The Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building is delighted to bestow an Honorary Doctorate of Design on the Hon. Rob Stokes.
As a former NSW Minister in the Baird and Berejiklian ministries, Rob has played a vital role in shaping Sydney’s urban fabric since 2015. He has worked across a variety of portfolios, including Education, Infrastructure, Cities, Active Transport, and Planning and Public Spaces. He is also a former Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy.
During his time in politics, Rob led the development of the NSW Renewable Energy Action Plan; coordinated land use across the state to support sustainable development; and drove the creation of the Tech Central innovation precinct in downtown Sydney, a key component of the largest government-led urban renewal program in NSW to date. He also delivered a series of major reforms, including the creation of the Greater Sydney Commission, passing the Coastal Zone Management Act 2016 and establishing the state’s first Urban Design Policy.
Since leaving politics, Rob has continued working towards the creation of a more vibrant, sustainable and resilient Sydney. He is currently the Chair of the Faith Housing Alliance and a member of the Federal Government’s Urban Policy Forum advisory committee, which consults on national urban policy issues in areas such as environmental planning; sustainable development; affordable housing; climate change adaptation; and urban governance, planning and design.
This work brings him into frequent contact with UTS and its researchers, both within and beyond the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, who share his passion for reimagining the cities of the future. He has also been a regular attendee, panellist and speaker at UTS events and has sat alongside UTS experts at high-profile public forums including the Vivid Sydney Ideas Exchange and the Sydney is Beautiful awards and exhibition.
Rob shares the UTS vision of a more sustainable future, not only for Sydney but for all urban spaces across Australia. We have been privileged to engage with him in both his political and post-political careers.
– Professor Mark Evans, Dean, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
Rob is a longstanding champion of the education sector. During his time as the Minister for Education, he led the creation of School Infrastructure NSW, which invested heavily in NSW schools and delivered the largest school building program in the state’s history. He also commissioned a review of NSW education curriculum — the first in 30 years — to ensure that students continue to benefit from, and engage with, the school-based learning experience.
Rob’s commitment to better education outcomes for all people was evidenced through his early and significant support of the development of the UTS Indigenous Residential College (now National First Nations College), the first facility of its kind in Australia.
“Rob’s passionate advocacy for the National First Nations College resulted in a NSW State Government commitment to help bring this ground-breaking project to life,” says Professor Evans.
UTS honorary doctorates are awarded to people who make an outstanding contribution to a field or profession. As a 2024 recipient, Rob joins a long list of UTS Honorary Doctorate recipients, including Dr Paul Scully-Power AM (Honorary Doctor of Technology, 2019), Mr David Thodey AO (Honorary Doctor of Business, 2018), Dr Gene Sherman (Honorary Doctor of Design, 2017) and Ms Jenny Brockie (Honorary Doctor of Letters, 2017).