L-R are Ms Adina Jordan, Professor Bob Breunig, Ms Gemma Van Halderen, Professor Matthew Gray, Mr Ray Griggs AO CSC, Professor Brian P. Schmidt AC FAA FRS, Ms Agnieszka Nelson, Mr Matt Flavel, Ms Rebecca Gibb, Professor Nicholas Biddle, Ms Perri Chapman, Mr Ben Peoples.

On 7 September 2023, The Australian National University (ANU) signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS). This MoU strengthens academic collaboration, facilitates shared knowledge, and fosters cooperation in various policy areas. It also promotes greater collaboration without the need for formal contracts, helping both ANU and DSS address future challenges. 

The signing of the MoU took place with the participation of ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt and Secretary Ray Griggs AO CSC, along with several key departmental and ANU representatives. Among those attending were the Dean of the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, the Director of the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, the Executive Director of the Sir Roland Wilson Foundation, and senior executives from the Participation and Family Payments as well as the Data and Evaluation Groups within the department. 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership. He said: 'The principles that underpin this partnership agreement establish a solid foundation for collaboration on social policy and open the door to secondments between ANU and DSS. I look forward to our two institutions continuing to work together in the future.' 

This MoU builds upon the existing, trusted relationship that the DSS department has with ANU. It enables the secondment of staff between the two organizations and outlines areas of mutually beneficial research, as endorsed by the department's Policy and Evaluation Committee. The development of this MoU has been in progress since the latter half of 2022.

Tuesday 3 October, 6-7pm 

Chris Hammer will be in conversation with Andrew Leigh on his new novel The Seven, the latest stunning thriller from the bestselling author of Scrublands and The Tilt.

Thursday 5 October, 6-7pm  

David Marr will be in conversation with Frank Bongiorno on his new book, Killing for Country: A Family Story, a gripping reckoning with the bloody history of Australia's frontier wars.

Monday 9 October, 6-7pm 

Trent Dalton will be in conversation with Sally Pryor on Lola in the Mirror, the heartbreaking and inspiring new novel from the award-winning author of Australia's favourite bestsellers, Boy Swallows Universe, Love Stories and All Our Shimmering Skies.

Today – Saturday 30 September 

Come and join us as we celebrate diversity, inclusion, wellbeing and cultural immersion with the 2023 edition of Immersia: Engaging with Asia and the Pacific. From dance performances and music to workshops and seminars, explore the cultures of the Asia-Pacific region for a truly immersive experience. 

Thursday 28 September, 3 – 4pm | Anthony Low Building

Join an insightful conversation with Tim Flannery, 2007 Australian of the Year and Chief Councillor of the Climate Council, about biodiversity conservation and reconciliation in the Solomon Islands. 

Thursday 28 September, 4.15 – 6.30pm | ANU School of Music

Join ANU School of Music Performance students for a relaxed lunchtime concert. Find more ANU School of Music events through the registration link.

Thursday 28 September, 4.15 – 6.30pm | HC Coombs Building

Join us for an exhibition of large photographs featuring unique aspects of Mongolian landscapes and lifestyle by members of the Mongolian Landscape Photographers’ Society.

Friday 29 September, 12 – 4pm | Joplin Lane

Discover hidden treasures at ANU Thrift Markets in Kambri. Shop sustainably on the last Friday of the month. Find unique items, enjoy live music, and savour delicious food. 

Tuesday 3 October, 6pm | Marie Reay, Room 3.02

Join the Young Economists Network ACT for their Careers Panel, discussing the variety and pathways of economics work. With multiple panellists, from both the public and private sectors, there will be opportunities to network and ask questions, as well as enjoy the free food and drinks. 

Wednesday 4 October, 5pm – 6.30pm | ANU Research School of Physics

First Wednesday Connect is brought to you this month in partnership with ANU Research School of Physics. Get involved in the regular monthly get-together aiming to energise, share stories and encourage collaboration between entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and innovators of all sorts. 

Thursday 5 October, 4 – 5.30pm | Online & Seminar Room, Australian Centre on China in the World

Drawing from rich resources, this project fills long-standing gaps in the study of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intelligence work abroad, the methodology of global Maoism, and the modern history of Cambodia’s Chinese communities.

Friday 6 October, 9am – 2.30pm | RSSS building

Join us for a thought-provoking event, as we delve into the demographic repercussions of COVID-19 in Australia.COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on populations, from cradle to grave, around the world.

Friday 6 October, 8.30am – 4.30pm | Shine Dome

Join the ANU Research School of Economics and the University of Chicago for a workshop on policymaking, focusing on child development and education.

Enterprise Agreement Update

On 8 September, the Vice-Chancellor announced that in-principle agreement has been obtained between ANU, NTEU and other bargaining representatives.

Since this time, the ANU Bargaining team has been working to draft and finalise the proposed Enterprise Agreement, and prepare for the upcoming access and staff vote periods in October.

In next week’s edition of On Campus, the University will provide staff with the specific timeline and process for staff to view, consider and vote on the proposed Agreement.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the ANU Bargaining team via ea.comments@anu.edu.au 

ANU partners with Simplicity and announces Advocate | Student Safety and Wellbeing Plan

The Student Safety and Wellbeing plan called for an expansion of our case management support for students at the ANU. One of those actions was to implement a new case management system to support our teams. To that end, ANU has partnered with Simplicity to implement Advocate. Advocate is a case-management software system specifically built for higher education that will enable the Student Safety and Wellbeing team to develop, monitor an evaluate personalised support plans for students as well as providing the University with clear data on students being supported by the team.  

The new system will support the confidential sexual misconduct disclosure process by facilitating disclosures (identified and de-identified) to be submitted directly through the system to continue to improve supports provided to those making disclosures. Advocate will also have the potential to expand to other areas services of the university to ensure a more seamless student experience. Simplicity has an existing association with the ANU as the provider of CareerHub and the Access CMS for Accessibility Service. 

Student Safety and Wellbeing plan here

You've heard of 'Phishing' but what about 'Quishing'? | Information Security Office

What is Quishing? Quishing is a type of phishing attack where a malicious actor creates a QR code that looks legitimate, to scam people, typically by redirecting them to a website that either downloads malware or is designed to steal their sensitive information. Read more from the Information Security Office about how to avoid getting 'quished'

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Preparing Competitive Tenders for Industry and Government

Thursday 19 October, 3 - 4pm | Online

This information session for the Australian National University (ANU) research, academic and professional staff, provides an introduction to preparing and submitting a tender response, including finding out about tender opportunities for Category 2 and Category 3 research funding.

Please use your ANU email address to register.