For many students, the idea of an international internship feels exciting — but also slightly intimidating. New country. New culture. Real workplaces. Real expectations.
For three Griffith students who took part in the 2025 Griffith Asia Business Internships (GABI) Program, that leap became one of the most defining experiences of their degree. The GABI Program is run by the Griffith Asia Institute within the Griffith Business School and is led by Dr Andrea Haefner.
Through the support of the New Colombo Plan (NCP) grant, students undertook six-week professional internships across Asia, stepping out of the classroom and into start-ups, law firms, and global businesses where their contributions genuinely mattered.
Importantly, students were supported not only before departure, but also once they arrived in-country. Global WIL Coordinator, Bruna Macedo, met with students during the early stages of their internships to ensure they had arrived safely, settled into their accommodation, and were comfortable in their new environments. During these visits, Bruna also met with key industry partners to strengthen relationships and ensure the quality and safety of placements for current and future students.
Working on sustainability projects across three continents – From a start-up hub in Seoul
Natalia Drazek
Natalia Drazek, studying a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Business Management, interned with EcoLinks, a start-up located in the Seoul Startup Hub in South Korea.
From her first day, Natalia was immersed in meaningful work that stretched far beyond the office walls.
“I worked on projects that spanned Rwanda, South Africa, and Ethiopia, helping to develop sustainability frameworks that guide the company’s international operations. Seeing how decisions made in Seoul could directly affect projects thousands of kilometers away was both exciting and humbling.”
Working in a start-up environment meant adapting quickly, solving problems in real time, and collaborating across multiple time zones.
“I remember one video call with team members in three countries, whereby by the end we had found a solution I never thought I would be part of as an intern. Moments like that showed me what international business really looks like in practice.”
Outside of work, navigating Seoul’s transport system, discovering hidden food spots, and sharing meals with colleagues built just as much learning as the internship itself.
“GABI gave me confidence, perspective, and a clearer sense of the career I want.”
Observing a Japanese trial and experiencing law beyond Australia
Jameelah Noor
For Jameelah Noor, a law student, her internship at Ugajin International Law Firm in Tokyo offered something she felt her degree was missing — an international perspective on legal practice.
“I was fortunate to visit the lawyer’s association building, district courts, and even observe a Japanese trial. I had studied law within Australia countless times, but I felt I lacked an international understanding of my field. The internship helped fill this gap.”
Jameelah also experienced the cultural side of Japan alongside fellow interns, navigating language barriers, public transport, and iconic sites.
“While my experience challenged me at times, I developed my independence and self-reliance while navigating a different culture, language and climate.”
Stepping outside the comfort zone – and into international marketing
Brianna Margetts completed her internship with Arkit Global in Tokyo as a marketing intern, despite not majoring in marketing. What she gained were highly transferable skills for her future career in sport management.
“The team made an effort to understand my goals so they could tailor tasks to my career aspirations. The knowledge, skills and connections I gained over the six weeks are invaluable.”
A highlight of Brianna’s experience was attending a Griffith alumni networking event at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo.
“It gave me a new perspective on what working outside of Australia is really like.”
More than an internship
A common theme across all three students was how much the NCP grant enabled them to fully engage in the experience without financial stress.
More importantly, each student spoke about growth that went beyond professional skills:
Confidence in unfamiliar environments
Cultural awareness and adaptability
Independence and resilience
A clearer vision of future career pathways
As Brianna reflects:
“Younger me, who was shy and reserved, would have never imagined doing something like this. Take that next step and put yourself forward.”
And as Natalia encourages future applicants:
“For any student considering this program, I would absolutely encourage you to take the leap. It is challenging, inspiring, and unforgettable.”
Considering applying for GABI?
The experience may feel like a big step – but for these students, it became the moment their studies truly connected with the world. Visit the GABI website for more information.
A new industry partnership led by Griffith Business School and the Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT) is set to accelerate innovation among Gold Coast small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), following a $25,000 sponsorship from Community Bank Paradise Point (Bendigo Bank).
The funding underpins the launch of the SME Boost Innovation Voucher, a pilot initiative designed to help local businesses turn innovative ideas into practical outcomes through collaboration with Griffith University researchers, facilities and students.
The initiative will provide up to 5 SMEs with vouchers of up to $5,000 to undertake short-term, high-impact projects, as well as providing access to advanced prototyping and testing facilities, technical research expertise and student capability.
Griffith Business School’s Professor Naomi Birdthistle brings together her deep academic expertise, entrepreneurial experience, and strong regional networks to support the participating businesses through innovation, commercialisation and market-focused guidance.
Professor Naomi Birdthistle
Professor Birdthistle said the partnership highlights the value of combining engineering capability with business innovation expertise.
“The SME Boost Innovation Voucher is about igniting ideas and creating real impact for SMEs on the Gold Coast. By connecting businesses with Griffith University’s expertise and facilities, we’re building a stronger, more innovative local economy.”
Eligible activities under the voucher scheme include product or service prototyping, material and product testing, feasibility studies, and market validation. Projects will typically run for three to six months, with clearly defined deliverables and light-touch project management to keep collaborations focused and outcomes-driven.
Professor Stefanie Feih, Director of ADaPT, said the scheme was designed to make university collaboration more accessible and impactful for local industry.
“We know many SMEs have strong ideas but limited capacity to engage in R&D. This program provides practical access to facilities, expertise and student talent so businesses can test concepts, refine products and build resilience through innovation,” Professor Feih said.
Younger men who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) experience a greater overall burden and complexity of harms than older men, new Griffith University research has found.
Researchers investigated whether age influenced the type of harms and health care challenges experienced by men who used AAS.
The study analysed data from 1,146 men who reported using AAS in the past 12 months.
PhD Candidate Ben Bonenti
PhD candidate from Griffith’s School of Applied Psychology, Ben Bonenti, said the findings were clear and challenged common assumptions about how steroid-related harms developed over time.
“Younger men, aged under 40 years, were significantly more likely to report psychosocial concerns such as anger and depression than older men aged over 40 years,” Mr Bonenti said.
“The younger cohort also reported physical concerns including hair loss and fertility issues.
“They also faced greater barriers to accessing health care, particularly with pharmacies and hospitals.
“These access barriers may compound existing harms by delaying or preventing appropriate care.”
The data showed these issues experienced by younger men often co-occurred as many individuals experienced multiple harms simultaneously rather than in isolation.
In contrast, older men who used AAS tended to report fewer and less complex harms, potentially reflecting safer compound sourcing, and greater integration with health care systems.
Mr Bonenti said the findings showed age alone did not explain patterns of steroid-related harm.
“Instead, they highlight the need for age-specific harm reduction strategies with an emphasis on younger men who appear to experience more complex harm profiles and greater difficulty engaging with support services,” he said.
“Tailored approaches may improve early intervention and reduce long-term health consequences, particularly as we see a global rise in the use of AAS.”
The paper ‘Understanding age-based differences in psychosocial harms, physical harms, and access difficulties among an international sample of men who use anabolic-androgenic steroids’ has been published in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
Fighting fires could be done remotely without the need to place firefighting crews directly in potentially dangerous situations by using collaborative teams of artificial intelligence-powered robots with extinguishing equipment on board, with an initial soft trial of the technology proving successful.
Led by Cyborg Dynamics Engineering with Griffith University and funded by Queensland Defence Science Alliance (QDSA), the team demonstrated the technology in both simulated and hybrid simulation-physical demonstrations using an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), simulating real fires for a team of up to five robots to extinguish.
Griffith University’s Dr Zhe Hou, Tim Mead and Ryan Marple from Cyborg Dynamics Engineering.
In the trial, the UGV successfully navigated around physical obstacles and teamed up with its simulated robot team members to locate and work together to extinguish multiple simulated fires.
Dr Zhe Hou, project Lead Chief Investigator from Griffith University’s School of Information and Communication Technology, said the results demonstrated a 99.67 per cent success rate in navigating and extinguishing two fires, suggesting its strong potential for real-world deployment.
“We demonstrated that multiple real and simulated UGVs, trained through a structured three-stage AI learning curriculum, could learn to perform both low-level navigation and high-level collaborative tasks,” Dr Hou said.
“This confirms the operational potential of our approach for practical case studies such as autonomous navigation and firefighting.”
The research team adopted an artificial intelligence (AI) technique called multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) to build neural-network-based AI ‘agents’ trained through a custom-designed curriculum, progressing from simple tasks such as single-robot navigation, to multi-robot navigation around obstacles, then finally to completing a complex firefighting scenario involving multiple robots and fires with obstacles.
The team said the ability of the robots to self-organise and allocate tasks autonomously – such as splitting into teams to handle multiple fire outbreaks – reduced the cognitive load on human operators, offering increased safety and operational efficiency in emergency situations.
“We have developed the control systems for firefighting UGVs that are currently deployed on mine sites across Australia,” Cyborg Dynamics Engineering General Manager Ryan Marple said.
“These units are remotely controlled by a human, a bit like an RC car.
“They have been an extremely effective measure in removing human firefighters from dangerous situations and enabling high-value assets to be saved from fires.
“The future of these kinds of vehicles – and the focus of this research – is the automation of low-level control and swarming behaviour across multiple agents. Such autonomous swarms can respond to complex situations in a way that just isn’t possible with direct manual control.”
Ryan Marple, Cyborg Dynamics Engineering
“By ingesting data from a wide variety of sensors, these systems can make decisions quickly, which just isn’t possible by the very limited situational awareness of a human looking at a screen.”
Looking ahead, the research team envisioned further advancements in both the design of neural networks and sim-to-real transfer methodologies.
Future work would also explore the adoption of the developed AI technique on other autonomous systems, such as autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, or even a hybrid team of different types of vehicles.
Cultural hub, alternative news source, platform for independent music and training ground for broadcasters and activists, Brisbane’s iconic community radio station 4ZZZ has just turned 50 years old and its colourful evolution has been chronicled in a new book.
Drawing on archival material, interviews with volunteers and staff, and rare audio recordings, People Powered Radio: Fifty Years of Australian Community Radio 4ZZZ, traced how the station shaped and had been shaped by Brisbane’s communities over five decades, from rebellious beginnings in the 1970s to its thriving presence today.
4ZZZ began as a student-led initiative at the University of Queensland in 1975, created by young people passionate about music and political change, at a time when mainstream media rarely reflected local dissenting voices.
“In 1988, a conservative student union cut funding and forcibly evicted 4ZZZ from UQ, and volunteers literally reconnected the transmitter to stay on air,” Associate Professor Anderson said.
“Early shows such as Gay Waves and Murri Hour gave space to underrepresented communities and today’s programming still reflects this tradition with shows such as Tranzmission, run by and for the trans community.”
4ZZZ was instrumental in uplifting Brisbane’s music scene long before commercial stations took notice, playing bands such as The Saints, The Go-Betweens, and countless underground acts that shaped local culture.
Despite many challenges, 4ZZZ has stayed independent and community-driven for over half a century, a testament to volunteer power and grassroots support.
Today, while commercial radio in Australia undergoes a radical transformation driven by the digital landscape, Associate Professor Anderson said community radio continues to thrive.
“Community radio is in robust health with more than 450 not-for-profit community broadcast services nationwide, drawing nearly five million weekly listeners,” she said.
“The sector’s significance is supported by new multi-year government funding of around $27 million from 2025–26, strengthening its capacity to amplify under-represented voices and sustain volunteer-driven media that enriches cultural life, empowers communities and reinforces media diversity across urban, regional and remote Australia.”
4ZZZ in Fortitude Valley today
National parks are public conservation assets, created to protect biodiversity and provide affordable access to nature for all.
But, new research published in npjBiodiversityhighlights a growing global issue: according to the authors, political decisions are increasingly favouring private tourism development inside national parks, undermining conservation, equity and public benefit.
“Nowhere is this more apparent than in Australia – particularly Queensland and Tasmania – placing the nation amongst the worst international examples of tourism-driven encroachment into protected areas,” lead author Professor Emeritus Ralf Buckley said.
Professor Emeritus Ralf Buckley.
Previous studies co-authored by Professor Buckley, from Griffith University’s School of Environment and Science, have found national parks played a vital role in public wellbeing, supporting mental health through recreation, family connection and access to nature.
“Park tracks, trails, and much of the camping infrastructure were funded by taxpayers, on the understanding that these landscapes would remain accessible to the public,” he said.
“Increasingly, however, governments are handing over publicly funded assets to private tourism operators, turning once-affordable experiences into premium products beyond the reach of ordinary families.”
High-profile examples included Tasmania’s Three Capes Track, costing $4,095 per person for a three-night twin-share walk; in the Whitsundays, the Ngaro Track was offered through a ‘preferred operator’ arrangement at $2,195 per person for two nights.
In each case, tracks and access corridors were publicly funded, with private lodges or exclusive camps established inside public parks – often supported by public subsidies.
While independent visitors could access some tracks, they were frequently excluded from prime campsites or facilities, effectively creating a two-tier park system.
These arrangements have sparked strong opposition from other tour operators and park advocates, who argued special deals distorted fair access and competition while diluting the public purpose of national parks.
“Granting exclusive rights to private operators excludes both public access but also small local tourism operators,” said co-author Professor Sonya Underdahl, from Edogawa University.
Outside of Australia, the research team also found large tourism interests increasingly influenced global conservation governance, including efforts to co-opt the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) tourism subgroup to promote private tourism development within protected areas.
Recent policy papers, proposed motions, and planned sessions at the 2025 World Conservation Congress raised concerns about conservation mandates being diluted in favour of industrial tourism.
“The ecological risks are well documented. Fixed-site tourism developments fragment habitats, damage vegetation, disturb wildlife, and introduce weeds, pathogens, and feral species,” Professor Buckley said.
“Even small developments can become bridgeheads for ongoing expansion, creating lasting public costs for private profit.
“Tourism has no inherent right to national parks; its role should be limited to carefully controlled support for public recreation, or in rare circumstances, to support conservation through adjacent communities. National parks must remain autonomous conservation assets, protected from political and commercial capture, and accessible to the public who fund and value them.”
GCI’s Dr Dominique De Andrade (pictured with Professor Scott Harrison, Pro Vice Chancellor (Arts, Education and Law) has received the Pro Vice Chancellor’s AEL Mid-Career Researcher Award.
Griffith Criminology Institute (GCI) researcher Dr Dominique De Andrade has been recognised for her influential work tackling criminal offending, public health and alcohol-related harm, receiving Griffith University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor’s AEL Mid-Career Researcher Award.
An ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow, Dr De Andrade has built a national reputation for delivering policy-relevant research with real-world impact, using innovative multi-sector data linkage to better understand the drivers of violence, harm and offending in nightlife environments.
In less than three years at Griffith University, she secured more than $3.5 million in competitive research funding, including an ARC DECRA and a major Queensland Government consultancy.
Dr De Andrade’s research has helped shape reforms and policing responses to alcohol-related harm, with evidence of impact extending nationally and internationally.
“The award reflects the growing recognition of research that directly supports evidence-based decision making and it highlights the impact that research can have in the real world,” she said.
“My work focuses on producing evidence that governments and communities can actually use to reduce violence and prevent harm.”
Real-world impact of research
Dr De Andrade’s body of work spans more than a decade and includes more than 50 peer-reviewed publications alongside a strong global research footprint with 115 collaborators across 21 institutions.
She said her current projects are focused on building safer societies through applied research that bridges criminology and public health.
“Alcohol-related harm and violence in entertainment precincts is a complex issue, it involves policy, policing, health, industry and community attitudes,” she said.
“By linking data across sectors, we can better understand what’s driving harm and what interventions work.”
GCI’s Director Professor Rebecca Wickes, researcher Dr Dominique De Andrade and Deputy Director Associate Professor Lyndel Bates (L-R).
Dr De Andrade currently leads major research informing Queensland’s approach to alcohol policy and nightlife regulation and is the only academic member of the Queensland Nightlife Economy Commissioner’s Industry Expert Advisory Panel.
GCI Director Professor Rebecca Wickes said the award highlights Griffith’s commitment to research that creates meaningful change.
“Dr De Andrade’s research is rigorous, innovative and deeply impactful,” she said.
“Her work on alcohol-related harm and nightlife violence has led to significant changes in alcohol policy in Australia.
“She exemplifies the kind of translational research that strengthens communities and informs policy at the highest levels.”
Researchers have arrived in Peachester State Forest to collect environmental samples to help unlock new insights into how planned burns shape and support ecosystems.
Decades-long research in Peachester State Forest has proven planned burns can have a positive impact on environmental health if they’re conducted at intervals specific to the ecosystem.
The program, which began in 1969, is Queensland’s longest-running fire regime study, allowing researchers to analyse 55 years of data.
Following a planned burn in Peachester in December, researchers have returned to the State forest to collect soil, leaf litter and insect samples to assess chemical and biological changes.
The analysis of decades of data shows different frequencies of low intensity planned burns influence carbon storage, nutrient ratios, nutrient cycling and associated microbial and invertebrate communities.
The ongoing study facilitates the use of planned burns for landscape management – a practice used by Australia’s First Nations peoples for thousands of years and continues to be used by QPWS.
Professor Chen said as part of the study, dedicated plots of the State forest are burned approximately every two years, others burned approximately every four years with the remainder unburned since 1969.
“This study is allowing researchers to understand the long-term benefits of repeated fire frequency on ecosystem diversity and function, soil carbon and nutrient stocks and soil health,” Professor Chen said.
“This study has shown that significant fire regime improvements can be made by adjusting the frequency of these burns.
“In Peachester, planned burns every four years are highly effective in supporting healthy native wet sclerophyll forests by introducing phosphorus, calcium and potassium into the soil.
“Planned burns are important to mitigate the impacts of bushfire, but our research has shown that they can improve protected areas if they are conducted at intervals that best suit the ecosystem.”
Distinguished Professor Chengrong Chen
QPWS Maleny Senior Ranger Donna Haslam said studies like Peachester provide science-based evidence of the best time to conduct planned burns in similar environments.
“When we’re planning a burn, we consider how the area’s plants, animals and ecosystems respond to fire and we tailor our plans to suit those needs,” Senior Ranger Haslam said.
“It’s important we continue to look at how the landscapes and ecosystems we’re working in respond to fire and planned burns to ensure our work is supporting a healthy environment.”
Other fire regime research projects are taking place in Bauple State Forest near Gympie and Tagalaka National Park in Far North Queensland to paint a clearer picture of how frequent planned burns influence Queensland’s ecosystems.
Rock Art Australia, a leading philanthropic organisation dedicated to protecting and advancing research into Australia’s rock art heritage, has appointed Professor Chris Clarkson as the Rock Art Australia Professorial Chair in Rock Art and Archaeology at Griffith University.
A Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and researcher with Griffith’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), Professor Clarkson is known for landmark work at Madjedbebe in western Arnhem Land.
Professor Clarkson on the site of Malangangerr in the Manbuyarra area of Kakadu National Park for a smoking ceremony.
In partnership with Mirarr Traditional Owners, his team uncovered evidence of human occupation dating to about 65,000 years ago, including early axes, seed-grinding tools and ochre processing, published in Nature.
“This Rock Art Australia fellowship and joint projects in Arnhem Land bring cutting-edge archaeological science together with Indigenous knowledge to understand how people responded to extreme climate change over tens of thousands of years,” Professor Clarkson said.
“These insights are directly relevant to Australia today, as we work with Traditional Owners to protect and manage nationally significant cultural landscapes and rock art under growing environmental and social pressure.
“By combining scientific research with community-led cultural knowledge, we’re creating new and inclusive narratives of Australia’s deep history on Manilikarr Country, on the eastern edge of Kakadu National Park.
“This work strengthens Indigenous capacity to manage Country, supports heritage preservation, and ensures all Australians can better understand and value the world’s oldest continuing cultural traditions.”
Professor Chris Clarkson
In this new role, he will lead research into Australia’s early history, strengthen Indigenous partnerships in rock art protection, and train future researchers.
“Professor Clarkson’s international research experience and outstanding reputation significantly increases ARCHE’s standing, including as a place for students, including Aboriginal peoples, to study and learn from one another,” said Professor Michael Petraglia, Director of ARCHE and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transforming Human Origins Research.
Rock Art Australia is also partnering on a new ARC Linkage Project on post-glacial sea-level rise at Red Lily, co-designed with Traditional Owners and ranger groups, integrating archaeology, environment and cultural knowledge to support heritage management.
Professor Clarkson with Dr Faisal Al-Jibrin from the Heritage Commission, Saudi Ministry of Culture, in the Rub Al Kali of Southern Saudi Arabia.
“Investing in this Professorial Chair demonstrates Rock Art Australia’s long-term commitment to advancing rigorous, world-class research alongside Indigenous-led stewardship of Australia’s rock art and cultural landscapes,” said Rock Art Australia Chair, Hon Ken Wyatt AM JP CitWA MAICD.
“At a time when these nationally significant places face growing environmental, development and social pressures, this investment helps ensure they are not only better understood, but effectively protected, responsibly managed, and sustained for future generations.
“The partnership with Griffith University and the ARC Centre of Excellence enables research at a scale, depth, and interdisciplinary reach that no single organisation could achieve alone. By bringing together cutting-edge scientific methods, Traditional Owner knowledge and on-Country collaboration, this initiative strengthens the evidence base required for informed decision-making.
“Just as importantly, it builds skills, leadership and enduring partnerships that support Indigenous authority and capacity to care for Country, ensuring cultural landscapes are safeguarded in ways that are both scientifically robust and culturally grounded.”
Dr Blake Palmer
Vehicles are increasingly functioning as mobile workspaces, prompting Griffith University researchers to conduct a deep dive to better understand how and why workers multitask while driving.
Dr Blake Palmer from Griffith’s School of Applied Psychology is investigating the premise of work-related multitasking behaviours while driving.
“The study aims to understand how and why drivers engage in work-related multitasking while driving, and how organisational expectations and safety systems may influence these behaviours,” Dr Palmer said.
“Multi-tasking includes taking or making phone calls while driving, checking or responding to work messages, reviewing schedules or job details on a device, looking up addresses and navigating between jobs, and managing time pressures by eating while driving.
“Studies of this nature are vital in addressing a gap as there is a lack of information on how common these behaviours are.”
Work tasks can be time-critical, linked to productivity or performance expectations, and may be socially expected.
This means a person’s decision to multitask while driving could be managed differently by workers depending on different roles and job requirements.
The study is seeking participants who have driven a vehicle for work purposes in the past six months, and may include driving a personal or company vehicle to and from work, between jobs or sites, visiting clients, or making deliveries.
It would involve completing a short 15-minute online survey.
