Dr Anne Therese Gallagher AO delivered the 2026 Anthony Low Commonwealth Lecture on Thursday 30 April at the ANU titled, The Freedom Test: Can the Commonwealth Save Democratic Space.

The current Chancellor's term will conclude at the end of this year, and Council wants the community's feedback on what attributes they are seeking in the University's next Chancellor.  

Feedback is anonymous unless you choose to provide your contact details. 

The survey will remain open until Friday 15 May.

The ANYOU staff survey closes on Tuesday 12 May at 1pm. All continuing, fixed-term, and continuing contingent funding staff who commenced on or before 13 April, will have received an email inviting them to complete the survey.

ANU staff surveys provide you with the opportunity to let leadership know about your experience working at ANU. Results from all staff surveys are used to inform key items of work at the University, including those specified in the ANU Roadmap, to improve the ANU staff experience

Make sure you take 10 minutes to complete the survey before it closes.

Savoir French, the popular cafe tucked away in the ANU School of Art and Design, has officially been named the ACT’s favourite in the 2026 Time Out Food & Drink Awards People’s Choice Awards.

More than 10,000 votes were cast across Australia, with Canberrans backing Savoir French for its warm atmosphere, handmade pastries and quality coffee. The café has built a loyal following among students, staff and locals alike.

Clarisse, co-owner of the French cafe, said the award was especially meaningful because it came from the community.

“At the end of the day, there is no business without their support,” she said.

The University’s Recruitment Oversight Committee (ROC) has been formally disestablished following the conclusion of its work, supporting its ongoing focus on strengthening local decision-making and reducing administrative burden.

Providing a justification to recruit remains mandatory for all requests, and updated templates are now available on the Recruit page. All submissions will continue to be assessed by our HR business partners and recruitment teams for compliance.

In addition, People and Culture continues to update approval workflows in ANU Recruit as the ROC is removed from the relevant approval chains. The approval will instead be within the relevant delegate in the College/Division.

17 May is IDAHOBIT Day, the International Day Against LGBTQIA+ discrimination. This year’s theme, At the heart of democracy, serves as a reminder that democratic societies must ensure meaningful equity and justice – especially for trans and gender-diverse communities that face rising transphobia and barriers to gender-affirming care. 

Show your support by using the IDAHOBIT ANU email signature block and continuously advocating and showing up for LGBTQIA+ causes. 

Learn how you can be an effective ally by joining Inclusive and Respectful Communities and sign up for LGBTQIA+ Ally training on Thursday 14 May.

If you or someone you know is experiencing harmful behaviour as a staff member, please reach out to Staff Respect Consultant or submit an identified or de-identified Harmful Behaviour Disclosure.

This week’s trivia question is:

How many Australian PMs are ANU alumni?

Congratulations to our recent trivia winners, staff winner Oshini Bandara and student winner Augusto Joseph We Xiang Lee. Please contact ANU Corporate Communications to collect your prize.

Last week’s question and answer:

How many students are currently enrolled at ANU? Answer: Over 17,000.

Did you know? In terms of student numbers, the ANU is a little smaller than the University of Tasmania but larger than Princeton, Yale, MIT, and about the same size as Harvard and Cambridge.

The University has been granted an extension of its self-insurance licence for workers’ compensation by the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. The extension was approved on 26 March 2026 and will continue until 30 June 2030.

Got an idea for a creative science event?

Applications are now open for ACT National Science Week grants supporting engaging events and activities across the ACT during National Science Week (15–23 August 2026).

The ACT National Science Week Committee is offering grants of up to $3,000, with special grants of up to $6,000 available for events supporting underrepresented audiences, including disadvantaged youth, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, the LGBTIQA+ community, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and older adults (65+).

Think livestreams, alternate reality games, science demonstrations and more, the sky’s the limit.

Applications close Sunday 17 May. Read the full grant guidelines before applying.

The University community is invited to take part in the Walk for Truth, a national initiative led by proud Kerrupmara/ Gunditmara man Travis Lovett, Executive Director of the Truth Telling Centre and the youngest Royal Commissioner in the world. 

The Walk for Truth builds on the work of Victoria’s truth-telling process through the Yoorrook Justice Commission, which has examined the historical and ongoing injustices experienced by First Nations peoples across institutions and systems. 

Having departed Naarm (Melbourne) on Sunday 19 April, the walk is travelling through regional communities and will arrive in Canberra on Tuesday 26 May, passing through the ANU campus at approximately 11am.

Staff, students and the broader community are encouraged to register and join University Leadership in welcoming the walkers to campus, including a formal Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony from Ngambri-Kamberri, Walgalu and Wiradjuri custodian Paul Girrawah House.

The Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute brought more than 150 First Nations women, girls, sistergirls and gender-diverse people to the Women Deliver 2026 Conference between 27-30 April in Melbourne.

Participants called on governments and institutions to support First Nations women’s leadership. Institute Chair June Oscar AO delivered a plenary address and led a workshop on First Nations women’s peacebuilding practices.

ANU-led research has revealed that wild sulphur-crested cockatoos learn what foods are safe to eat by watching each other – a discovery that helps explain how the species thrives in rapidly changing urban environments. 

After a landslide election victory, why has Labour plummeted in the polls? Can Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership survive and who are the likely contenders? Will the Conservative Party capitalise on Labour’s disfunction, or is Reform UK set to benefit from record levels of dissatisfaction with government? What are the parallels with Australian politics and who is the Prince or Darkness?

Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva from the National Security College examines the growing role of the global south in a shifting and increasingly fragmented world order. 

Professor Stuart Wyithe has been appointed as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), following a competitive international recruitment process. 

Professor Wyithe is currently the Director of the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He joined ANU in 2023 from the University of Melbourne, where he was a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor following a 20-year research and leadership career.

Stuart will officially commence in the role on Monday 18 May.

To mark World Password Day, ANU Cyber Sense is running the May the Password Be Strong campaign from 5–7 May, sharing simple tips to help you create strong, memorable passphrases and protect your accounts.

Complete a short quiz by Thursday 14 May to go in the draw to win free coffee vouchers and a lens cloth.

Follow ANU Cyber Sense on Instagram or Facebook to double your voucher reward.

For more information about your ANU passwords, including how to change your own password, visit anu.edu.au/password.

The University's core student administration system, Campus Solutions, is being updated to a newer version on Friday 15 May. 

Systems including ANUHub, MyTimetable, Syllabus Plus, Accept ANU, eForms, Extenuating Circumstances Applications (ECA) and Assessment Extension Applications will be unavailable from 12pm Friday 15 May to 8am Monday 18 May.

During this time, access will be impacted for all users, including both administrative and student self-service functions.

For enquiries, contact the Student Business Systems team.

The ANU Information Security Office (ISO) is aware of a cyber security incident affecting Canvas (Instructure). ISO is working with ITS and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) to actively engage with the vendor and monitor the situation.

If you’re travelling overseas and taking an ANU computer with you, you need to fill out the 'Register overseas travel with ANU device' ticket in ANUConnect. By doing so, the University can help to protect you, your data, and the ANU community.

University staff trained in MHFA provide a trusted first point of contact for colleagues experiencing mental health challenges, helping guide them to appropriate support. Delivered by the Red Cross, the training includes self-paced eLearning, an in-person instructor-led session on campus and an online exam.

Staff can now register for a session on 31 August.

Monday 18 May at 11am–12pm

Safety and Wellbeing are running this mandatory course for staff and postgraduate students undertaking fieldwork, and for their supervisors. It is a prerequisite to commencing fieldwork and remains valid for five years.

Fieldwork includes any University-authorised work undertaken off campus, including teaching and research in natural or community settings.

Attendance in person is recommended, with a Zoom option available. 

To support academics seeking promotion this year, the Academic Promotions Round for Levels B–E1 is now open.

Drop-in sessions, running from Tuesday 12 May to Tuesday 23 June, will guide applicants through the process, covering advice on eligibility, requirements and how to prepare a strong application.

ANU-led research into copycat cockatoos has captured the attention of international media, including The New York Times (paywall), CNN and Radio New Zealand.  Former postdoctoral fellow Julia Penndorf and her colleagues demonstrated that wild sulphur-crested cockatoos learn what foods are safe to eat by observing each other.

From feathered friends to flights to the moon: Fenner School philosophy lecturer Dr Ben Bramble reflects on the Artemis II mission in a column for Guardian Australia. Plans for a sustained human presence on the moon are not small or reversible steps, Bramble writes, but "they are the opening moves in a long-term transformation of another world.''

Back on Earth, in The Conversation postdoctoral research fellow Pandanus Petter assesses the achievements of the Albanese government in the 12 months since the May 2025 election.

Over the past week, more than 24 Australian National University experts provided commentary across a wide range of issues, including the Bondi terror attack and the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, the nomination of a new US Ambassador to Australia, King Charles’ visit to the US, inflation data, and the oversight and regulation of AI in the workplace.

Friday 8 May, 7.15–9.15pm

To mark David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, six ANU societies are coming together to screen his landmark documentary A Life on Our Planet at Kambri Cinema.

Distinguished Professor David Lindenmayer will open the evening with a few words. His decades-long research into Australia’s disappearing forests makes him a natural voice for the story Attenborough tells in A Life on Our Planet.

Open to everyone, this is a free event with free popcorn and drinks provided.

Thursday 7 May, 6–7pm

Hear Professor Jessica M. Smith, from the Colorado School of Mines, present on sociotechnical approaches to global challenges, focusing on energy, materials and mining.

The event will be followed by drinks and canapes.

Monday 11 May, 6.30–8pm

Hosted by the Australian Politics Studies Centre and the School of Politics and International Relations, this event brings together leading political scientists for an analysis of what the Farrer result means for Australian politics.

Monday 18 May – Wednesday 20 May, 6.30–9pm

The Pint of Science festival features engaging discussions across topics including health, technology, the environment and society, making science easy to explore for all audiences.

Tuesday 19 May, 5–7pm

Join the ANU Coral Bell School and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership for a talk by Professor Valerie Hudson, Texas A&M University, on her forthcoming book, which explores how traditional realist approaches to international relations can overlook key perspectives, and how a more inclusive view may strengthen national security thinking.

Caitlin Vincent will be in conversation with Helen Musa.

Thursday 7 May, 6–7pm 

Frank Bongiorno will be in conversation with Joshua Black, Marija Taflaga and Peter Yu.

Monday 18 May, 6–7pm

Right outside the Forestry Building on campus stands a remarkable living relic, a Wollemi pine tree (Wollemia nobilis), which is one of the rarest and most ancient tree species on Earth. Thought to have vanished from the planet millions of years ago and known only from fossils, the Wollemi pine was rediscovered in 1994 in a remote gorge in Wollemi National Park and is hailed as one of the most exciting botanical finds of the 20th century. 

This critically endangered tree, often called a “living fossil”, belongs to a lineage that dates back over 200 million years. In the wild there are only a few mature Wollemi pines left, most of them in a secret sandstone canyon, making every cultivated specimen incredibly special. This particular tree was planted in 2006 in honour of Dr John Banks, a long-term academic at the School of Forestry and a significant contributor to the development of the ANU treescape.

Seeing one on campus is a treat: a prehistoric survivor thriving in the heart of ANU. This tree is a rare slice of deep history tucked into modern ANU, a perfect spot for a quiet moment of awe.

ANU Security – (02) 6125 2249 

For life-threatening emergencies first call 000 (or 0000 if dialing from an internal phone), then call ANU Security.

Media hotline – (02) 6125 7979 

Contact the media hotline during business hours or email media@anu.edu.au for media queries regarding the University and its operations, or to track down experts that aren’t listed in our Experts Guide.

Help is available if you need it. The University has a range of information and services that can be accessed by managers and staff.

Whether it's a work-related issue or a personal one, the University encourages you to seek counselling support through the Employee Assistance Program.

If you need to support a student in distress, please refer to this guide developed by the Student Safety and Wellbeing team.