QUT will partner in a $160 million, 20-year fellowship dedicated to supporting mid-career leaders in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
The Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program, led by the University of Melbourne alongside partners including QUT, aims to tackle the broader issues of social inequality. It will focus on how parity can be achieved for all people, regardless of cultural background, race, gender, health or financial status.
The Fellowships will build the capacity and enhance the capability of a new generation of leaders committed to advancing a fairer, healthier, more resilient and inclusive society in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Starting next year, up to 25 Fellowships will be awarded annually for the next twenty years to mid-career people from business, academia, the public service and industry, developing up to 500 social change agents, influential leaders and innovative thinkers.
The Fellowships, announced today (FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14) by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, will be established with a US$50 million grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies, with up to A$40 million in Commonwealth support over the life of the program.
QUT, the University of Melbourne and the University of Auckland will make additional financial contributions, bringing the estimated value to more than $160 million over 20 years.
The program will also receive significant in-kind support from a range of partner organisations including the The Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Business Council of Australia and Jawun, who will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the program.
Each Atlantic Fellow will complete an intensive curriculum focused on the development of forward-thinking leadership skills and social action strategies. The program will continue to evolve and adapt through input from Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders throughout its duration.
Australia faces unique challenges in trying to achieve social equity across all levels of society, but especially in its Indigenous communities. Indigenous Australians are the most disadvantaged and marginalised group nationally, with nearly 40 per cent reporting they experience some level of social exclusion, almost double the rate of non-Indigenous Australians.
Indigenous Australians are also worse off than non-Indigenous Australians on almost all economic, social and health measures, including life expectancy, prison population, homelessness and obesity. Income inequality is higher in Australia than the OECD average, with those in the top 20 per cent income group making roughly five times more than those in the bottom 20 per cent.
Atlantic Fellows will be selected from a diverse range of backgrounds and chosen on the basis of their experience, impact and established commitment to social equity ideals, especially those focused on Indigenous communities.
A Program Board will oversee the program and participants, chaired by the Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia and Chancellor of the University of Canberra, Professor Tom Calma. The program will be open to Australian and New Zealand applicants and eventually expand to include innovative leaders and change makers from the Pacific Islands.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake said: “QUT has had a long-standing partnership with The Atlantic Philanthropies. They have been an integral part of QUT’s maturing as a university with strong foundations of real world research and learning and teaching. The Atlantic Fellows Program for Social Equity allows QUT to continue this partnership.
“The Fellows Program builds on and extends the legacy of the excellent work that the Atlantic Philanthropies has done in our region and, indeed, around the world. The intent of the Fellows Program aligns very closely with QUT’s commitment to the goals of excellence and social justice, in particular nurturing the next generation of Indigenous leaders.”
The Atlantic Philanthropies President and CEO Christopher G. Oechsli said: “Atlantic and its founding chairman, Chuck Feeney, have long invested in the people and future of Australia by supporting brilliant scientists, medical research and higher education institutions that have contributed to building a world-class knowledge economy.
“It is now our distinct privilege to support innovative, dedicated leaders and organisations that will commit themselves to build opportunities for those who have been historically and systematically denied them, and to create a fairer, more inclusive and just future for all in the region and beyond. This initiative represents one of the foundation’s final big bets, and we’re honoured to welcome Australia into our interconnected set of Atlantic Fellows programs.”
University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis said the Atlantic Fellows arrive at an important time, and will help build capability in a new generation of leaders.
“Our leadership styles should reflect the reality of the current world,” he said.
“The approach that the Fellowships will seek to embed in the next generation of social-change leaders will build on indigenous leadership paradigms that are ideally suited to promoting collaboration; between other Fellows, amongst those in the wider Atlantic Philanthropies network and beyond. In an increasingly interconnected world, such collaboration is not just a happy by-product of this leadership program, it is essential.
“These fellowships will provide mid-career, social change leaders with a significant platform to accelerate their personal and professional development. In doing so, we believe we can assist them with the skills and networks they require to enable both practices and policies that will improve social equity for disadvantaged communities across the Australia-Pacific region.”
University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon said: “We are delighted to be a partner in the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program. As the largest provider of degree education to Maori (indigenous) and Pacific people in New Zealand, and a major centre for Maori and Pacific research, the University of Auckland has a strong commitment to leadership development in those communities.
“We welcome the opportunity to partner with the University of Melbourne in bringing our expertise to bear on the challenge of creating greater social equity across Australasia and the Pacific. Given the global reach of this Fellowship and its link to other centres with a strong commitment to equity, this hub will be crucial to informing how these contribute to stronger communities in the future.”
Media contact:
Rob Kidd, QUT Media, 07 3138 1841, rj.kidd@qut.edu.au
After hours, Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901
