Today on Better Student Leaders, I’m joined by Dr Chamindika Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Swinburne University of Technology, and John Downes, former President of the Institute of Management Consultants and long-time Deloitte partner. Together, they unpack how Swinburne’s Business Consulting Project.

This episode is essential listening if you want to understand three things:

1. why students are developing Tier-1 consulting-level inquiry skills, with John noting their work is “absolutely on par with what I would expect when I was a partner in a Tier 1 consulting firm”;
2. how hands-on projects transform communication, teamwork, and ethical judgment;
3. how industry partners gain fresh, research-driven insights that create a genuine triple win. With examples from business model redesigns to go-to-market plans and even the student-led spark behind John’s 50-episode podcast, this is a practical and energising look at what better student leadership looks like in action.

The BCP has become a standout work-integrated learning capstone, blending design thinking, consulting rigor, and real industry projects across Melbourne, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Swinburne Online. As Dr Weerakoon shares, the unit “builds an ecosystem” where students learn to navigate ambiguity, challenge assumptions, and work directly with real clients instead of case studies.

We hope you enjoy this episode!