November 13, 2025
Real world learnings in sustainability: Crooked River Estate partners with UOW students
From classroom consulting projects to conference collaboration, the partnership between Crooked River Estate and UOW’s Faculty of Business and Law is showing how education and industry can work hand-in-hand to shape the next generation of responsible business leaders.
Students from the Faculty of Business and Law have connected classroom learning with real-world practice through a growing partnership with regional sustainability leader .
Dr Joel Walsh, Sustainability and Operations Manager at the award-winning vineyard and tourism venue, collaborated with UOW across two undergraduate subjects and a major research event, showcasing how regional businesses and universities can work together to drive meaningful impact.
In , Joel and Crooked River Estate served as the industry partner for students’ major group consultancy projects. Under the guidance of , final-year business students analysed , developed strategic recommendations, and presented their findings as part of the subject’s work-integrated learning experience.
Kanchana shared: “This subject enables students to apply the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout their degree to real-world problem solving. Partnering with a local business such as Crooked River gives students a meaningful opportunity to see their learning in action and understand its practical value. This collaboration strengthens the connection between the university and industry, supporting talent development, community engagement, and mutually beneficial outcomes.”
Kaiwai, a student studying BUS331, said: “The Crooked River project gave me practical experience in understanding customer insights and business strategy. And the industry partner was really supportive and shared meaningful information throughout the process!”
In , taught by , Joel delivered a guest lecture offering students insight into sustainable supply-chain management within the Agri-Tourism sector. His presentation highlighted the complexities of balancing local production, distribution logistics, and environmental responsibility, emphasising the translation of theoretical frameworks discussed in class.
Matt said, “Joel’s guest lecture gave students the opportunity to explore and apply concepts and strategies discussed in class to real-life, current scenarios at Crooked River Estate. It reinforced an appreciation of the very real trade-offs supply chain professionals need to navigate in order to develop meaningful strategies and solutions when faced with multiple constraints. Collaborations like this demonstrate the power of industry-embedded education and the importance of university-industry partnerships; students don’t just study sustainability, they experience it. An invaluable experience”.
Crooked River Estate also extended its collaboration beyond the classroom by supporting UOW’s 2024 Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference, helping welcome researchers and practitioners from across Asia Pacific.
Joel shared: “Partnering with UOW allows us to share what sustainability looks like in practice, to learn from the fresh ideas that students bring, and to provide an example of how classroom theory translates to industry.”
The partnership exemplifies UOW’s focus on meaningful, mutually beneficial engagement - allowing industry partners gain valuable insights from emerging talent, and students graduate equipped with the skills, curiosity, and ethical mindset to shape a more sustainable future.