Swinburne is a place where reconciliation is core to our culture. We work hard to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are culturally safe and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination and knowledges are embedded across our University. We find ways to express this through our strategic priorities of future-ready learners, research with impact, and innovative enterprise.
Swinburne’s commitment to reconciliation and to Indigenous Advancement shapes the way we govern; how we work and employ staff; our external partnerships; how we engage with students and develop their experience and learning; and the way we research and innovate. Our national thought leadership in reconciliation is part of our long-term and defining commitment.
We recognise and respect the history and diversity of spirituality, heritage and contemporary aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and peoples.
A whole ecosystem approach
Swinburne’s Indigenous Advancement program aims to increase participation and successful completion of educational studies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Our aspirations are holistic, including improved health, increased access and greater achievement in vocational and higher education and employment.
For many Indigenous people, university studies are hindered by location, work, family and community commitments. Our program is designed to accommodate a diverse range of Indigenous student needs, removing the barriers to higher education. It gives students across Australia an equal opportunity to study, whether it be through a remotely-run program in their own community, online or onsite at one of our campuses.
Swinburne’s Reconciliation Action Plan outlines our commitment to these goals. Our Moondani Toombadool Centre is responsible for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters at Swinburne.
With your support, we can transform more lives and shape brighter futures for individuals, families and communities.
Student Success
Your generous support will help Indigenous students succeed— young people with potential, but who have and continue to encounter challenges on their journey. Giving in this area provides crucial practical and emotional support, meaning Indigenous students are able to embrace life-changing opportunities, pursue their dreams, complete their education, and go on to rewarding, productive and prosperous lives.
Together, we can honour Swinburne’s commitment to opening doors for First Nations students —including important career doors— before, during, and after their studies.
How we enable Indigenous student success
Transformational Education and Experiences
A university education is an extraordinary journey that holds the power to revolutionise life journeys and worldviews. At Swinburne, our holistic approach to education moulds individuals into well-rounded, adaptable thinkers capable of tackling the complex challenges of an evolving world.
With your support, we want to supercharge this agency, providing the most transformative learning experiences for our Indigenous students, igniting their intellectual curiosity, critical thinking capabilities and personal growth.
Better World Research
Swinburne’s research has a role to play in the journey of reconciliation in this country. We are highly-motivated to actively acknowledge, honour and respect the profound contributions of Indigenous communities to knowledge systems.
In active pursuit of the principles of reconciliation, Swinburne seeks to promote a more inclusive and diverse academic landscape, and to foster a deeper understanding of the rich heritage and wisdom Indigenous cultures offer.
Recognising the invaluable traditional knowledge, environmental stewardship, and cultural insights of Australia’s First Peoples and integrating the Indigenous voice into the academic discourse enhances research across myriad fields, including Swinburne’s Better World Research priorities.
Innovative Planet
Your support can drive innovative socio-technical approaches to addressing the challenges facing our world’s fast-growing cities, such as climate change, altered energy, food or water security, issues of mobility and health, ageing population, and disruptions to the nature of work and home.
MedTech and Health Innovation
Your investment can help to create a healthy and inclusive future. Swinburne is focused on real-world health challenges, harnessing our deep expertise in mental health, neuroscience, ageing, bioengineering, medical and assistive technology, data science, digital technologies, design, and social science.
Space and Aerospace (inc. Earth Observation)
Your philanthropic support can provide innovative solutions for communities and industry, deploying our world-class capabilities in astrophysics, astronomy, aerospace, aviation, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Help uncover new insights for environmental and resource management and via Aerospace, to design and deliver cutting-edge, environmentally-efficient modern air vehicles.
Innovative Society
With your help, Swinburne can leverage the potential of technology to strive for greater social equity. Swinburne is creating a community of social innovators, working at the intersection of social issues and technology. This encompasses industry leadership in reconciliation and to lead national systemic change.
Under the leadership of the Moondani Toombadool Centre and the National Centre for Reconciliation Practice, this approach seeks to empower Indigenous communities to reclaim their narratives and actively engage in shaping research agenda, ultimately contributing to a more holistic, culturally sensitive body of knowledge that benefits both academia and society at large.
Swinburne is guided by, and engages with, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies (GERAIS).
Get in touch
Contact Swinburne’s Philanthropy team to learn more about how your support can enable people and technology to come together for a better world. Call us on +61 3 9214 4409 or email giving@swinburne.edu.au.
