Australia’s universities have a responsibility to be the beacons of light in delivering social justice agendas across its many curriculums and courses.
Professor Juanita Sherwood, Universities Australia, Indigenous Strategy 2022-2027
The Indigenous Higher Education Curriculum Conference began as a UTS-hosted event in 2022. Supported by an International Indigenous Curriculum Community of Practice, the biennial conference highlights how Australian universities are progressively embedding Indigenous perspectives into higher education curriculum. It offers a forum for an international community of academics to share their examples of design, development and delivery of Indigenous curriculum through workshops, presentations and panel discussions.
On Country: the land of the Ngunnawal people
This year’s 3-day conference will be hosted at the University of Canberra on 25-27 November. It begins on Monday afternoon with a unique ‘On Country’ Experience. This includes:
- Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony
- Elder talk with Q&A
- A cultural walk/tour
- Crafts – basket weaving, boomerang making
- Afternoon tea – native biscuits, dampers, condiments and bush medicine teas
Presentations and activities
On Tuesday, we hear from keynote speaker Dr Cally Jetta, followed by an international panel with Professor Annette Gainsford (UTS), Professor Khylee Quince (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand) and Assistant Teaching Professor Mick Scow (University of Victoria, Canada). Professor Annette Gainsford is also keynote speaker at the evening’s conference dinner. The following day, there will be an Indigenous student panel discussion and networking opportunities, with delegate presentations running on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
In addition to the main event, an optional day of workshops (at an extra cost, with limited spots) runs on Thursday. Workshop topics include:
- Country as Teacher
- Object-based Learning with Indigenous artefacts
- Professional development for teaching
More opportunities to connect
Following the success of the inaugural IHECC Conference at UTS in 2022, the Indigenous Curriculum in Higher Education Community of Practice was developed to provide a forum for ongoing conversations and sharing in this vital space. The Community of Practice meets quarterly and welcomes new members or subscribers at any time. Use this form to find out more and join the Community of Practice.