Professor Rick Bennett

Professor Rick Bennett

Professor Rick Bennett
Raised and educated in London, Rick completed undergraduate studies in the Fine Arts before working for 7 years within the UK film & television industry specialising in TV commercials and music video production.
After emigrating to Australia in 1990, Rick worked at the University of New South Wales (in Sydney) where for 24 years he was based within the School of Design Studies before leading a new online education department and managing the curriculum design and teaching of more than 40 fully online courses in art and design, ultimately leading to production of the first fully-online Masters (coursework) program at UNSW.
Rick’s research over the last 20 years has explored advances in digital technology and the interdependence between design professions and design education and potentials for online offerings. This resulted in invitations to numerous talks worldwide, significant research grants and publications, as well as prestigious awards. Notably, in 2004, he was awarded the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools – Australian Teacher of the Year.
In 2015, Rick relocated to Vietnam as Dean, School of Communication & Design at RMIT University. In 2018, he was later appointed as RMIT Vietnam Executive Dean (Academic & Students) before moving to the British University Vietnam (BUV) in 2022, as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

  • Doctor of Philosophy (2004 – 2009)

The University of Sydney, Australia

Thesis: Drawing on the Virtual Collective: Exploring Online Collaborative Creativity

  • Master of Higher Education (1994 -1998)

The University of New South Wales, Australia

  • Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Fine Arts (1981-1984)

Bristol Polytechnic, England (UK)

 

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

  • British University Vietnam (BUV)

Professor (2022 – Current)

Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice President

  • RMIT University (Vietnam)

Professor (2015 – 2022)

Executive Dean (Academic & Students) (2019 – 2022)

Vice-President (Academic) (2018-19)

Dean, School of Communication & Design (2015-2018)

  • University of New South Wales (Australia)

Assoc. Lecturer to Assoc. Professor (1990 – 2015)

Head, College of Fine Arts Online

 

RESEARCH AREAS / FIELDS

  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
  • Online Learning & Teaching
  • Graphic Design, Foundation Design Theories

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

  • Polaine, A., & Bennett, R. (2010)

Creative Waves: Exploring Emerging Online Cultures, Social Networking and Creative Collaboration Through e-Learning to Offer Visual Campaigns for Local Kenyan Health Needs. In Collaborative Technologies and Applications for Interactive Information Design: Emerging Trends in User Experiences, Rummler, Scott & Ng, Kwong-Bor (Eds.), Hershey, PA: IGI Global. ISBN: 978-1-60566-727-7

  • Martini, N., Harrison, J., & Bennett, R. (2010)

Creating Waves across geographical and disciplinary divides through online creative collaboration. In Interaction in Communication Technologies & Virtual Learning Environments, Ragusa, Angela, T. (Ed), Human Factors, IGI Global, pp 9-25.

ISBN: 978-1-60566-874-1

  • Bennett, R. & Dziekan, V. (2005)

Online Collaboration in the Creative Process: Working With the Most Interactive Community of Designers We Have [N]ever Met.

Designs on E-Learning International Conference Proceedings: The University of the Arts, London, England, ISBN: 1-903455-09-X

 

RESEARCH & CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS / EXHIBITIONS

  • Bennett, R. (2021)

Barriers to Online Education for Higher Education in Vietnam – (Keynote Address)

2021 Auscham Education Conference Vietnam (Online)

  • Bennett, R. (2014)

Global Classrooms, Local Benefits

2014 International Conference on Global Education for Digital Natives (Keynote Address)

Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

  • Bennett, R. (2011)

Creative Outreach Through Computing in Education

Global Learn Asia Pacific 2011 Conference (Keynote Address)

The Sebel Albert Park Hotel, Melbourne, Australia.

  • Bennett, R.  (2013)

The Banglos Project – Design Exhibition

Ayala Museum, Makati, Manila, Philippines.

  • Bennett, R.  (2011)

DasManila – Design Exhibition

Royal Botanic Gardens

Sydney, Australia.

 

RESEARCH GRANTS

  • McIntyre, S., Bennett, R., & Watson, K. (2009)

Australian Learning & Teaching Council (ALTC)

Learning to Teach Online: Developing high-quality video and text resources to help educators teach online. ($219,000)

  • Bennett, R. & McIntyre, S. (2007)

UNSW Learning & Teaching Performance Fund

Planning, Infrastructure Provision and Establishment of the UNSW Academy of Online Art and Design Education ($68,000)

  • Bennett, R. & Chan, L. (2004-06)

Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant

Formalising a System and Approach for an Effective Online Collaborative Design Process in Visual Communication. ($260,000)

 

AWARDS & HONOURS

  • Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2006)

Carrick Institute (now ALTC)

‘For pioneering internationally recognised best practice in online education in the creative arts and design’

  • AUQA Commendation (2006)

Australian University Quality Agency

‘For good practice in systematisation of online delivery and innovation in online collaborative education.’

  • President’s Award (2005)

Australasian Society of Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (Ascilite)

‘For innovation and exemplary use of technology in higher education’.

  • ACUADS Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award (2004)

Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS)

  • UNSW Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2001)

‘For exemplary innovation in the use of technology in teaching

 

Professor Rick Bennett
Professor Rick BennettRead more
Shruthi Thaiveppil Gopi
School of Communications & Creative Industries

Teaching Fellow

Shruthi Thaiveppil Gopi

Born and raised in Kochi, India. Shruthi graduated from TKM Institute in Kerala with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. She earned a Master’s degree in Product Design from the Indian Institute of Information Technology after graduating in 2017, and she was researching Design Interventions in Marine jetty that adhered to Indian design codes at […]

Hoang Bao Long
School of Computing & Innovative Technologies

Senior Teaching Fellow

Hoang Bao Long

Bao Long is a lecturer, researcher, entrepreneur and interaction design expert specializing in game design, interaction design, user experience and psychology. He is also interested in entrepreneurship and startups, applying human-centered design to developing products to solve modern social life problems. Outside of teaching, he also is co-founder of LacBird Co. – a game company […]

Sven Pfrommer
School of Communications & Creative Industries

Senior Teaching Fellow

Sven Pfrommer

Sven is a well-rounded creative director & visual artist, with a background in visual communication and 20+ years of industry experience. He was running a design & advertising agency and established a gallery for contemporary photography in the art capital Berlin. Sven was born in Berlin, studied visual communication design at the HAWK University of […]

Nhu Huong Tra
School of Communications & Creative Industries

Teaching Practitioner

Nhu Huong Tra

Tra Nhu is an illustrator and printmaker creating welcoming and inclusive visual solutions. As an art coordinator and educator, Tra organizes workshops, fairs and community events in Vietnam and the UK. Tra earned a Bachelor of Professional Communication from RMIT University and recently graduated with a MA Illustration from University of the Arts London. From […]

Dr. Yulia Tregubova

English Lecturer
Division Lead, English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

Dr. Yulia Tregubova

Raised and educated in Volgograd, Russia, Yulia completed a Bachelor’s degree in  Education from Volgograd State Pedagogical University in 2003, followed by a Master’s Degree in Language Education in 2005 from the same university. A full-time postgraduate student, Yulia developed her Master’s research into a doctor’s degree and completed her PhD thesis in Cognitive Linguistics […]

James McGaughran
The Business School

Teaching Fellow

James McGaughran

Raised and educated in the United States, James completed a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado (USA) as a double major in Political Science and Environmental Studies. Subsequently, he completed a Master of Strategic Leadership and Communication from Stephens College in Missouri (USA). James then travelled, worked and volunteered in India and Nepal before […]

Dr. Chris Kirrane
The Business School

Lecturer

Dr. Chris Kirrane

Chris, originally from the UK, has built a distinguished career abroad, specializing in economics, international political economy, and education. He holds a Ph.D. focused on the Asian Currency Crisis, along with a Master’s in International Political Economy, a PGCE in Tertiary Education (Economics), and a B.A. (Hons.) in Politics and Economics. With extensive experience in […]

Joey Lai
The Business School

Senior Teaching Fellow

Joey Lai

Joey is from Malaysia, and she has been teaching at international universities/colleges for more than 15 years. Before joining the education industry, she had worked in banking and financial services in Malaysia. Joey came to Vietnam in 2007 and has served in BUV since 2016, leading the Accounting and Finance (AF) programme. In addition, she […]

Jonathan Neale
The Business School

Senior Teaching Fellow

Jonathan Neale

Mr Neale has been CEO of two consultancies and successfully restored over 23 different businesses to profitability before entering higher education. He taught in the UK and Abu Dhabi before coming to Vietnam. His first degree was from Dalhousie University (Canada), he later completed an MBA at Heriot-Watt University (Scotland) and a PGCE at York […]

Dr. Bui Ngoc Mai
The Business School

Lecturer

Dr. Bui Ngoc Mai

Raised in a small town in Hanoi, Mai moved to live and study in the United Kingdom from 2011. Mai completed her Msci degree in Mathematics and Statistical Science at the University College London (UCL) in 2017. She then received the UCL’s Research Excellence Scholarship to undertake doctoral research at UCL. In 2022, she was […]

DMCA.com Protection Status