It's that time of the year again. The Vice-Chancellor’s End of Year Garden Party is always a fantastic opportunity to come together, but with it being Professor Brian Schmidt’s last big event before he steps down as VC, there are plenty of reasons to join.

Here are just four reasons to come along (in no particular order): 

Eat and be merry 

University Avenue will be alive with music, food and festivities. Embark on a culinary journey at one of many grazing stations. From savory delights to sweet indulgences, there is bound to be something on offer to please everyone’s tastebuds. 

Celebrate excellence 

Recognise the outstanding achievements of our dedicated staff during the Chancellor’s and Vice-Chancellor’s Annual Awards ceremony. It's a moment to applaud the hard work, commitment and accomplishments of our colleagues who have contributed to making this year truly exceptional. 

‘Bake Your Brian’ competition

Let your culinary imagination soar as you 'Bake Your Brian,' turning Professor Schmidt's legacy into delectable delights. Whether it's galactic cupcakes or Nobel cookies, the possibilities are as endless as your creativity. There will be some great prizes on offer. Register your intent to bake here by Monday 11 December 2023. 

Recognise our Vice-Chancellor 

Finally, we also gather to honour and celebrate the legacy of our esteemed Vice-Chancellor as he steps down from his role and transitions back to academia. Join us in expressing gratitude for his leadership and contributions, marking a significant moment in our University's history. 

Get tickets

Please RSVP by Tuesday 12 December 2023.

This week there are further updates about recruitment processes for senior vacancies. 

Interim PVC Learning and Teaching 

Associate Professor Geoff Hinchcliffe has accepted the position of interim Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching. Geoff will be known to many of you as Associate Dean (Education) in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences since 2019. An ANU alumnus, VC Award winner, web designer and developer and champion of all things related to education, Geoff is well positioned to take on this role.  

Geoff will commence part-time in the role to enable a smooth transition from Monday 20 November and then full-time from Friday 8 December. 

EOI for the DVC (Research & Innovation) 

The internal expression of interest is live today for the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation). This is a dynamic opportunity for an accomplished leader to continue to spearhead the research portfolio of our University's Research and Innovation Strategy, focusing resources on the research areas in which we lead Australia and the world, while ensuring simplified and quality systems and services support all research activity and collaboration. 

To stay connected to our community and leadership team, keep reading On Campus every Tuesday for updates on key new appointments and movements. 

ANU students in Lille, France. Image courtesy of Damien Granet.

To better understand the cost of the Great War, the ANU offers a study tour to Gallipoli and the Western Front. Students walk the ground on which the conflict was fought and explore the commemorative landscape that marks the old front line.

In 2024, a 110 years since WW1 began, ANU will resume an internship with Ieper, a city dedicated to trans national dialogue and the pursuit of peace.     

Read more

Thursday 23 November - Friday 24 November 

The ANU Centre for European Studies and the International Association of Legal Science invite you to the symposium Property Law, Climate Change, and Tech Disruption. 

This year’s symposium draws together speakers from across the globe to discuss recent property law developments and responses in relation to climate change and technology. 

The Symposium will conclude with the Symposium Dinner on 24 November at 6.30pm at the National Museum of Australia. 

Register now 

Registrations closing soon. 

The ANU Library has recently added a huge and exciting range of new resources to their collection.

Following requests from researchers in the Centre of Early Modern Studies (CEMS) and College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), the ANU Library has added an extensive number of resources from GALE’s Primary Sources collections as part of the Chifley Flood Replacement project.

Read more

Tuesday 28 November - Wednesday 29 November

Join us for an exclusive two-day tutorial on Gridap, a state-of-the-art finite element software framework, written entirely in the Julia programming language organised by the School of Computing. The tutorial welcomes everyone to join, whether you're an experienced programmer, intrigued by Julia, or keen to explore finite elements - one of the most popular general purpose techniques for computing numerical approximations to PDEs - this in-person tutorial is your perfect learning platform. 

Register now

Thursday 16 November, 4-5.30pm 

By the end of World War II, hundreds of thousands of young men in colonial Taiwan had expressed their loyalty to the empire by volunteering to join the army. This talk hosted by the Australian Centre on China in the World will discuss shifting socioeconomic conditions, aspirations, and emotions experienced by village youth in Xinzhu Province to examine the process of mobilisation. 

Register now 

Thursday 23 November, 9-5pm 

Organised by the Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics, this event brings together experts to address gendered violence, with a special focus on the role of women's financial security. This event will feature panel discussions on labour markets, gender inequality, financial abuse, and legal and political factors in intimate partner violence.  

Register now 

ANU among the finalists for the Engagement Australia 2023 Excellence Awards

The ANU Institute for Infrastructure in Society (I2S) is a finalist for the Award for Excellence in Industry Engagement in the Engagement Australia 2023 Excellence Awards for the Next Generation Engagement Program.  

I2S, led by Director Sara Bice and Industry Director Kirsty O'Connell, is Australia’s leading research body working to transform the relationship between major infrastructure projects and communities, based at the Crawford School of Public Policy. 

I2S's flagship ‘Next Generation Engagement’ (NextGen) research program is driven by a globally unique, ongoing industry co-designed research agenda that is tackling the sector’s most pressing social and policy science research needs. 

"As Dean, I have the pleasure of seeing the high quality, variety and depth of research produced across our College and the University. NextGen stands out among this commendable cohort as an innovative, growing and impactful initiative. As a long-term champion and supporter of the Program, it is exactly the type of engaged research that is needed for universities to inform societal transformation and contribute to public good," said Professor Helen Sullivan, Dean, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. 

**********   

Professor Hilary Charlesworth re-elected to the International Court of Justice

ANU congratulates the Honourable Judge Hilary Charlesworth on her re-election to the International Court of Justice.

The election took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday 9 November to fill vacancies that will arise in February 2024.

Judge Charlesworth has served as a member of the International Court of Justice since 2021 and is a world-leading jurist, as well as the first Australian woman to serve as a Judge of the Court in its 78-year history.

She is a Honorary Professor at the School of Regulation and Governance (RegNet). 

In March 2023, the People and Culture division delivered the ANYOU Survey – the first full staff engagement survey held since 2018. Your feedback in this survey was really valuable and informed122 actions identified by senior and local leaders against specific focus areas.

Now they want to know what progress you’ve seen in response to the ANYOU survey results. 

This Thursday 16 November P&C is launching a short 4-minute Pulse survey to all staff. You will receive a email from Culture Amp inviting you to complete this confidential survey and we would really value your feedback.

Start the survey

Wednesday 29 November, 7.10-8.30am  

We're excited to announce a giveaway for five women staff members to win free registration for the upcoming Mentor Walks event. You’ll have the opportunity to seek great advice from women CEOs, directors, executives, entrepreneurs and leaders in their fields who want to help women succeed and get the career help they need. This is a safe space to discuss any career challenges you may be facing and enable growth and development in your current role. Fill out the entry form for your chance to win a spot at this event next week.   

If you are interested in other mentor opportunities check out the ANU NECTAR Mentoring Program or the Professional Mentoring Program. 

The Australian National University acknowledges, celebrates and pays our respects to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people of the Canberra region and to all First Nations Australians on whose traditional lands we meet and work, and whose cultures are among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.