Why leadership in Indigenous higher education has never been more important

Murmuk Djerring means “working together” in Woi Wurrung language. These are words, from the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Melbourne and surrounding lands, that hold much significance at a time when the issues facing Indigenous Australians are front and centre of the country’s consciousness.

And these words – Murmuk Djerring – embody the spirit of the University of Melbourne’s Indigenous Strategy 2023-2027 which launches this week.

Currently in Australia, there’s the once-in-a-generation Review of Australia’s higher education system which puts “First Nations at the heart of Australia’s higher education system”, as well as the once-in-a-generation referendum on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

This glaring spotlight on Indigenous issues emphasises why leadership in Indigenous higher education has never been more important.

The University’s strategy, Murmuk Djerring, outlines key priorities and opportunities to strengthen our efforts towards its larger enduring purpose – to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research.

These include ambitions to create and sustain a culture of Indigenous academic excellence, to celebrate, value and unlock the potential of Indigenous knowledge traditions, and to provide outstanding career advancement and leadership opportunities for all Indigenous students and staff.

These may sound like lofty goals with little relevance beyond the University. But the University’s leadership in areas including truth-telling, Indigenous academic excellence, and the recognition and valuing of Indigenous knowledge has repercussions well beyond the institution.

Good universities have always played a leadership role in advancing important issues.

And good research not only leads to new technologies and industries, but also informs public debate, improves our health and wellbeing and helps solve our most complex problems.

The expertise that lives in our institutions contributes to our understanding of our history, culture, society and appreciation of the world around us.

Which brings me to the importance of our new Indigenous Strategy and its role in delivering benefits to our community and beyond.

Murmuk Djerring highlights the importance we place on elevating and further embedding Indigenous energy within the University – strengthening and deepening our relationships and interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our goals and actions are evidence of our commitment to growing a thriving community of Indigenous students and staff, advancing research and addressing historical injustices.

Our leadership in higher education relates to our public purpose which places social responsibility at the heart of the academic mission.

An important priority in Murmuk Djerring is truth-telling and justice.

Historical truth-telling aims to address the legacy of injustices committed against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For the University, it’s a reckoning with its own history in and engagement with the occupation and exploitation of Indigenous land and Australia’s First Peoples.

It’s crucial to the ongoing process of healing. And aspires to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together to work toward improving Indigenous outcomes and advancing Indigenous priorities.

The importance of truth-telling for the ongoing process of healing and reconciliation is evident in the work of the Yoorrook Justice Commission into historical and ongoing injustices experienced by the Indigenous peoples of Victoria. More broadly, the Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for truth-telling about the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

If we look at the current debate surrounding the Voice to Parliament, it further underlines the point that universities have an obligation to advocate for the policy and political issues that matter to their communities.

Earlier this year, the University of Melbourne’s council and executive affirmed their support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the ‘yes’ position in the referendum.

By remaining distant from these debates, any university runs the risk of negatively impacting both the institutions and the communities they serve.

Strong leadership in Indigenous higher education matters at a local, national and international level.

Education has a major role in achieving better economic outcomes for Indigenous Australians and is considered one of the main strategies for addressing Indigenous disadvantage in Australia.

In 2020, Australia’s National Agreement on Closing the Gap identified the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieving their full learning potential, setting a target of 67 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (aged 15 to 24 years) in employment, education and training by 2031.

Our strategy, and those of other universities, are critical to reaching these targets and overcoming Indigenous disadvantage.

Since 2011, when our first University-wide Indigenous Strategy was implemented, our Indigenous student numbers have increased by 177 per cent and our Indigenous staff numbers by 709 per cent.

Indigenous leadership has the potential to transform and enrich both the University and workplaces across the country, bringing a wealth of cultural knowledge and professional skills.

Finally, our Indigenous higher education leadership aspirations are global.

Collaborating with other Indigenous and First Nations communities across the world presents exciting opportunities to foster connections and share Indigenous knowledge, culture, art and expertise.

Cultivating global knowledge partnerships is critical to amplifying the recognition and valuing of Indigenous knowledge systems. This is one of the key goals of our newly created Indigenous Knowledge Institute, a signature project of Murmuk Djerring.

If you look for modern examples of why leadership in Indigenous higher education is so urgently needed – you only need to look as far as our planet’s unfolding climate crisis.

Across the world, Indigenous peoples are disproportionately exposed to a range of climate extremes – like heat, rainfall and drought. Now, it’s widely accepted that major global challenges like climate change cannot be overcome by western science alone.

Australia is likely to be hit harder by climate change than the rest of world, so it makes sense that any policy must mobilise the in-depth knowledge of Indigenous Australians, who for tens of thousands of years have successfully used their knowledge of changing weather patterns and land management to find new and more effective ways to tackle climate and environmental adversity.

Strengthening the relationship between western science and Indigenous knowledge systems offers huge potential to address a multitude of other local and global challenges.

The launch of Murmuk Djerring is a defining moment in the University of Melbourne’s history.

As an institution, we have prioritised the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and knowledge exchange through deep, reciprocal partnerships for the betterment of our communities.

We have committed our expertise and resources to making a sustained contribution to lifting the health, education and living standards of Indigenous Australians.

We invite you to join us in working together to achieve our vision.

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