Curtin was recently represented at two significant international events celebrating Indigenous knowledge and leadership in research and education.

Dr Sophie Karangaroa (School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry), Tiana Culbong (PhD candidate, School of Allied Health) and Erin O’Donoghue (Master of Philosophy, Centre for Aboriginal Studies) joined delegates at the 2025 Māori and Indigenous Programme (MAI) at the University of Otago. The program gathered more than 100 Indigenous postgraduate students from around the world to share ideas, build networks and showcase their research.

Soon after, Dr Karangaroa completed her PhD and was invited to present her work at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE), one of the largest Indigenous education forums globally with more than 3,800 participants. Curtin’s Kathleen Nelly (Bachelor of Commerce, International Business and Anthropology & Sociology) and Marleigh Zada (Master of Human Rights), also jointly delivered a presentation focused on the WIPCE theme of ‘Youth and Self-Determination’.

Congratulations to all on this outstanding recognition of their work and thank you to the Centre for Aboriginal Studies, the Research Office at Curtin and all staff who helped make these opportunities possible.

Three women stand together on a footpath outside in front of a totem pole-like structure.
L-R: Erin O’Donoghue, Tiana Culbong and Dr Sophie Karangaroa at the MAI conference.
Two women sit underneath a presentation screen.
Marleigh Zada (left) and Kathleen Nelly (right) at WICPE.