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Chris Browne
Convenor, McCusker Institute
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Michelle Cheah
Director, McCusker Institute
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Siobhan Hudson
Staff team, McCusker Institute
Celebrate the ANU McCusker Institute - join us for the Official Launch.
The conversation we are holding is "What Are Universities For?".
Come to as many parts that you can:
- 1:30-2:45 at John Yencken - Informal Discussion on "What Are Universities For?" with Selena Griffith, CEO of Enactus
- 2:45-3:00 - we'll walk to the Shine Dome
- 3:00-4:00 at Shine Dome - students are invited to have afternoon tea with Malcolm and Tonya McCusker, and other invited guests from the community sector
- 4:00-5:00 at Shine Dame - Launch event with speaker Satara Uthayakumaran - ANU student & Australian United Nations Youth Representative 2025
See the event page for more information about the Launch. Shaping Hopeful Futures
The preparation and completion task for this activity is the "What Are Universities For?" KNoT. Please see the information there.
About this KNoT
Preparation
What You’ll Learn
Learning Resources
- Boulton and Lucas, 2008, "What are Universities For?" 'What Are Universities For?' (ResearchGate)
- A Big Ideas podcast moderated by Prof Des Manderson: The purpose and future of the university
- Universities Accord: Australian Universities Accord final report
How to Complete This KNoT
Submit your Completion Task here:
Submit your completion task for this KNoT via the Qualtrics survey (ANU Login required). You have 10 calendar days after the KNoT to submit it.
Writing your reflection
Most completion tasks ask you to reflect on what you did. For example prompts, sentence starters, and what a strong reflection covers, see Guidance on Reflective Practice. Your completed tasks come together at the end of the semester in the KNoT Completion Evidence.
Poster preview
Connected Communities
Join us for…
McCusker Institute Launch
This inquiry challenges us to consider what universities uniquely offer to the broader community: not just knowledge transfer, but the development of critical thinking, intellectual citizenship, and the...
Date: Wednesday 4 March 2026 1:30–5pm
Led by: Chris Browne, Michelle Cheah and Siobhan Hudson
Skills you’ll develop:
- Critical Analysis
- Reflective Practice
- Dialogue Across Difference
This is a panel in the SoCIETIE Initiative: a 6-unit transdisciplinary course open to all students. You don’t need to be in the class to join.
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I'm attending
McCusker Institute Launch
Wed 4 Mar, 1:30pm
Led by Chris Browne, Michelle Cheah and Siobhan Hudson