David Tweddell

David Tweddell

Western Department: Research Development
Staff Position: Director, Research Development

Leave for Change

Position: Partnership Development Advisor
Country and Place of Assignment: Vietnam , Ho Chi Minh City, working with Saigon Tourist Hospitality College
Dates: August 15 – September 6


What motivated you to apply for Leave for Change?

I liked the idea of trying something very different that would challenge me professionally to really think about how we develop relationships with partners, and what that really means.

What do you hope to share with your host?

I hope to be able to share some of the things I have learned over the years about managing relationships between industry and academic partners, in this particular case with the goal of enhancing employment outcomes for students.

In preparing for you mandate, what has surprised you?

By nature, I’m a planner: my normal inclination would be to have several slide decks and other collateral ready to go now. Colleagues who have participated in Leave For Change have emphasized the need to remain flexible and be prepared for anything, so the most surprising thing for me (so far) has been the fact that I’m totally OK with waiting to develop content once I’m working with my partner organization. (Then again, I need to listen to my partners needs to discern which parts of my knowledge base are going to be most helpful to them!)

What do you think you will gain personally from this experience?

I hope to be able to use the experience to really examine what I do for Western and for our partners – to really strip it down to the essentials and get at the essence of developing successful partnerships that benefit all of the stakeholders.

What do you hope to bring back to Western from your experience?

Perspective – on what it means to work in a heavily resource-constrained environment, on what the essence of a partnership can be and should be, and how to look  at what we do in new, innovative ways to deliver value not just for our partners, but for our students and our community.

What do you think your biggest challenge will be?

Honestly, I don’t know yet – I’ve travelled to three East Asian countries for business before, and each one is different. I expect Vietnam will throw some surprises my way – but I’m looking forward to them!