Digital Design Beyond Borders: Establishing Deakin University’s GIFT City Campus

In 2023, Deakin University undertook the ambitious challenge of launching its first internationally owned and operated campus in GIFT City, Gujarat, India. Tasked with delivering Master’s programs in Cybersecurity and Business Analytics, this project aimed to replicate Deakin’s high-quality, immersive educational experience in an entirely new international setting, with a strong focus on ensuring the student experience matched the standards of the university’s Australian campuses. The campus was completed within a tight 12-month timeline, posing unique challenges in cross-border digital infrastructure delivery, procurement, and vendor management within India’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

This presentation will explore the strategic, technical, and operational processes involved in the digital design and implementation of the GIFT City campus. Leading a multi-disciplinary team of specialists, I coordinated the seamless integration of networks, audiovisual systems, desktop environments and software platforms designed to enhance the student experience. By partnering with global organisations such as Dell, Cisco and Vega, we ensured that the campus’s digital infrastructure supported an engaging and connected learning environment. This collaboration, along with careful navigation of India’s SEZ regulations, enabled us to overcome challenges related to procurement and legal frameworks, ensuring the campus was ready for its students on time.

A key lesson from this project was the importance of flexibility, clear communication, and cultural understanding when working across international borders. The GIFT City campus project demonstrated the need to adapt standard practices to the local environment while maintaining the essence of Deakin’s student-centric educational ethos.

I will detail how the team tackled these challenges, focusing on the delivery of digital infrastructure, the operational complexities of working in an SEZ, and how a student-first approach shaped the project’s outcomes. The insights gained from this project will offer valuable takeaways for institutions considering similar international expansion efforts.