Don’t worry if you missed it, you can still watch the 2025 Commencement: New Student Address. ANU staff are here to help you settle in, get your student card, and collect your ANU welcome pack.

ANU Student cards: 

- During O-Week: Monday 10 February to Friday 14 February,10am-4pm on Ground Floor, Marie Reay Teaching Centre (B155).

- From Week 1: Monday 17 February onwards,10am-4pm in the Student Central Annexure, Ground Floor, Di Riddell Student Centre (B154). The Annexure is conveniently located in Kambri, right across from the Kambri Lawns. 

ANU welcome pack:

- During O-week: Monday 10 February to Friday 14 February,10am-3pm head to Joplin Lane, next to Game On.

- Please note: Only open to full time students commencing in Semester 1, 2025.  Students must provide their ANU ID number to collect an ANU welcome pack. 

A snake lantern for celebrations in Singapore. Photo: Choo Yut Shing / Flickr

Happy Lunar New Year! As billions around the world celebrate the Year of the Snake in 2025, we spoke with ANU experts about the snake’s cultural significance and global influence.  

Read more: Embracing the Year of the Snake

Last week the University held its first annual graduation ceremonies event since the transition from twice yearly graduation ceremonies. Over 4,000 bright-minded students received ANU qualifications both in-person and in absentia. To celebrate their achievements, we’ve gathered some inspiring stories from our graduates. Read on below

Lee Constable’s time at ANU played a part in shaping who she became. Photo: Crystal Li/ANU

Not all advice is good advice. That’s according to TV presenter and ANU Bachelor of Science and Arts graduate Lee Constable, who shared her reflections with new students at the 2025 ANU Commencement Address.

Read more: Rites of passage 

Achalie and Madhawa with Professor Peter Kanowski, who they met at Graduate House. Photo: Luka Vertessy/ANU

Married couple Dr Achalie Kumarage and Dr Madhawa Perera also graduated from ANU with their doctorates. The couple met in high school in Sri Lanka and started dating during their first year as undergrads. They say baking together helped them de-stress while they were working on their PhDs here at ANU. 

Read more: Recipe for marital success

Dr Natalie Gordon displaying her possum skin. Photo: Nic Vevers/ANU

At the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology graduation last week, Dr Natalie Gordon honored the people who helped her on her path to becoming a doctor by including them on her ceremonial possum cloak. Natalie pursued a medical career to advocate for rural women and Aboriginal communities, and her graduation is an important milestone on that journey. 
 
Read more: Dr Natalie Gordon’s second chance led her to medicine

Monday 17 to Friday 21 February, 10am-3pm 

ANU Careers Week is a great opportunity to connect directly with employers, consider where your degree can take you, gain insights into desirable skills and see how your interests and values will help you succeed professionally during your time at ANU.

This year’s program includes a career networking event with recent ANU Alumni, a consulting industry garden party, STEM careers fair, multiple workshops as well as several themed speed networking sessions. 

Register now: ANU Careers Week 

Tuesday 18 February, 6-7pm

Arnold Dix will be in a conversation with journalist Alex Sloan on his new book The Promise. How an everyday hero made the impossible possible. 
 
In rural Victoria, Arnold Dix is known to locals as a farmer and a part-time truck driver. But his name reached global recognition when he played a pivotal role in rescuing 41 Indian workers trapped after a tunnel collapse in the Himalayas. In vivid detail, Arnold recounts the unlikely rescue that transformed him into a global hero. He reflects on the extraordinary challenges he faced, culminating in his unwavering promise: `41 men are coming home alive.’ 

Register now: Meet the author – Arnold Dix 

Monday 24 February, 5.30-7pm 

The indicators are that Donald Trump’s second term as President will be as disruptive for international law and international relations as the first. This seminar will focus on what the proposed US actions means for tariffs in the context of international trade law, the threatened acquisition of territory by economic or military means and ultimately, for multilateral, regional and bilateral treaties as the foundation for the rules-based international order. 

Register now: Trump 2.0, Tariffs, Territory, and Treaties

ANU Career Central is your new careers portal offering a user-friendly interface and tailored tools to support your career journey, every step of the way. 

Learn more: ANU Career Central

The ANU Poster Policy is now in effect, providing clear guidelines for the placement of posters and notices across campus. This policy ensures that posters are displayed in appropriate locations, maintaining the aesthetic and operational integrity of the University while supporting communication and engagement within the ANU community.  

In the policy library, you can find a detailed map identifying the designated noticeboards available for use. These include internal locations within ANU buildings and external sites across campus. Internal noticeboards are now fully operational.   

External noticeboard locations are currently pending approval. A further update will be provided once information becomes available. We encourage all students, staff, and community members to familiarise themselves with the policy and utilise the designated internal noticeboards for their notices and communications.  

Learn more: ANU Poster Policy 

This week, a new waste program is launching in the Marie Reay Teaching Centre. The ANU Green initiative includes five distinct bins to help divert waste from landfill.  

Waste walls display clear signage above the new coloured bins, to help make throwing rubbish in the correct bin easier. For instance, did you know that coffee cups and eco-friendly food packaging go into landfill red bins, not recycling bins?   

Find more tips on what waste goes where and the new waste program

Do you want to create change or have a positive impact in your community group, club, society or residence? The McCusker Institute is a groundbreaking initiative designed to give students the chance to tackle real-world challenges and grow as community-minded leaders. 

The Institute is hosting two O-Week info sessions so come along to find out about the  SoCIETIE Curriculum Initiative and learn how you can join the first cohort in Semester 1. Enrolment is open to all students at all levels from all ANU Colleges.

Two sessions will be held this week on Wednesday 12 February, 2-3pm and Thursday 13 February, 10-11am in the Learning & Teaching Building (10T1), Seminar Room 1.08 

Learn more: Join the McCusker Institute 

After a long nine-month intermission due to the Cultural Centre's closure, the ANU Film Group is back. Join in the celebrations with free screenings from 10 to 15 February, featuring recent hits like Wicked, Better Man, Heretic and more. 

Learn more: ANU Film Group screenings 

ACT Policing is undertaking research into the ANU community’s feelings of safety and perceptions of policing presence in the CBD and they want to hear from you. If you are over 18 and spend time in the CBD on Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday nights, take the five-minute survey to have your feedback heard. 

Learn more: ACT Policing safety survey 

Help is available if you need it. If you are dealing with a personal or University-related issue, ANU encourages you to seek support through the 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.