

After a successful 49-person pilot, training expanded to 249 participants over six months, with cohorts organized into six- to twelve-week sessions based on their roles. Participants gained hands-on experience through technical labs, Immersion Days, and 36 classroom courses, which trained 622 learners across foundational, specialty, and advanced topics. Madeleine Burston, acting team lead for the critical infrastructure team at UNSW, was part of the first cohort of employees to participate in the six-week program. Burston spent one day per week of foundational-level training in DevOps and SysOps and four days per week of hands-on training through a micro-credential platform, gaining new perspectives on improving existing processes.

“The program was effective because it combined foundational learning with practical application,” says Burston. “The formal training provided the framework and big picture, while the hands-on work and micro-credential courses reinforced that knowledge through real-world practice. Without the foundational training, we wouldn't have known where to start, but without the practical experience, the knowledge wouldn't have stuck.”

By leveraging AWS expertise and capabilities, UNSW successfully transitioned to a modern cloud-based IT operating model, decommissioning 40 percent of its data center environment to date. “Anytime a university like ours can streamline the IT environment, that’s a major win,” says Freeman. “We’ve also started migrating to a newer landing zone environment, decommissioning up to 30 percent of the older environment.”

The immersive Cloud Capability Build program saw a majority of participants achieve over a 70 percent uplift in capability and knowledge, and an average growth of 54 percent in AWS skills across the organization. Twenty percent of technical participants are now AWS Certified, with 60 percent planning to achieve certification by mid-2025. During the program, 630 participants completed AWS Skill Builder courses—100 percent of whom said they would recommend the training to their peers. “Our success in this program is directly linked to the deep collaboration we had with AWS and our partners,” says Freeman. “This program isn’t just about putting people on a training course—it’s immersive, and it’s about helping them understand the skills they need and how to apply those skills to their jobs here.”

The UNSW IT team increased its self-sufficiency in managing its cloud environment. Freeman says, “The AWS training program has equipped our teams with the skills to address cloud transformation challenges independently while still benefiting from external expertise when needed.” UNSW’s IT team is now able to create virtual servers in hours instead of days. “This helps us better meet demand for cloud resources and deliver faster response times to our internal users, such as university researchers,” Freeman explains. Additional benefits include faster processing times for the student information system, and enhanced support for researchers. “We’re a research university,” Freeman continues, “and quick access to cloud resources support our goal to help researchers innovate faster.” UNSW plans to sustain its cloud transformation through ongoing training and development initiatives. “We’ve created a learning culture here based on collaboration, and the AWS training program is one of the main reasons for that,” concludes Freeman.

This transformation went beyond technical improvements, reshaping how teams collaborate. Previously, departments worked in silos, but they now coordinate seamlessly on cloud initiatives. Teams that once depended on external support have gained confidence in leading their own cloud projects, engaging AWS experts for more complex projects.