The Hallway: Australia Prospers demonstrates why education and technology have to collaborate

If Australia is to catch up to the rest of the developed world in embracing the opportunities afforded by new and emerging technologies business and education have to talk together. We have to develop our knowledge-based economy and stop relying on resources and real estate to drive economic growth.

The Hallway has translated that into a concise message, The future is clear when we speak with one voice. And that message has become the foundation of its campaign for Australia Prospers (formerly the Business and Higher Education Round Table (BHERT)), a partnership between businesses and universities working to make it happen.

The Hallway’s story needed to be expressed in a succinct way, without diminishing the complex realities. It also had to cut-through to C-suite, higher education and governmental decision-makers. The campaign film takes a raw experimental-film-like approach to demonstrating the poignancy of, and delivering, its key message.

“This film doesn’t just deliver its message to its audience, it is itself a demonstration of the message,” stated The Hallway executive creative director & partner, Simon Lee. “It’s an unconventional approach, but this piece of work needs to help drive change, and you don’t drive change by sticking to convention.”

BHERT commissioned The Hallway on an extensive consultation project to understand the key triggers and barriers around the business and higher education collaboration process. Central to the process were interviews with over twenty key stakeholders, ranging from vice chancellors of major universities to innovation leaders at top 100 ASX companies.

Martin Stewart-Weeks, Project Director – The Australia Prospers Project, “Australia prospers when business and universities innovate together. That much we have learned and, although it can sometimes be a challenging process, when research and commerce combine, investment and jobs flow, new industries are born, lives are changed and sometimes saved. In a rapidly changing and very different world, we need to get even better at combining the knowledge, expertise and capabilities of universities and business for sustainable growth and shared prosperity.”