Today, Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell, alongside three other Vice-Chancellors, appeared before the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee to answer questions regarding the 'Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024'. In July 2024, ANU provided a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Education and Employment. 

Read more: Vice-Chancellor's statement to the Senate Committee

The University's Smoke-Free Policy prohibits the use of all smoking products (tobacco product, herbal product, personal vaporiser or personal vaporiser product) on all ANU campuses, including residences, buildings, properties, grounds and study and workspaces.   

There is a range of support services available to assist in reducing or quitting smoking. You can also access counselling services through ANU, visit the ANU Medical Centre or talk to your own health care practitioner for support.   

Learn more: ANU is a smoke-free campus 

ANUOK is the official safety and well-being app for our ANU community. The app features include quick access to Security, emergency information and current alerts, safety tools, a campus map and other personal support resources.  

All staff should download the ANUOK App. Make sure you turn on push notifications to stay informed about what's happening that affects our community.  

Download ANUOK on Google Play  

Download ANUOK on the App Store 

Image: Dr Lara Gillan. Photo credit: Nic Vevers/ANU.

Saturday 10 August, 6-7.30pm

When Dr Lara Gillan visited Questacon as a child, she was too scared to drop into the infamous free fall. Now she’s returning to conquer her fears by doing something which is, in her words, “even more terrifying”.  

Dr Gillan is one of six ANU scientists performing at the Future Science Talks: Comedy Edition at Questacon for National Science Week. They’ve each worked with comedians to develop a talk about their research, billed as “80 per cent science, 20 per cent humour.”  

Dr Gillan is going outside of her comfort zone to help her loved ones, who know nothing about science, understand what she does every day.  

Read more: The serious buisness of funny science 

Tuesday 13 August, 5-7pm 

The dominant view shaping policies is that there is a zero-sum trade-off between economic relations and national security. In this lecture hosted by the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, Scott Kennedy - a senior adviser in Chinese Business and Economics, will present an alternative approach to policy that better manages economic relations with China while balancing national security interests. 

Register now: Calibrated Coupling lecture

Wednesday 21 August 4.30-6pm – Thursday 22 August 3.30-5pm 

Partake in this year's highly anticipated Passmore Lecture Series with keynote speaker Pamela Hieronymi, a Professor of Philosophy at ULCA. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with her insightful discussions on the philosophical problem of free will. Lecture one will diagnose the philosophical problem of free will and lecture two offers the antidote by presenting the concept of evaluative control.  

Register now: Passmore Lecture Series 

Thursday 15 August, 10-11am 

In this lecture hosted by the School of Art and Design, Dr Tobias Teutenberg will take a critical look at the scientific and pedagogical work of Viktor Löwenfeld (1903-1960), one of the most influential art educators of the 20th century. This lecture will analyse how Löwenfeld developed his pedagogical and psychological motifs in his work with blind students and how he applied them in the American context. 

Register now: Colonial Entanglements lecture 

Thursday 8 August, 4-6pm 

Whether you're an experienced crafter or just starting out, everyone is welcome at Textile Thursdays to work on projects and connect with fellow makers. Each fortnightly session we’ll feature a new skill or technique but feel free to bring any project you’d like. This week the focus is mending – bring your old clothes and let us help you give them a new lease of life.  

Register now: Textile Thursdays  

Image: ANU Campus. Photo credit: Tracey Nearmy/ANU

The ethics around humane exclusion for refugees, understanding why monarchies endure and the biodiversity impacts of plant invasion are among a number of ANU research projects that have received federal funding this week. 

The projects, led by 11 mid-career researchers at ANU, have been awarded a total of $11.8 million as part of the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships. 

Read more: ANU wins $11.8 million in ARC Future Fellowships 

Image: ANU Campus. Photo credit: ANU.

The Australian National University offers its congratulations to its three alumni recipients of the 2024 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Jye Beardow, Jack Dalton and William Maurency.  

The Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarships fosters a richer understanding of western civilisation through scientific and humanitarian studies. To bolster this research the Ramsay Centre offers of up to $90,000 per annum to subsidise international postgraduate study for Australian citizens or permanent residents.  

Learn more: Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarships

Sharing your experience at ANU in the Student Experience Survey (SES) only takes ten minutes and puts you in the draw to win $1,000. By contributing your views and experiences, you’re helping improve higher education for everyone - including current and future students at ANU.  

Survey closes Sunday 1 September.

Learn more: SES survey  

Funded by CSIRO’s Data61, the Digital Agriculture PhD Scholarships support recipients in pursuing a PhD focused on a collaborative project between CSIRO and ANU in the field of agricultural information science. This scholarship provides a unique opportunity to work with some of the best minds across CSIRO and ANU and play an important role in the future of digital agriculture. 

Expressions of interest are due by Sunday 11 August.  

Learn more: Digital Agriculture PhD Scholarships 

ANU has been recognised in the 2024 Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) Green Gown Awards with three nominations awarded as finalists. All finalists have progressed to stage two judging. 

To learn more contact belowzero@anu.edu.au for climate action and Thomas.biedermann@anu.edu.au for his work at the School of Cybernetics. 

On Wednesday 14 August, students, staff and young people will be sleeping outside on one of the coldest nights of the year to raise awareness homelessness and raise money for the Vinnies Home Visits Service. This is a local service providing aid for food, transport and medical costs for people in the surrounding suburbs of ANU. Join the sleepout as an individual or as part of a team. The team which raises the most funds will win a package for their team to celebrate at Kingpin.  

Don’t miss the panel discussion on homelessness featuring experts, people with lived experience and the Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services, Rebecca Vassarotti. 

The Disability Research Network is hosting its first showcase on 18 November to highlight the disability-related projects and research within the ANU community. The theme for the event is From the Margins to the Centre: Promoting Disability Research and Inclusion at ANU. The network is seeking expressions of interest from staff and students who would like to present using traditional and non-traditional formats.  

For any enquiries, please email laura.davy@anu.edu.au or molly.saunders@anu.edu.au. 

Expressions of interest are due by Friday 27 September, 5pm. 

Learn more: EOIs disability research showcase 

Yesterday, ANUSA issued the notice for the call for nominations for the upcoming 2024 ANUSA Annual Election. Nominations will open on Wednesday 21 August for over 60 positions on the ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA) for the upcoming term running from Sunday 1 December 2024 to Sunday 30 November 2025. To learn more about running in the election please read the 2024 ANUSA Election Guide and the Call for Nominations Guide.  

The upcoming election dates include: 

For any enquiries about the electoral process, please email sa.probityofficers@anu.edu.au and richelle.hilton@anu.edu.au.

Meet the author – Hayley Scrivenor

Tuesday 20 August, 6-7pm 

Best-selling author of Dirt Town, Hayley Scrivenor will be in conversation with Chris Hammer on her second novel Girl Falling. Bold, dramatic and utterly compelling, Girl Falling forces us to confront the stories we tell ourselves about the people we love. 

Enter now for a chance to win one of two copies of Girl Falling and have your copy signed on the night of 20 August.    

The competition closes at noon AEDT on Wednesday 14 August   

Enter now: Meet the Author Student Giveaway 

If you are dealing with a personal or university-related issue, including distress related to the conflict in the Middle East, the University encourages you to seek support through the ANU 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.