Her Excellency the Hon Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, visited campus this week to meet ACT primary school students taking part in the ANU Tuggeranong Schools Enrichment Program and get hands-on in our Biology labs.

Former Australian Prime Minister and former Australian Ambassador to the United States, Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC, delivered the 2026 China in the World Lecture at ANU last week.

In The Evolution of Chinese Economic Strategy under Xi Jinping, Dr Rudd explored how Xi Jinping has reshaped China’s economic strategy and the ideology underpinning these changes, as well as what they could mean for China and the global economy.

At ‘Women Deliver 2026’ in Naarm (Melbourne) in April, 150 First Nations women, girls, Sistergirls and gender-diverse people came together to articulate our vision for systems change.

Supported by the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute for First Nations Gender Justice, the delegation delivered the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Call to Action; calling on governments and decision-makers to shift power, invest in First Nations women’s movements, and recognise their leadership and knowledge to build a more just future.

Watch the video and read and endorse the call to action.

Experience the cultures, languages and stories of Asia and the Pacific at Immersia from Monday 14 to Friday 25 September. This free festival brings campus and Canberra to life through performances, workshops, talks, food, film and more.

Program highlights include:

The ANU Crawford School of Public Policy has celebrated 20 years of connecting knowledge with practice and shaping public debate. Hear from Crawford alumni about the qualities future policy leaders will need to navigate an increasingly complex world.

From 2027, ACT students will be the first in Australia to study a dedicated Year 11 and 12 Pacific Studies course. Developed with contributions from teachers, Pacific educators, community representatives and ANU scholars, the course will explore the region’s histories, cultures, languages, knowledge systems and contemporary issues.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing the childhood experience, but research is struggling to keep up. 

ANU researchers, funded by Australian Rotary Health, are working to better understand how children interact with AI chatbots by talking directly with nine to 12-year-olds.

"We urgently need to know more about how AI is impacting children," said lead researcher Associate Professor Amy Dawel, of the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology.

“We are interested in talking to nine to 12-year-olds from across Australia, especially those who have AI friends, talk to AI about their feelings, or seek advice from AI about social or personal situations."

William Confalonieri has been appointed the University’s next Chief Information Officer, commencing Monday 9 November.

Confalonieri brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across higher education, government advisory and technology-enabled transformation. He joins ANU from the University of New England, where he led digital transformation across technology, data, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and digital services.

Acting Chief Information Officer Sajid Hassan will continue in the role until Confalonieri commences, following his leadership of key initiatives including the establishment of the University’s AI Oversight Committee.

Get involved in health, safety and wellbeing activities and events at ANU this September and October.

The Health, Safety and Wellbeing page features a range of opportunities, including R U OK? Day resources, free webinars with Converge and Assure, and complimentary classes with Club Lime.

Is your college, division or area organising an event related to health, safety and wellbeing in September or October? Let us know at injurymanagement@anu.edu.au so we can help promote it.

Take time to pause, breathe and reset with ANU Sport’s weekly Mindfulness short course. Explore simple practices to build calm, focus and resilience.

Since introducing monthly leave reminders, we’ve been tracking balances in On Campus to encourage staff to take regular breaks and reduce their leave liability.

In August 2026, the University’s annual leave liability was $47.9m, an increase of $1.42m compared to July 2026 and $1.66m higher than the same time last year.

Taking regular leave is important for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. If you have a growing leave balance, now is a good time to start planning your next break. Read the ANU Enterprise Agreement to understand your leave entitlements and how best to use your leave.

All ANU printing, photocopying and scanning services will be unavailable on Thursday 10 September, 5.30–7.30pm, for a planned system upgrade. To avoid issues, please complete your printing beforehand.

Print jobs submitted before the outage that have not been released by 5.30pm may need to be resent once the printers are back online. Please top up your printing credit before 5pm, as this may be affected by the upgrade.

If you experience any printing issues after the upgrade, please report a printing issue through ANUConnect or contact the Service Desk on (02) 6125 4321.

The McMichael Award offers up to $30,000 to support 12 months of research at the intersection of human and environmental health, along with career development and access to a global network of mentors.

Applications are open to eligible early and mid-career salaried ANU researchers until 11pm Wednesday 30 September.

Applications for the ANU Educational Fellowship Scheme (EFS) open in October. Academic staff, professional staff, higher degree by research students and tutors who contribute to teaching and learning can gain international recognition, reflect on their practice and strengthen their professional networks.

Get ready to apply through these online sessions:

Dr Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva, a Lecturer at the ANU National Security College, examined whether smaller states can influence great powers in her Australian Outlook opinion piece for the Australian Institute of International Affairs. She explored Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s call for Russia to “freeze” the war in Ukraine and argued that smaller states can exercise meaningful diplomatic leverage under the right geopolitical conditions. 

Associate Professor Amy Dawel from the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology spoke to WIN News Canberra about research into why Australian children are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for companionship, advice and other personal interactions. Honorary Professor Robyn Alders from the Development Policy Centre spoke to SBS News about the spread of H5N1 bird flu in Australia and the risks it poses to native wildlife. 

Over the past week, ANU experts spoke to the media about a range of issues, including parts of Australia recording its warmest winter on record, One Nation's shock win in a long-held Labor seat, Australia's migration debate, AI misinformation in Parliament and Canberra's growing multilingual diversity.

Friday 4 September, 3.30–4.30pm

See glass artist, ANU alumna, and 2026 FUSE Glass Prize winner Annette Blair at work in the hotshop. This free demonstration marks the final day of the exhibition, where you can come and see glassmaking practices brought to life.

Monday 7 September, 9am–1.30pm

Hear from leading speakers about domestic and international field epidemiology and its vital role in protecting communities and global public health.

Monday 7 September, 12–1.30pm

Drawing on nearly two decades of experience at SpaceX, Meta, Google and the United Nations, Dex Hunter-Torricke will explore how Australia can secure its national interests and shape a flourishing future amid rapid artificial intelligence progress.

Thursday 24 September, 3–5pm

Join an open and creative exploration of collaboration through conversation, shared reflection and activities, designed for experienced collaborators and the collaboratively curious alike.

Spring has arrived and campus magpies have already been spotted getting in some practice reps ahead of swooping season.

Please look out for warning signs, avoid nesting areas, and give magpies and other nesting wildlife plenty of space. If you’re swooped, stay calm and protect your head and eyes. Cyclists should dismount and walk through swooping areas.

ANU Security - (02) 6125 2249   

For life threatening emergencies first call 000 (or 0000 if dialling from an internal phone), then call ANU Security.   

Media hotline 24/7 - (02) 6125 7979   

Contact the 24/7 media hotline for media queries regarding the University and its operations, or to track down experts that aren’t listed in our Experts Guide.

Help is available if you need it. The University has a range of information and services that can be accessed by managers and staff.

Whether it's a work-related issue or a personal one, the University encourages you to seek counselling support through the Employee Assistance Program.

If you need to support a student in distress, please refer to this guide developed by the Student Safety and Wellbeing team.