Image: Disha Taneja; a Bachelor of Psychology student. Photo credit: Supplied.

Faces of ANU: Meet Disha Taneja

Faces of ANU offers glimpses into daily life at ANU, celebrating the achievements and stories of individuals in our vibrant community. Meet Disha Taneja, a Bachelor of Psychology student and the proud recipient of the prestigious Chancellor's International Scholarship.

Read more: Faces of ANU, Disha Taneja

Captured left to right: Nadav Shofet, and Dr Shahd Bishara. Image credit: Erika McGown/ANU.

The New Israel Fund brought speakers from the grassroots organisation, Standing Together to the Australian National University on Tuesday 19 November 2024. The event was hosted by the College of Arts and Social Sciences, Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry. 

The evening highlighted the critical work of the progressive social movement uniting Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel to combat occupation, foster equality, and advocate for peace and social justice.

Standing Together’s leaders, Dr Shahd Bishara (Doctor of Medicine, Semmelweis University) and Mr Nadav Shofest took part in a robust discussion with foreign affairs and defense journalist, Daniel Hurst. This was followed by a dynamic Q&A session with the audience, offering a platform for in-depth exploration of the challenges and opportunities in grassroots activism. 

Dr Bishara, a Palestinian Arab citizen of Israel, shared her powerful perspective on addressing the ongoing violence and the humanitarian crises in Gaza, emphasising the importance of dialogue and trust-building to end the cycle of conflict.  Meanwhile, Mr Shofest detailed the complexities of organising protests and campaigns, highlighting the urgent need for a ceasefire, hostage release, and an end to the escalating conflict. 

The discussion shed light on the transformative potential of grassroots activism in bridging divides and building a future grounded in equality and coexistence. Attendees gained valuable insights into the complexities of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the tireless efforts of organisations like Standing Together to foster peace and social justice through collective action and community mobilisation. 

The New Israel Fund Australia is a progressive organisation, rooted in the Australian Jewish community, which works to support human rights and civil rights organisations in Israel. This event was part of a speaking tour held across Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Thursday 5 December, 10–11 am

Join the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH) for the 2024 McMichael Lecture and Award Announcement. The McMichael Award supports research and career development through a global network of mentors and through leaders connected to NCEPH through the late Emeritus Professor Tony McMichael’s legacy. The lecture will feature presentations by the 2023 McMichael Awardees:

- Associate Professor Amy Dawel ANU School of Medicine & Psychology

- Dr Annabel Dulhunty ANU Crawford School of Public Policy

The event will also include the announcement of the 2024 award recipient.

Register now: 2024 McMichael Lecture and Award Announcement

Monday 2 December, 5.30-6.30pm

In this public lecture, Eduard Hovy, Executive Director of Melbourne Connect and Professor in the School of Computing and Information Sciences at the University of Melbourne, will briefly describe the essential processes and explore the three principal directions of generative large language model (LLM) research: making them usable, useful, and understandable.

This event is part of the 22nd Annual Workshop of the Australasian Language Technology Association and is presented by the ANU College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics, the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, and the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences.

Register now: LLM’s How they work and where they are heading

Monday 2 December, 5.30-7pm

Public health measures have been responsible for outstanding improvements in health, nationally and globally. In this presentation, Professor Emily Banks from the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health will outline what public health is, why it matters, how epidemiology plays a central role and why being in the firing line is a marker of success. She will discuss the experience of being in the firing line and how to manage pushback from vested interests, such as the tobacco industry, on professional and personal levels, along with key future challenges.

Register now: Public health in the firing line

Thursday 5 December – Friday 6 December, 9.30-4.30pm

The Menzies Foundation, in partnership with ANU, proudly presents the Complexity Leadership Symposium. This symposium brings together leaders from industry, academia and government to explore how the field of leadership must evolve to address the complexities of the 21st century.

Register now: Complexity Leadership Symposium

Friday 6 December, 8.30am-5pm

This day-long conference hosted by the Crawford School of Public Policy will offer insights into Australia's newest comprehensive strategic partner in Southeast Asia by examining contemporary development issues in Vietnam, including institutional and economic reforms, macroeconomics, responses to climate change, and societal challenges that necessitate policy intervention.

Register now: Vietnam policy and economy update 2024

Monday 9 December, 9am-1pm

The 2024 Generative Artificial Intelligence in Health Education Symposium is a half day program, exploring the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on health education. Any staff involved in education with an interest in learning how AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Co-Pilot can transform student learning, are invited to attend this free symposium.

Register now: 2024 Generative Artificial Intelligence in Health Education Symposium

From top left (clockwise): Professors Genevieve Bell, Andrew Blakers, Alex Brown, Paul Burke, Ray Lovett, Helen Sullivan, Chris Danta and Katie Steele. Photos: ANU, supplied

Eight remarkable ANU researchers have been honoured as leaders in their fields. Between them, the group is tacking some of the world’s most pressing issues in areas as diverse as solar technology, Indigenous health and economics. 

Read more: Academy of Humanities Fellows 

Captured left to right: Hamish Stewart, Charles O'Neill, Mikayla Hyland-Wood and Samuel Cass. Images courtesy of the General Sir John Monash Foundation.

Four exceptional ANU graduates have each been awarded 2025 John Monash Scholarships due to their commitment to issues of national importance. These graduates will continue their postgraduate studies at Oxford University to advance their prominent research.

Learn more about the influential work of Charles O’Neill, Hamish Stewart, Mikayla Hyland-Wood and Samuel Cass. 

Read more: 2025 John Monash Scholars

The 2024 Graduating Exhibition at the ANU School of Art & Design is a dynamic celebration of originality, and creative achievement. This showcase highlights the exceptional work of this year’s 59 graduates, marking the culmination of years of dedication from the newest wave of artists and designers.

“The Graduating Exhibition is a showcase of the culmination of our students' efforts across a wide range of practices in Visual Arts and Design.” Irina Agaronyan, ANU Graduate Art Curator.

Running from Saturday 30 November to Sunday 8 December, the exhibition will be open daily from 10am to 4pm.

Learn more: 2024 Graduating Exhibition

Help is available if you need it. If you are dealing with a personal or University-related issue, the University encourages you to seek support through the ANU Student Safety and Wellbeing team by emailing student.wellbeing@anu.edu.au or calling 02 6125 2211, Monday to Friday, 9am - 4pm.

You can also visit our Urgent Support page for a list of 24/7 and crisis support options.