14 December 2023
For 21-year-old Chinese international student, Fanfei Liu, it has been one success after another with her most recent achievement highlighting her desire to excel in the construction management industry.
Now a third year Bachelor of Construction Management (Honours) student at the University of South Australia (UniSA), Fanfei was commended for her hard work and perseverance with a nomination in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Future Leader Award category at the University’s prestigious Builders Organisation for Staff and Students (BOSS) club End of Year Dinner.
The award, which was presented on the night by NAWIC South Australian chapter president Laura Cornthwaite, aims to recognise a female student who leads by example, demonstrates potential to inspire and motivate others, is a passionate role model and contributes meaningfully to the community and the construction industry.
“NAWIC sponsor this award to show our commitment to increasing female participation in the industry,” Cornthwaite says.
“By being involved in the dinner, NAWIC is able to speak to students, graduates, staff and industry associates about the work we do and what they can do to support females entering the industry.”
The dinner also saw professionals from more than 10 key South Australian-based construction industry companies in attendance including Sarah Constructions and Built along with a total of 130 UniSA students and staff.
BOSS Vice President Francesco Freda, who is a Bachelor of Construction Management (Honours) fourth year student, says he was pleased with the turn out on the night.
“It went really well and there was a lot of interaction between professionals and students who were eager to learn more about construction management and find jobs in the sector,” Francesco says.
“Our objective as a club is to create key links between students, staff and industry partners, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to network with one another and for students to really understand how a construction site operates and how buildings are built.”
While Fanfei did not win the award, she says she was “really happy” to be honoured through several nominations.
Push for diversity in construction management field
Fanfei says the nomination has given her the chance to reflect on the construction management industry as a viable career pathway.
“The construction industry in Australia is booming and it has a very good future.”
The construction management sector employs more than 1 million people and is projected to have an annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent over the next five years1.
UniSA STEM Construction Management Program Director Debbie Frisby, who was a judge at the dinner and has been instrumental in developing the University’s construction management (honours) program, which is the only fully accredited undergraduate honours degree in construction management in South Australia2, says the building sector is increasingly prioritising diversity among its workforces.
“The industry is looking for diversity in their companies. They are eager to seek international students from all over the world,” Frisby says.
Cornthwaite echoed Frisby’s sentiments, emphasising diversity would help bring increased sustainability to the industry.
“We know that diversity in any workforce provides financial and cultural benefit to any organisation,” she says.
“By bringing different lived experiences to companies and professional associations within the construction industry, we have contribution from individuals to make a more rounded, inclusive and attractive offering for a long-term, sustainable workplace."
Construction management pathway the ‘perfect fit’
Fanfei says a career in construction management appealed to her as it was the “perfect fit”, mixing her natural affinity for numbers, her extroverted persona and love of buildings.
“When I was young, I was very passionate about buildings and when I arrived in Adelaide in 2020, I noticed the differences between the buildings in my hometown of Jinan City, Shandong Province in China and in Australia,” she says.
“In Australia, the residential houses in the suburbs are usually one to two storeys and the houses are separated and very unique whereas in China all the buildings are high rise buildings including the residential and the commercial developments.
“I’ve always been good at mathematics, good at calculations, I also find it easy to get along with people, so I thought studying construction management would be a great way to fit all my talents into one.”
Her decision to study at UniSA was driven by the institution’s more than 30 years’ experience in delivering construction management education along with well-established partnerships and alliances within the construction management industry.
She also says she was attracted to study at UniSA as she found people in Adelaide to be “so friendly” and the city “very beautiful and suitable for studying.”
Adelaide is among one of the world’s top 35 best student cities with a ranking of 31 in the QS Best Student Cities list 2023.
UniSA delivers innovative construction management education
During her degree Fanfei has been able to hone her communication skills and knowledge of construction management tools including data driven decision making and productivity processes including innovative building information modelling (BIM).
“BIM is a three-dimensional model that we use to better predict and understand the building’s shape and its services and the clashes within the constructed elements but we can now use that model to predict many more things,” Frisby says.
“We can use it for scheduling the building, estimating the time it will take to have the building completed. We can even use BIM to plan and predict the maintenance of the building for its whole life cycle.
“The other great thing about BIM is it’s a collaborative tool. So, when you’ve got an architect, an engineer and contractors all making amendments, you can imagine this piece of paper and its version history gets really complex.
“Thankfully, in the BIM model there is no confusion in version history as everyone can see exactly who has contributed what.”
BIM is taught from first year in the Bachelor of Construction Management in the Construction Communication course with further understanding and development of the model continued throughout the degree.
Supportive peers help Fanfei achieve success
As an international student, Fanfei says she is “incredibly grateful” to her Australian peers, who helped her overcome her initial learning challenges, which have led her to where she is today.
“I found it really hard to communicate with others especially in the group assignments when I first began my degree. I couldn’t contribute to group discussions because I couldn’t understand them,” she says.
“I had no knowledge of construction management here in Australia. I didn’t know where we can buy materials, who to contact but my classmates they really helped me out a lot and now I can confidently talk to people and contribute my ideas.”
Fanfei’s confidence has not stopped there as she now proudly claims membership in two student clubs including BOSS and UniSA’s Chinese Students and Scholars Club as a committee member.
She is also a UniSA Academic Student Representative (ASR), using her voice to advocate for students in her degree particularly international students.
Currently undertaking her second internship, which she secured through the University’s Career Hub platform, Fanfei says she’s eager to use her final year of study to maximise her time at university.
“I really want to enjoy university life, enjoy my holidays, go on more trips but at the same time, I also want to gain more work experience, which will hopefully help me get a really good graduate program after my degree,” she says.
“I’m still quite new to this industry and I want to find out what I’m most passionate about in construction management.”
1. National Industry Insights 2022
2. The program is accredited by the Australian Institute of Building (AIB).
The program is recognised as meeting the educational requirements for corporate membership with AIBS for graduates who have completed the Building Surveying specialisation.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (UK) (RICS): The program is recognised as meeting the educational requirement for corporate membership with RICS for graduates who have completed the Quantity Surveying or Building Surveying specialisation.
This program is recognised as meeting the educational requirements for corporate membership of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, for graduates who have completed the Quantity Surveying specialisation.
