Program and abstracts

Presenters: Justine Dougherty & Sarah Veli-Gold

Project Team: Anita Amorin, Julia Blackford, Elizabeth Bourne, Jennie Brentnall, Melissa Brunner, Kim Bulkeley, Silvia Choi, Kai Clancy, Christina Darwell, Alyse Davies, Harley Donoghue, Jennifer Fleeton, Rene Fraser, Yobelli Jimenez, Melanie Keep, Victoria Kennedy, Rick Macourt, Margaret Nicholson, Tracey Pearce, Lizzy Ramsay, Celine Serrano-Diaz, Ruth Tredinnick, Matthew Tyne.

There is an urgent need to better prepare healthcare students to communicate appropriately and effectively with First Nations people. Recognising this curriculum gap, a multi-disciplinary team have partnered with First Nations staff and Community to develop interactive, multimodal resources to authentically teach Clinical Yarning to University of Sydney students from a range of healthcare degrees.

Central to the project has been First Nations staff members yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to gather their lived experiences and perspectives of healthcare. These yarns are firstly shared with students in video format within an online learning module to enable a deep and authentic understanding of Clinical Yarning. The online module prompts students to consider how First Nation’s history as well as a person’s previous healthcare experiences and communication preferences might impact their interaction. Students also explore how Clinical Yarning can be implemented to build rapport and trust and support engagement with healthcare.

Authentic health stories also form the basis of simulation scenarios which enable students to practice Clinical Yarning in a safe and supportive environment before attending clinical placement. Simulation scenarios follow an evidence-based approach which includes structured briefing and debriefing to optimise psychological and cultural safety and learning. Scenarios have been reviewed by First Nations external healthcare partners for relevance to the healthcare environment and each scenario is portrayed by a First Nations actor and cofacilitated by a First Nations facilitator. The project has been underpinned by principles of codesign and co-facilitation as recommended by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Curriculum Framework.

Piloting of these new resources has commenced within Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Diagnostic Radiography. Pilot outcomes including perceptions and experiences of cultural safety will be shared. Implications for university educators when considering similar innovations in teaching cultural capability will also be discussed.

Presenters: Dr Amani Bell, Dr Elizabeth Bourne, Associate Professor Sanetta Du Toit, Helia Nateghi Baygi, Monica Phong & Heidi Xing

Team: Dr Amani Bell, Dr Elizabeth Bourne, Associate Professor Sanetta du Toit, Helia Nateghi Baygi, Monica Phong & Heidi Xing, Bianca Aiello, Amabile Borges Dario, Maree Doble, Fereshteh Pourkazemi, Jacqueline Raymond, Annelise Ryan, Warren Reed & Jessica Yi

Our interdisciplinary team of eight educators and six students has collaboratively developed a suite of learning activities and resources aimed at improving student and educator awareness of, and confidence in responding to, racism, discrimination and microaggressions. Our ultimate aim is to enhance the on- and off-campus experiences of allied health students from diverse backgrounds, and to equip all students to become culturally responsive healthcare professionals.

We drew on the concept of strengths-based approaches to diversity (e.g. Gomez & Bernet, 2019) and a structured six-step framework for responding to racism, discrimination and microaggressions (Neves et al. 2022). Through an iterative co-design process, we have facilitated three workshops where students and educators tested and refined the activities. The outcomes so far are promising: 91% of students and 94% of educators reported an increased understanding of strengths-based approaches to diversity. Furthermore, 91% of students felt more confident in applying strategies to address racism, discrimination, and microaggressions. However, only 76% of educators reported a similar increase in confidence, highlighting an area for further development.

In this presentation, we will showcase the learning resources and activities we’ve created and explore how they can be adapted and implemented across various educational contexts. 

References 

Gomez, L. E., & Bernet, P. (2019). Diversity Improves Performance and Outcomes. Journal of the National Medical Association, 111(4), 383–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2019.01.006

Neves da Silva, H. V., Heery, L. M., Cohen, W. R., Mahalingam, V. S., Adebiyi, O. A., Lee, R. S., Netsanet, A. N., Ogundipe, E. A., Dakhama, Y., Wang, M. L., Vrolijk, M. A., Garcia, M. W., Ward-Gaines, J., & Neumeier, A. T. (2022). What Happened and Why: Responding to Racism, Discrimination, and Microaggressions in the Clinical Learning Environment. MedEdPORTAL. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11280

Presenter: Dr Amy McHugh

Many definitions of intercultural competence (IC) emphasize being ‘effective’ and ‘appropriate,’ with ‘appropriateness’ defined as the ability to communicate in a manner acceptable to the other person (Deardorff & Arasaratnam-Smith, 2017). Despite this, IC assessment often relies on self-report surveys and portfolios (Griffith et al., 2016). While self-awareness and critical evaluation of our identities, cultures, and biases are crucial for IC, the most reliable way to know if we are experienced as IC is to ask those we engage with. Scholars have long advocated for incorporating the viewpoint of the ‘other’ into IC assessment (Chen & Starosta, 1996; Deardorff, 2006), yet only one study has incorporated this after engaging in a Collaborative Online International Learning Virtual Exchange (COIL VE) (Zheng et al., 2022). 

This presentation will focus on my dissertation findings, advocating for a reconceptualization of IC as a relational, co-constructed, and situated achievement. By pushing the boundaries of current IC theorizing and practice, this research illuminates how IC can be enhanced to foster inclusive societies, improve collaboration, and address global challenges. To contextualize the discussion, I will begin with an overview of widely used IC models and assessment approaches. This will set the stage for introducing the role of peer feedback and social constructionist theory in understanding IC. My research suggests that these elements are crucial for a more nuanced and effective approach to IC development. Finally, I will propose updates to existing IC conceptualizations and suggest a pedagogical framework designed to support IC development in virtual exchange settings (and perhaps more broadly).  

This presentation argues for a shift in how we think about and practice IC, emphasizing relational dynamics, co-construction, and situational context. By doing so, it aims to contribute to more effective IC development, ultimately supporting the creation of more inclusive and collaborative global communities.

Presenter: Cindy Mourão Araújo

In the 21st century, many workplaces continue to grapple with systemic discrimination, where biases, stereotypes, and racism still thrive beneath the surface. 

Despite progress in areas such as women's rights and LGBTQIA+ inclusion, inequities persist. Studies show that 61% of employees in diverse work environments still witness or experience discrimination, with ethnic minorities 34% more like to report feeling marginalised at work (Harvard Business Review, 2020) . While "woke culture" often dominates headlines, its performative focus can distract from the deep and necessary work of fostering true equity. Real change requires sustained effort, not just awareness. 

My name is Cindy Mourão Araújo (she/her), a postgraduate student and staff member at the University of Sydney. I bring a multifaceted perspective to the discussion of intersectionality in professional settings, drawn from my lived experience as a neurodivergent single mother, overcoming socio-economic hurdles, and surviving domestic violence. These experiences shape my understanding of the urgency for inclusivity in both personal and professional realms. In this presentation, I will challenge attendees to rethink cultural differences and the dynamics of privilege in the workplace. Using a mix of humour and personal narratives, I'll offer practical tools to navigate difficult conversations about discrimination. 

With empathy and an understanding of diverse experiences, we can begin to dismantle these inequities. At the University of Sydney, our diverse community encourages us to critically engage with the concepts of equity and inclusion. My hope is that this talk powers you to become an active participant in creating more inclusive workspaces, cultivating resilience, and fostering leadership that allows everyone to thrive. 

Presenter: Yuri Ogura and Stephanie McGee

This presentation provides a case study on practical implementations of cultural competencies by New York University (NYU) Sydney. It asks, “how can an international institution in the higher education sector craft a framework to support students along their education timeline, well beyond their enrolment and departure dates?” In answering this question, the presentation will address sub-themes from the conference, to showcase how university teams can embed culturally competent methodologies, systems, leadership, and pedagogies within the context of an international institution. It highlights the benefits of studying abroad, supported by Bhatt et al. (2022), which found that US students who studied abroad had higher graduation rates and GPAs. Similar results are observed in NYU's internal data.

NYU’s global programs are meticulously designed to cultivate students’ cultural competencies in international and culturally diverse settings. The overarching University framework for student success exists within NYU’s strategic pathways, which embed the key tenets of interdisciplinary study, science and technology, global engagement and student flourishing. Each of these four pillars exist to support students throughout their entire academic journey, and directly aim to remedy those concerns and challenges new cohorts may confront.

Locally, NYU Sydney practitioners provide an extensive scaffold of integrated academic, student life, health and wellbeing, and operational support. This level of pastoral care is defined and implemented well before a student arrives on shore, and well beyond the end of semester. This presentation will identify critical junctures along an NYU student’s study abroad lifecycle to provide a template for addressing these novel challenges posed by students choosing to study away.

The presentation provides insight into how international education teams can embed intentionality across all aspects of service delivery in order to support students in developing their understanding, behaviours and attitudes towards self and others to interact, learn and work effectively in diverse contexts and settings.

References:

Bhatt, R., Bell, A., Rubin, D. L., Shiflet, C., & Hodges, L. (2022). Education Abroad and College Completion. Research in higher education, 63(6), 987–1014. https:/ doi.org/10.1007/s11162-022-09673-z

Presenter: Matthew Readette

Higher education institutions often recognise Study Abroad (SA) as a seminal source for students' intercultural competence (IC) development which is most often associated with their employability in a globally competitive and interconnected labour market. Quite often there are unaddressed assumptions where students are seen as IC tabula rasa. This narrow and somewhat self-serving view prompts a need to expand the narrative from students having nonexistent or limited IC before engagement in SA to broacher understandings. Examining IC development in relation to the social and spatial mobility history of individuals provides an enhanced picture of not just where, but when and how IC can be developed. It also allows us to see how IC can contribute to students’ future social and spatial mobility.  

This study explored the social conditions of access from individual mobility histories to determine the accessibility of a spatial or social mobility opportunity. Using qualitative collective case studies, primary data was gathered through semi-structured interviews of 10 SA participants and 3 university staff. Analysis used Vincent Kaufmann’s 3-part conceptual ‘motility’ framework as a form of capital alongside Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice to explore emerging capital, habitus, and field conversion. Using this social theory allowed for novel exploration from micro to meso and macro social spheres which demonstrated how certain capabilities such as IC had an influence on the individual, the labour market and global politics.  

Data is often not available for who did not go on SA, and why.  However, examining pre-mobility social conditions of participants helped to form a picture of what information people are using to decide whether to engage in SA opportunities or not. The data suggests that some of the information used by participants to make these decisions comes from their previous cultural encounters. 

References:

Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice (R. Nice, Tran.). Cambridge University Press.

Kaufmann, V., Bergman, M. M., & Joye, D. (2004). Motility: mobility as capital. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 28(4), 745–756. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0309-1317.2004.00549.x

Presenter: Aunty Donna Ingram

Limited spaces available. Registrations are essential. 

The University of Sydney was founded in 1850 on the land of the Gadigal people. Today, the University's campuses and facilities stretch across the lands of the Gamaraygal, Dharug, Wangal, Darkingyung, Burramadagal, Dharawal, Gandangara, Gamilaraay, Barkindji, Bundjalung, Wiradjuri, Ngunawal, Gureng Gureng and Gagadju peoples. 

The Cultural Competence in Higher Education Conference is hosted on the University's main campus in Darlington, a short walk from the suburb of Redfern. Historically and today, Redfern is a hub for Aboriginal life, activism and innovation. 

In order to get a true sense of place, the NCCC is offering attendees a walking tour through Redfern led by Donna Ingram.  Places are limited, and registrations are essential. 

About Aunty Donna: 

Donna Ingram is a proud Wiradjuri woman who was born and raised on Gadigal land. Donna is a Mother of 4, Grandmother and a proud Cultural Representative for the local Aboriginal community in Sydney. Donna has been Welcoming people to Country in Sydney for over 14 years and sits on numerous advisory boards in Sydney. Donna has worked in Aboriginal affairs for the past 40 years. 

Be immersed in the heart of Aboriginal culture in Sydney, with an insightful 90-minute walking tour of Redfern. Donna has conducted these tours for the past 10 years. The first of its kind, this tour focuses on the social and political history of Redfern with a knowledgeable Aboriginal guide who has strong cultural connections to the area. Redfern has been the epicentre of Aboriginal activism and still plays a big role in Aboriginal people’s connection to their identity. 

This tour involves a light walk along flat surfaces, but it is advised to wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle and a hat. 

Presenter: Marika Duczynski

Hear from Marika Duczynski, Curator of Indigenous Heritage on how the Chau Chak Wing Museum is working with communities to reframe objects in the collection as Ambassadors with a story to tell.

Presenter: Dr Remy Low, University of Sydney

Fear and anxiety are common emotions experienced by educators and learners in the classroom, especially in times of intensified uncertainty and/or antagonism in the wider world. This is especially the case for teachers and students from minoritised backgrounds, for whom social identity and stereotype threats may exacerbate hypervigilance-avoidance behaviours (Aronson & McGlone, 2009). Given the well-documented deleterious effects of heightened fear and anxiety on key cognitive functions needed for higher learning (Moran, 2016; Park & Moghaddam, 2017), what can be done to attenuate them in our learning spaces? In this workshop, we will draw from work in neuroscience and the social sciences (e.g., LeDoux, 2015; hooks, 2001) to explore: (1) the effects of fear and anxiety in the classroom and how they affect the ways we relate to one another, especially across differences; and (2) some simple to apply contemplative practices drawn from different traditions that might help us to move beyond fear and anxiety toward calm and connection.

References

Aronson, J., & McGlone, M. S. (2009). Stereotype and social identity threat. In T.D. Nelson (Ed.), Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination (pp. 153-178). Routledge.

hooks, b. (2001). All about love: New visions. HarperCollins.

LeDoux, J.E. (2015). Anxious: Using the brain to understand and treat fear and anxiety. Penguin.

Moran, T. P. (2016). Anxiety and working memory capacity: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 142(8), 831-864.

Park, J., & Moghaddam, B. (2017). Impact of anxiety on prefrontal cortex encoding of cognitive flexibility. Neuroscience, 345, 193-202.

Presenter: Tianzhi Nan

Humour is one of the communication behaviours we recognise from personal experience, and it is considered a valuable skill that can be used for many different purposes rather than a one-dimensional thing (Matarazzo et al., 2010).  The origin of humour in China can be traced back to 2500 B.C. However, teachers' inappropriate humour (such as sarcasm and ridicule) in an educational environment may cause students to feel humiliated. According to Amir (2002), the specific relationship between humour and humiliation is that humour is "a vehicle of the painful truth about man's humiliation" (p. 68). In other words, humour often reflects what people care about, worry about, and feel humiliated by in a specific social context. Therefore, the feelings humour brings to students are not always positive. The experience of humour is subjective and complex, and the individual differences of different students may lead to varying understandings of the same joke. This study demonstrates the impact of teachers' humiliating humour on learners' relationships in a Chinese dance education environment. It first describes the different forms and differences of humiliating humour. Then, it highlights how teachers' humiliating humour undermines learners' moralistic and strategic trust in others. Finally, teachers' humiliating humour affects learners' self-trust differently and leads to more self-reliance.

Presenter: Pooja Mittal Biswas

Diverse and inclusive teaching practices are essential for the success of culturally competent pedagogies in higher education. However, in order to effectively incorporate diversity and inclusivity into our pedagogical approaches, we must learn what to avoid: what not to do. Whether it is in curriculum design, the curation of reading lists or the creation of inclusive classroom environments, there are certain pitfalls to avoid in our treatment of cultures, communities, demographics and populations different to our own—pitfalls that undermine or actively harm a diverse and inclusive classroom environment and detract from culturally competent teaching and learning. 

Years ago, I created the acronym “AFTER” to describe these pitfalls in my private mentoring and teaching, and then subsequently used it in the diversity and inclusivity courses I taught for writing organisations. AFTER stands for: Appropriation, Fetishisation, Tokenism, Exoticisation and Refrigeration. In this presentation, I will explain what each of these concepts means in theory and in practice, giving examples from my own teaching experiences.

Presenters: Dr Lauren Nilsson Sui (Gender and Cultural Studies, University of Sydney) and Dr Jane Park (Gender and Cultural Studies, University of Sydney)

This paper, in the form of a dialogue, discusses the ways in which we try to practice what Roxanna Ng calls “embodied pedagogy” in the Cultural Politics of Difference, a third year unit in Gender and Cultural Studies that explores key concepts and methodologies drawn from Indigenous, postcolonial, critical race, and queer feminist scholarship. The unit asks students to examine the cultural, historical and personal contexts in which these ideas emerged and consider how they might be used as critical and creative tools to better understand, address, and challenge marginalization and inequity in the world.  

Drawing on the work of feminist teachers such as Ng, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Eve Sedgewick, we reflect on these practices, which include moments of pause during class where we lead students in breath and bodywork, creative assessments foregrounding lived experience, and slower tutorials that promote storytelling and active listening. We consider how such classroom practices and the mindful approach we try to model for students constitute small acts of what Audre Lorde calls “radical self care.”  We also take note of the racialized differences of our students and the ways in which their racial identities affect their engagement with these concepts. In particular,  we consider how white women and women of colour resonate with and apply these ideas differently in their lives. 

Presenter: Dr Olivia Karaolis

A rich learning environment is a culturally competent environment, that is one in which the participants, teachers and students alike, bring their different experiences, ways of thinking, and beliefs and feel acknowledged and respected. 

Puppets are a way to share ourselves with others, to tell our stories, our histories and perspectives on the world. In this workshop, participants will be taken on a journey that passes through several countries and traditions associated with this art form, they will be introduced to different types of puppets that reflect different cultural expression as well as carry important messages and traditions.

The presentation will show how to animate puppets and create spaces that are safe for individuals to share their ideas through the safety and protection offered by these magical objects. 

Presenter: Susan Schärli-Lim

Developing intercultural competence is essential to ensure peaceful and inclusive societies, one of the Sustainable Development Goals. Universities have a social responsibility to ensure that teaching and research benefit the needs of society. The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately is essential to navigate intercultural situations. Studies indicate that traditional higher education methods such as Study Abroad do not develop students’ intercultural competence (Vande Berg, 2012). A shift is required to focus on developing the educators first. The focus of this presentation is on the validated profile of an Intercultural Nurse Educator as an example, and four challenges educators face in developing intercultural competence in their students (Gradellini et.al., 2023). Challenges for educators include misconceptions about the concept of culture and facilitation of intercultural competence, such as that intercultural development can be threatening and cause anxiety, an ethnocentric worldview and resistance to it, and finally the adequate preparation of educators and institutions (Schärli-Lim, De Lorenzo & BØnlØkke, 2024).

References:

Paige, R. M., & Berg, M. V. (2012). Why students are and are not learning abroad: A review of recent research. Student learning abroad, pp. 29-58. 

Gradellini, C., Pretorius, M., Vermeiren, S., Schärli-Lim, S., Bønløkke, M., & Lorenzo, E. D. (2024). The development and validation of an intercultural nursing educator profile using the Delphi method. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 35(1), pp. 62-73. 

Schärli-Lim, S., de Lorenzo, E., & Bønløkke, M. (2024). Challenges health care educators face facilitating intercultural competence. In D.K. Deardorff & M. Tatebayashi (EDS), Current perspectives on intercultural and global competence (1. Ed., pp. 142-161). Starscholars Network.

Presenter: Associate Professor Christine Preston, University of Sydney, christine.preston@sydney.edu.au

Science educators are seeking ways to bring Indigenous perspectives into their classrooms to enhance learners’ understanding of the diverse ways in which people make sense of the natural world through culturally responsive approaches. With most educators trained exclusively from a Western science perspective, and from non-Indigenous backgrounds, this work presents important considerations. An international group of non-Indigenous science educators from Australia, Canada and New Zealand have formed a Community of Practice aiming to decolonise and Indigenise science education in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. Informed by the principles of Two-Eyed Seeing, where both Indigenous and Western scientific ways of knowing are valuable, achievable, and can inform how we live in the world, this presentation highlights ways Australian First Nations Peoples knowledge was introduced into a first year Mteach unit. 

Presenter: Matthew Tyne, University of Sydney 

Stories are a fundamental part of human life, used to understand experiences, express identities, connect with others, and concretise abstract concepts. Storytelling is a ubiquitous aspect of human interaction. (Langellier and Peterson, 2011: 1)

In cultural competence education, using personal narratives and anecdotes may augment teaching in two significant ways. First, they provide relatable, concrete examples to help learners grasp abstract concepts: a colourful distraction from a set of slides.  Second, the teacher’s inclusion of personal narratives may foster empathy by allowing learners to glimpse a situation through another’s eyes, while simultaneously positioning the teacher as a flawed cultural being.  However, using personal narratives presents challenges in teaching cultural competence. One potential issue is the risk of overexposure, where teachers share too much personal information, leading to discomfort or unintended results. To allay this, it is desirable to curate personal narratives deliberately and reflexively, selecting entertaining and stimulating stories, while maintaining boundaries to protect their privacy and well-being.

This presentation offers a critical reflection on the inclusion of my own stories in facilitating learning about cultural competence at the University of Sydney. Delivered as a monologue, the presentation explores the questions: How have my own stories been used? What stories have been included and which stories have been excluded, and for what reasons? Is it time for new stories, and do I possess the capacity to retell such stories within the context of cultural competence education?

References:

*Foucault, M. (1976) The Archaeology of Knowledge. New York:Harper & Row (page 225)

Langellier, K. & Peterson, E. (2011). Storytelling In Daily Life: Performing Narrative. Temple University Press.

Wolting, S. (2020). Enhancing Intercultural Skills through Storytelling. In G. Rings & S. Rasinger (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Intercultural Communication (pp. 276-285). Cambridge University Press

Presenters: Pooja Mittal Biswas

Educators seeking to develop culturally competent Creative Writing pedagogies face unique challenges: we not only have to be culturally competent ourselves but have to actively inspire and guide our students to be culturally competent in their own writing, as well. Any literary practice hinges on freedom of speech and creative self-expression, and expressing oneself through writing stories and narratives that are both authentic to the self and sensitive to the needs of diverse readers is an important competency for novice writers to learn. The writing and publishing industry has become increasingly aware of the importance of diversity and inclusivity in recent years.

From 2009 to 2023, I taught Creative Writing at a range of universities, state writing organisations and adult education institutions. One of the ways in which I initially attempted to encourage culturally competent writing amongst my students was through perspective-switching, a widely held exercise in general cultural competence teaching, but I soon realised its limitations in Creative Writing classrooms: the tendency to tokenise cultural perspectives, for instance, which I then channeled into healthy debates about who is entitled to tell stories about certain cultures or from the perspectives of certain cultures, particularly when the writer has privilege—such as inherited colonial privilege—over the marginalised or minority community or character about whom they are writing. These debates “about authors’ rights to write cross-culturally” (Booth & Lim, 2021, p. 122) are occurring internationally and are ongoing. My presentation discusses the pros and cons of perspective-switching in the Creative Writing context and the complex, sensitive and intersectional issues involved in conducting such conversations in diverse classrooms.

References:

Booth, E., & Lim, R. (2021). The Illusion of Inclusion: Disempowered “Diversity” in 2018 Australian Children’s Picture Books. New Review of Children's Literature and Librarianship, 27(2), 122-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614541.2021.2020574

Presenter: Yifan Kong & Luke Hespanhol

Authors: Yifan Kong, Dr Luke Hespanhol, Associate Professor Tooran Alizadeh

This submission aims to discuss how to foster cultural competence in higher education with a focus on the internationalisation of higher education. Internationalisation has become a trend in universities worldwide in the past decades (Tran et al., 2023). Cultural competence plays a significant role in the classroom, especially when the student body has a diverse cultural background. According to Puckett & Lind (2020), cultural competence is “an awareness that people are different, which allows each person to work effectively with others”. 

This research uses a case study of international instructors (teaching staff members) who were international students to investigate how cultural competence in the classroom affects both students and instructors and how this transformation from a student to an instructor shapes their understanding of cultural competence. Those personal stories involve topics of racism, geopolitics discussion in class, and the pressure of being the “national representative” as an international student etc. Through the investigation, this research summarises the impact factors of one’s cultural competence and provides suggestions for instructors and policymakers. 

The authors of this submission are university instructors who were international students in multiple countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark etc. During the shifting roles between students and instructors, we experienced how cultural competence changes the learning experience, even the overall study abroad experience for students. The potential contribution of this submission is to provide suggestions on how to create a more positive learning environment for students by fostering cultural competency in the classroom, as well as tips for instructors and unit coordinators on how to foster cultural competency within the teaching team and maximise the benefits of a diverse team. Ultimately, the findings from this study can contribute to fostering cultural competence in higher education by providing insights and suggestions to all practitioners and policymakers.

Reference: 

Tran, L. T., Jung, J., Unangst, L., & Marshall, S. (2023). New developments in internationalisation of higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(5), 1033–1041. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2023.2216062

Puckett, T., & Lind, N. S. (Eds.). (2020). Cultural competence in higher education. Emerald Group Publishing. 

Presenter: Dr Thuy Dinh (Research, Curriculum and Learning Coordinator, Western Sydney University, Australia)

Authors: Dr Thuy Dinh (Research, Curriculum and Learning Coordinator, Western Sydney University, Australia) and Dr Van Le (Dean, Foreign Languages Department, Van Hien University, Vietnam)

Intercultural relationships between supervisors and HDR candidates have been widely discussed. However, the discourse typically focuses on supervisors as Westerners and candidates as international students. This perspective needs to shift, as any interaction between supervisors and candidates is inherently intercultural, whether or not they share the same national culture. 

Considering the significant impact of the relationship between supervisors and candidates on academic performance, research experience, completion, and satisfaction, it is crucial to emphasise cultural competence in graduate research training and university supervisor development programs. 

This paper proposes an HDR supervisor-candidate intercultural competence model based on intercultural communicative competence by Byram (2000), metacultural competence by Sharifian (2013), and a review of supervision skills literature. The paper emphasises that supervision provides an essential opportunity for developing intercultural competence when supervisors and candidates acquire awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and a multicultural mindset, as outlined in the proposed model. The presentation begins by discussing the context of doctoral education in Australia, which is characterised by diversity and the importance of cultural competence. It then provides several examples of how different cultures can impact expectations of roles and communication across academic and informal domains. Finally, it explains the HDR supervisor-candidate intercultural competence model, which can serve as a reference for training supervisors and candidates.

Presenters: Mesepa Lafaialii-Paul and Dr Amy B McHugh

Team: Mesepa Lafaialii-Paul, Dr Amy B McHugh, Dr Anna Young-Ferris, Associate Professor Ranjit Voola, Anthony Krivokapic

We present the "Indigenous Leadership in Business Video Series" which is a comprehensive digital and shareable resource for educators and its integration into the curriculum for a major core unit in the USYD Business School. Our aim to centre Indigenous voice in curriculum aligns with the University of Sydney’s One Sydney Many People (OSMP) strategy of appreciating Indigenous wisdom and fostering inclusive, culturally competent, and ethically responsible education.

For this OSMP funded project, we have collaborated with six Indigenous business leaders to create the video series to embed Indigenous ways of leading, knowing and being into curriculum. By centring Indigenous voices, students and educators will explore insights on collective leadership, stewardship, caretaking, reciprocity, relationships, interconnectedness, collectivism, communal benefit and cultural responsibility, that amplify leadership from an Indigenous perspective. This OSMP project has potential to enrich curriculum, and the overall teaching and learning experience.  

We will detail the project background, showcase the resources, and discuss our pilot implementation in the curriculum in a jumbo multidisciplinary core unit (1,500-2,300 students each semester), prior to a university-wide release of the video series. The video resources were embedded to help students understand and appreciate the rich facets of Indigenous knowledge and the relationship with organisational sustainability and climate change impact. Through interactive workshop activities students engaged in a reflexive and culturally situated learning environment. We share feedback from a student focus group highlighting the outcomes and showing how the initiative promotes cultural competence and prepares them for building on these understanding and practices in their careers.

Our presentation is aimed at educators across all faculties and disciplines. We invite them to consider how to adapt and embed these resources within their own curricula. This modular approach can enrich educational frameworks and provide practical opportunities for students to engage with Indigenous knowledge and leadership principles.

Presenter: Beatriz Carrillo Garcia

A key challenge for disciplines within universities when working toward the Indigenisation of their curricula is having access to First Nations cultural authorities with whom to co-design culturally appropriate curricula. In this presentation, we will report on the case study of a collaboration between the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at USYD with Tranby Aboriginal-led cooperative to develop a community of practice encompassing academics, students and Tranby colleagues to co-create strategies for Indigenising the FASS curricula. Beyond curricula development, this case study explores the ways in which meaningful partnerships can be built between non-Indigenous academics and First Nations community organisations to develop Indigenous cultural competence and broaden partnerships beyond curriculum reform, while promoting and celebrating Indigenous worldviews. 

Project team: Beatriz Carrillo Garcia, Susan Banki, Shauna Phillips, Beatriz Carbajal, Sujatha Fernandes, Lorraine Towers (FASS USYD); First Nations students: Rose Callaghan, Emma Downward, Mykayla Tanner, Penny Vlies (FASS USYD), Amy Smith (Tranby) 

Presenter: Tingyu Yang

Theme: Cultural competence and the arts for social change

Collaborative task work has been adopted as a deliberate way to facilitate intercultural interactions by teachers, with the aim of growing both the collaborative abilities and intercultural aptitudes of students in preparation for 21st-century workplaces. Within tertiary dance education, this intercultural collaborative activity can involve bringing together students from diverse cultural backgrounds within group tasks in choreography. However, such group tasks are not always without problems. This research examines how attitude, as a dimension within intercultural competence (Byram, 1997), can impact the way students approach an intercultural task. This study has particularly focused on how a negative intercultural attitude can be expressed and experienced in different ways within a collaborative group task. To understand the complex ways that this negative attitude might influence a collaborative task, this research considers how the symmetries of action, status and knowledge within a collaboration (Dillenbourg, 1999) might be impacted. This research addresses a qualitative research method and draws on student narratives from semi-structured interviews with five international students from China. As they share their choreographic experiences in collaborating with local students in a Western liberal tertiary dance educational programme, various issues associated with negative intercultural attitudes emerge. These include cultural assumptions regarding communication behaviours, creativity practices and dance values.

Presenter: Xixi Zhang

Theme: Cultural competence in communication and media

Keywords: Distance Learning, Global Competence, Global Human Resources, Japanese University

This study explores a successful distance learning model implemented by a Japanese national university over the past 18 years, emphasizing a collaborative approach with universities and industries primarily in North America. The model, adaptable to synchronous and asynchronous learning methods, has evolved in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic. The paper, authored by the course coordinator, delves into the program's design, its post-pandemic adaptations, and its impact on nurturing students' global competence within the Japanese educational context.

Situated at the crossroads of international education and higher education partnerships, the course aims to cultivate students' global competence by providing insights into "Current World Affairs" and "Global Studies." Drawing expertise from academia, industry, and civil society worldwide, the curriculum equips students with essential skills and knowledge to navigate an interconnected world. Emphasis is placed on fostering critical thinking, cultural intelligence, and the ability to engage with complex global issues.

To facilitate interaction among students and instructors, the university's learning management system and online platforms, including Zoom's chat, breakout rooms, polling, and annotation features, are utilized throughout the course. An analysis of students' learning processes, motivations, and outcomes is conducted through examination of course reports and responses to a short survey administered during the program.

Findings reveal that students perceive improvements in their understanding of diverse cultures, including industry, academia, and civil society working cultures. This expanded perspective enhances their awareness of potential career paths beyond domestic companies. Through active participation in discussions with peers and exposure to diverse speakers, students report enhanced communication skills, bolstered by short assignments conducted during and after the course. 

Presenter: Professor Jennifer Barrett

Team: Professor Jennifer Barrett, Kymberley Oakley and Dr Abraham Bradfield

Keywords: Indigenising curriculum, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, Australian Universities Accord, self-determination, cultural competency

The Australian Universities Accord (2024) outlines a strategic framework to make higher education more equitable for all students, regardless of their socio-economic standing, location, or cultural background. Strengthening First Nations ‘knowledges, cultures, and peoples’ through the Indigenisation of curricula lies central to the commitments outlined in the Accord. With reference to some of its recommendations – including the need to embed First Nations institutional leadership and self-determination – in this paper we argue that intentions must be backed by practical structural reform. Whilst some progress has been made, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students continue to feel unsafe, underrepresented, and alienated within universities. We argue that approaches to the Indigenisation of curriculum are most effective when First Nations’ knowledges are woven throughout entire units/programs/courses. Efforts to increase the representation of First Nations students and staff should not be reduced to virtue-signalling, or checkbox exercises. 

To improve awareness amongst non-Indigenous staff and build the competency needed to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in culturally safe and appropriate ways, the University of Sydney is developing a suite of protocols that aim to establish a community of best practice. This paper focuses on the University’s Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and Data Sovereignty Protocol which promotes culturally competent behaviour across all professional and academic units. The Protocol champions self-determination via free, prior, and informed consent; opens a meaningful dialogue about Indigenous Data Sovereignty; and offers implementable actions to protect ICIP and First Nations people’s rights. Most staff and students desire their universities to be equitable and culturally diverse spaces where unique and innovative knowledges can be shared and respectfully discussed. Through the implementation of the ICIP Protocol, the University of Sydney is working to build the capacity, capability, and confidence needed to turn good intentions into practical action, with lasting outcomes. 

Presenters: Professor Brendan McCormack, Head of School & Dean, Sydney Nursing School, Professor Tamara Power, Professor of Nursing, Sydney Nursing School and Professor Roianne West, Professor of Nursing, Sydney Nursing School.

A foundational strength inherent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is their profound connection to culture, community, and holistic approaches to health and wellbeing. Embracing this strength is paramount in addressing the persistent health and social disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Australia. By integrating Indigenous realities and knowledges throughout nursing education, we honour the resilience and wisdom of Indigenous peoples and equip future nurses with the cultural safety needed to address health and social inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Australia. ‘Closing the Gap’ was signed in 2020 by all Australian governments, along with the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks. The first review of that agreement highlights the need for a paradigm shift to bring about fundamental change1. In nursing, there exists a national requirement for education programs to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, culture, and history.  Most programs address this by including a stand-alone course on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, culture, and history.  Whilst this is an important standard, there is also a need to integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, culture, and history throughout the curriculum using appropriate pedagogies.  We present the work of Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney to address this challenge.  We have developed an ‘Integrated Indigenous and Person-centred Theory (IIPCT)’ to inform this integration, and an ‘Integrated Indigenous and Person-centred Curriculum Framework (IIPCCF)’ to guide implementation of the IIPCT. We will describe the background to the IIPCT and the IIPCCF, their theoretical underpinnings and implementation processes. We will particularly focus on the pedagogical challenges posed by introducing this new theory and the culture change needed to operationalise it in teaching, learning and assessment practices. We will highlight the theory-informed strategies we are using to prepare nurses who will be leaders in developing sustainable practices to reduce health inequalities and improve the wellbeing of all persons.

Presenters: Daniel Park, Hannah Nguyen and Maria Ishkova

In today's diverse cultural environment, where the typical classroom brings together students and educators from various backgrounds, understanding and bridging cultural differences is essential for fostering inclusive and effective learning experiences. Our provocation explores the discomfort experienced by international students when addressing lecturers by their first names in Australian universities. In many cultures, the use of titles such as "Professor" is not merely a formality but a reflection of deeply ingrained values of respect and hierarchy (Hofstede, 1986). When these students are expected to adopt a more informal approach, it can create significant barriers to engagement and learning (You, 2014)

Through the voices of two international students and an Australian academic, this provocation will bring to life the cultural clash that arises from this practice. It will reveal how this seemingly minor and well-intended rule can lead to feelings of discomfort, alienation, and even disrespect, ultimately hindering students' ability to fully participate in their education. 

This provocation challenges educators to consider the impact any best-intended practice can have on student well-being and academic performance. By adopting culturally responsive teaching strategies, such as offering flexibility in how students address their lecturers, educators can create a more inclusive atmosphere that respects and accommodates diverse cultural backgrounds. This approach not only enhances the educational experience for international students but also enriches the learning environment for all.

Ultimately, this provocation invites reflection on the need for a more empathetic and adaptable approach to teaching—one that recognizes and values the diverse cultural identities within the student body.

References:

Hofstede, G. (1986). Cultural differences in teaching and learning. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10(3), 301-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(86)90015-5

Yoo, A. J. (2014). The Effect Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Have on Student-Teacher Relationships in the Korean Context. Journal of International Education Research, 10(2), 171–178. https://doi.org/10.19030/jier.v10i2.8519

Presenter: Dr. Abdulmajeed Alghamdi, Education College, Curriculum and Instruction Department, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia 

This study makes a significant contribution to the field of applied linguistics, mainly within educational contexts, by investigating the ways in which university teachers can bridge students' academic knowledge with the content they encounter in language classrooms. Focusing on the critical dimension of cultural competence, this research adopts an activity theory framework to analyse how fluid and dynamic meaning-making practices empower educators to effectively embed cultural competence in interactive language instruction. This integration not only facilitates students' acquisition of new knowledge but also deepens their understanding of cultural competence within higher education. By addressing gaps identified in existing literature (Linder and Cooper 2023, Eden, Chisom et al. 2024), the study highlights several overlooked aspects, including specific practices of teachers who are required to incorporate cultural competence through their activity systems. Additionally, it examines the influence of social and contextual factors that are inherent to language learning environments. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of how teachers successfully weave cultural competence into their instructional practices within institutional learning spaces. This integration is posted to transform the classroom in a vibrant social and cultural milieu, which significantly enhances students' content learning experiences. Furthermore, the study delves into the broader theoretical and pedagogical implications of embedding cultural competence across various educational sittings. It offers insights into how these practices can be adapted and applied in diverse contexts, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive and culturally responsive approach to language education. 

Keywords: Cultural Competence, Higher Education, Students' Knowledge, Activity Theory, Socio-Interactional Language Instruction

Presenter: Joseph Kolapudi, Cultural Lead, SU Australia

As cultural shifts continue to occur across the fabric of societal discourse, the impetus has deepened to hone in on cultural competence, especially in the halls of higher education. However, the focus on empowering diverse voices for social change remains a challenge, for both academics and practitioners alike; for the ongoing barriers to critical development remains a restriction to long-term change on a higher level.

The implementation of emerging tools to foster intercultural dialogue and discussion, however, have catalysed change beyond simple theory to proven practice. One such initiative is a sessional inclusion tool known as Cultural Hearing Asking and Telling (CHAT). Utilising an updated framework, CHAT has been proven as a useful approach to connect and bridge conversations across cultural communities to address topics such as cultural identity, belonging, interfaith dialogue, and communal change.

Developed in response to the ongoing challenges presented in higher education, especially those evident in the wider student population and the proclivity to adhere to social isolation, cultural withdrawal, and multicultural misunderstandings related to differences in cultural attitudes, values and beliefs between communities, CHAT has been piloted in university settings across both international and domestic student populations. The study shows that proven increases in building trust between staff and students, cultural bridge building, and respectful understanding across interfaith communities has led to increased levels of cultural competence in higher education.
Built on the framework for Guidelines for Dialogue, the ten major principles both shape respectful dialogue and build trust between cultural groups and beneficial discussions on the basis of multicultural understanding for future engagement. The presentation will illustrate how CHAT enhances cultural competence for social change in the higher education sector, through practical case studies, statistical evidence, and cultural stories from proven research and effective change.
 

Presenters: Elif Sahin and Dr Amy McHugh

Cultural competence is a decidedly human skill as it focuses on our engagement with other humans. Being on the cultural competence journey requires motivation, self-awareness, critical self-reflection and the ability to forge relationships and engage in oftentimes challenging self-work. As noted by Russell (2020), “A critical self-reflective practice is essential to cultural competence development... [it] must facilitate intimate knowledge about who you are and how you are positioned in the world, and the consequences of that positioning” (p. 31). While we know that this is an essential part of becoming more culturally competent, this is often a challenging skill for students to learn.

Our context is an online course at a large urban university in Australia on the fundamentals of cultural competence. This course, which is focused on introducing students to the concept of cultural competence (CC), provides opportunities to practice critical self-reflection (CSR), inviting students to submit reflective journal submissions as part of their learning journey. As part of this unit, students are introduced to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a way to demonstrate the potential biases and stereotypes that it can perpetuate due to the training data which is a product of an inequitable distribution of power and influence worldwide. While AI is an incredibly helpful tool that is making our lives easier in many ways, we also need to be aware that AI outputs and services should not be taken at face value. This is where critical self-reflection is an integral skill which needs to be trained if we want students to be working toward being more culturally competent in the new digital era that we are in.

During the online course, we ran a seminar introducing AI and demonstrated the biases which may occur when using it, and then invited students to critically self-reflect on how AI might hinder and/or improve cultural competence development. For our presentation, we would like to showcase this application and discuss potential future uses. 

References: 

Russell, G. (2020). Reflecting on a Way of Being: Anchor Principles of Cultural Competence. In J. Frawley, G. Russell, & J. Sherwood (Eds.), Cultural Competence and the Higher Education Sector: Australian Perspectives, Policies and Practice (pp. 31-42). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5362-2_3

Professor Jennifer Barrett is a proud Dunghutti woman and is Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous (Academic) within the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Services portfolio, Sydney University.

Over the past decade Professor Barrett has worked across several areas at the University of Sydney and became Professor of Museum and Heritage Studies in January 2020.

Most recently she was Director of the National Centre for Cultural Competence (NCCC), previously as the Director of the University’s Culture Strategy, and prior to that as Pro Dean, Academic in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS).

Core to her professional history has been involvement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, colleagues and leaders, in teaching, research, external engagement and leadership roles in the arts, collecting and cultural sectors.

Dr Elliott Spaeth is an award-winning consultant, lecturer, and facilitator in the area of inclusive leadership, particularly in relation to disability and neurodiversity in Higher Education.

Through non-judgemental, bespoke facilitation, Elliott works with leaders and educators to help them define their strategic goals and values, and to create adaptable practices, processes, and policies that embody those goals by empowering diverse stakeholders to thrive. These principles are as relevant to learning and teaching as they are to leadership and communication more broadly.

This facilitation is enabled by Elliott's compassionate communication skills; professional experience in learning technologies, clinical psychology research, and pedagogy; and lived experience of marginalisation as a queer, disabled, neurodivergent person.

Dr Virginia Mapedzahama (PhD, Sociology) is the Member Education Director at Diversity Council Australia. She is a first-generation Black African migrant woman and a critical race Black feminist scholar in the broader field of sociology of difference. Her research interest is in understanding the social construction of all categories of difference. She explores this interest in the context of subjective experiences of race, racism and ethnicity, migration, diaspora, Blackness and Black subjectivities, sexuality, hybridity, intersectionality and gendered violence. Virginia has published extensively in these areas as well as the broader fields of cross-cultural identities, African feminisms, post-colonial feminisms, the new African diaspora in Australia and African women diaspora.

Luke Pearson is a Gamilaraay man, who founded IndigenousX in 2012. Luke leads the IndigenousX team and oversees day to day operations across the different sections of the business. Luke’s passion for IndigenousX stems from his commitment to Indigenous self-determination, truth-telling, and education.

Associate Professor Gabrielle Russell leads the Centre’s work in progressing a deeper understanding of the theory and practice of cultural competence and has been instrumental in creating effective resources and research to cultivate cultural competence at the personal and organisational level.

Associate Professor Russell undertakes multi-disciplinary research which explores how to develop cultural competence from diverse perspectives and positions and how to facilitate a deeper and sustainable understanding and practice of individual, systemic, and organisational leadership, and transformative change.