Indigenous Higher Education Curriculum Conference 2024
The Indigenous Higher Education Curriculum Conference (IHECC) is a pivotal event that brings together academic and professional staff from universities across Australia. This conference highlights the progressive work being done to embed Indigenous perspectives and pedagogies into higher education curricula. By doing so, it aims to equip all students with the professional capabilities necessary to work effectively with and for Indigenous Australians in their chosen professions through achieving the Indigenous graduate attributes.
As Professor Juanita Sherwood from Universities Australia states in the Indigenous Strategy 2022-2027, “Australia’s universities have a responsibility to be the beacons of light in delivering social justice agendas across its many curriculums and courses.”
Ongoing conversations within and across universities have provided valuable insight into the need for more opportunities to build an understanding of Indigenous culture and to collaborate on incorporating Indigenous knowledge into the curriculum. This conference provides that valuable opportunity and serves as an excellent platform to showcase the outstanding work being done at the University of Canberra (ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø) and to learn from other universities, gaining insights into best practices across the sector, and learning about the challenges that universities continue to face in this work. It also provides the opportunity to develop strong connections across the higher education sector to continue developing strong and sustainable teaching and learning practices within this pivotal and ever evolving area.
Support for this conference is crucial. It both fosters educational excellence and contributes significantly to raising awareness of the impacts of colonisation, and the inequities that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to face in social justice areas including education, health, and justice. Philanthropic donations will directly contribute to the success of the conference and the ongoing efforts to integrate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into higher education.
