Return to Country Oration aims to foster a dialogue about pathways to STEM higher education for students in regional and rural communities.
The Return to Country Oration fosters dialogue on improving access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) higher education for students from regional and rural communities. This Oration highlights the need to increase Indigenous participation in engineering whilst acknowledging both the challenges and opportunities in pursuing tertiary study.
Through personal reflections from guest speakers, the event will explore the transformative impact of education in remote areas.
Leading the Oration is Professor Chris Lawrence, a proud Wadjak/Ballardong man from the Noongar Nation, and Dean of Indigenous Engagement in Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology. In his return to Country on Noongar lands, Professor Lawrence will speak to the importance of Indigenous representation in STEM, his leadership of the National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA), and his vision for the first Indigenous astronaut—a milestone he hopes to witness in his lifetime.
The event will feature Indigenous voices from the local community and the engineering and technology sector. It will be livestreamed from Northam, on Noongar Country, with an in-person audience from the surrounding region and opportunities for online attendees to engage with the panel.
The Oration forms part of the broader Return to Country STEM Program.
Access the live broadcast
A link will be provided via email to registered attendees ahead of the live stream broadcast.
If you experience any technical issues during the live stream, please email engit-indigenous@unimelb.edu.au
The Return to Country Program
The program invites selected Indigenous students and staff from the partnered universities to reconnect or enhance their connection to their Indigenous culture by providing them with an avenue to share and celebrate their success with their community and wider Australia.
Whilst visiting regional and rural communities, the delegations will engage with primary and secondary school students to showcase pathways to higher education and careers in STEM. Additionally, the group will meet with those supporting students on this journey, including Elders, teachers, careers councillors, other community leaders, and parents.
In 2025, Return to Country is a collaborative initiative led by the University of Melbourne, and co-delivered in partnership with Monash University, and Deadly Coders in Northam, Western Australia, between 21 July to 25 July.
For more information about the Return to Country program, please visit our website.
For enquiries regarding this event or the Return to Country program, please contact engit-indigenous@unimelb.edu.au
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of the unceded lands on which we work, learn and live. We pay respect to Elders past, present and future, and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous knowledge in the Academy.
