FEIT Diversity and Inclusion Small Grants program

Sensory Space - Melbourne Connect

Project Group: Andrew Moore (Workspace Strategy and Operations Manager, FEIT)

Project Summary: The Melbourne Connect Sensory Space Initiative will transform an underutilised, decommissioned utility bay into a purpose-built sensory retreat that supports the wellbeing, inclusion and accessibility of staff and students within the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. The project responds to a recognised need for a dedicated, low-stimulation environment where individuals can regulate, decompress and manage sensory overload. While sensory spaces are becoming increasingly common in educational and healthcare settings, Melbourne Connect currently has no dedicated facility of this kind. The space will provide a welcoming environment for neurodivergent individuals, those experiencing anxiety or stress, people returning from difficult conversations or high-pressure work, and anyone seeking a quiet moment away from a busy workplace. Grant funding will contribute towards the procurement of specialist furnishings and sensory equipment, including comfortable lounge seating, bean bags, weighted blankets, sensory lighting, tactile wall panels, fidget resources, acoustic furnishings, curtains, rugs, artwork, cushions and audio equipment designed to create a calming, multi-sensory experience. Minor electrical works, repainting and other building modifications will also be undertaken to support the fit-out. The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology has committed to funding any remaining project costs beyond the grant allocation, ensuring the space is delivered to a high standard. Procurement of furniture and equipment is planned for late 2026, with installation and final modifications occurring in early 2027. The sensory space is expected to open during the first quarter of 2027.

The People Behind the Flag: Celebrating the Stories, Cultures and Experiences of the CBE Community

Project Group: Cathy Izzard (School Coordinator, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering) and CBE Admin Team

Project Summary: The People Behind the Flag is a School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE) initiative that celebrates the diverse cultures, experiences and stories that make up our school community. The event will bring together staff and GR students for a shared lunch or afternoon tea, creating an opportunity to learn more about the people we work and study alongside every day. Before the event, volunteers will be invited to tell a little of their story, including their cultural background, languages spoken, favourite traditions or celebrations, and favourite foods. These stories will be displayed digitally during the event, creating a visual showcase of the people and experiences that make up our community. The event will include a short welcome, time to explore the displays, several brief personal reflections from volunteers, and informal conversation over food and refreshments. Participants will also be invited to contribute to a "What helps you feel welcome at CBE?" wall. While flags provide a starting point, the focus of the initiative is on the people behind them. The event aims to celebrate the diversity within CBE, encourage conversations across the school, and help staff and GR students get to know one another beyond their day-to-day work and study.

Actually, You Can Ask That: Queer Edition

Project Group: Jamie Currie (Laboratory Technician - Chemical, Materials and Manufacturing Cluster) and Emma Russo (Infrastructure Operations Lead)

Project Summary: This project aims to deliver an inclusive, queer-focused event that fosters understanding, connection, and meaningful dialogue between queer and non-queer members of the university community. Inspired by the ABC television program You Can’t Ask That?, the event will create a safe and welcoming space where participants can engage in open conversations about queer identities, experiences, and communities.

Ahead of the event, registrants will be invited to submit anonymous questions through an online survey. Questions will be reviewed, grouped into common themes, and carefully screened to avoid duplication and minimise potential harm while preserving the intent of the question. Challenging topics will not be excluded; instead, questions may be respectfully reworded to facilitate constructive discussion and learning.

The event will feature a panel of individuals with lived experience from across the queer community, who are experienced in discussing complex and sensitive issues in an authentic, engaging, and accessible manner. The discussion is expected to balance humour, personal stories, education, and thoughtful reflection. The University’s Gender Affirmation Advisor, Ari Heart, has volunteered to participate on the panel and assist with question screening to ensure the discussion remains respectful and appropriate.

Through increased visibility, storytelling, and honest conversation, the project seeks to build empathy, challenge misconceptions, and strengthen connections across the Faculty. By encouraging respectful curiosity and providing opportunities for learning, the event will contribute to a more inclusive, informed, and supportive university community for people of all backgrounds and identities.

From Self-Awareness to Collaboration: Neuroinclusive Skills for FEIT Students

Project Group: Stephan Oehler (Associate Lecturer (Education Specialist), ME), Shuang Zhu (Lecturer (Education Specialist), ME) and Andi Putra (Lecturer, ME)

Project Summary: This activity builds on the 2025 FEIT Diversity and Inclusion Small Grant project, Fostering Belonging: Inclusive Teamwork through Identity, Reflection, and Collaboration, which focused on inclusive group dynamics and practical approaches to teamwork. This proposed series turns attention to the individual skills that help students participate consistently, communicate their needs and contribute effectively within diverse teams. Two voluntary, co-curricular workshops will be offered to FEIT students. The workshops will take a neuroinclusive approach and will be open to both neurodivergent and neurotypical students. They will develop skills that benefit students across neurotypes, while also exploring challenges that neurodivergent students may experience and how all team members can recognise and respond constructively to different needs, working styles and perspectives. The first workshop, Interoception and Self-Advocacy, will be based on Cassie Truong’s existing lived-experience-informed workshop. It will help students notice, interpret and communicate bodily, sensory and emotional cues. Participants will explore and reflect on how stress, fatigue, sensory load and emotion can affect communication, decision making and participation in group settings. The second workshop, Motivation, Planning and Organisation for Collaborative Work, will be developed and delivered by Dr Oehler. It will introduce practical, non-clinical strategies for goal setting, task initiation, planning, organisation and communicating barriers early. Although these skills focus on individuals, activities will connect them to common teamwork situations, including breaking down ambiguous tasks, agreeing realistic commitments, making progress visible and responding constructively when plans change.

Energy Economics: The cost of pushing through invisible health burdens in the workplace.

Project Group: Priyanka Nair-Turkich (Research Data Specialist, Melbourne Data Analytics Platform CIS), Melissa Stewart (Change and Communications Lead, Enterprise Performance Services Group, and Founder of Period and Menopause Staff (PAM’S) Network), Mel Mistica (Senior Research Data Specialist, Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, CIS), Aleks Michalewicz (Senior Research Data Specialist, Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, CIS) and Amanda Belton (Research Data Specialist, Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, CIS)

Project Summary: A six-session hybrid seminar series exploring how cyclical and chronic health experiences and conditions such as PMDD, perimenopause and menopause, endometriosis, postnatal depression, and late-diagnosed neurodivergence disproportionately affect women, trans, intersex and nonbinary people, and shape capacity and performance in the workplace. The series reframes these health experiences and conditions as a capacity and inclusion issue, rather than a burden for individuals to manage alone. Sessions combine subject matter expertise with lived experience and produce a guide with tips on managing the health burdens. We will add a disclaimer before and after every session that any information and advice provided should be considered general and that individuals should consult their health professionals for personalised health advice.

• Session 1: Neurodivergence & Masking: Support and accommodations can enable neurodiverse people to succeed in the workplace. What would an inclusive workplace look like for neurodivergent people?
• Session 2: Depressive Conditions & Mood Disorders: What are PMDD and other cyclical mood disorders, why they are missed or misdiagnosed, and how to plan around both cyclical and chronic conditions.
• Session 3: Perimenopause & Menopause at Work in collaboration with Period and Menopause Staff (PAM'S) Network: Recognising symptoms, treatment options, and practical workplace adjustments.
• Session 4: Endometriosis & Chronic Pain: Diagnostic delay, treatment pathways and working with chronic pain.
• Session 5: Pregnancy & Postnatal Depression: What an "energy-honest" faculty culture could look like for pregnant and postnatal individuals?
• Session 6: Finding our way: The true cost of pushing through

Visible Belonging: Celebrating FEIT Diversity in the CIS Student Hub

Project Group: Stella Peng (Associate Lecturer (Education Specialist), CIS), Vi Truong (Lecturer (Education Specialist) CIS), Antonette Mendoza (Education Specialist CIS), and Tingru Cui (Senior Lecturer in Information Systems, CIS)

Project Summary: Visible Belonging invites FEIT students to create original visual designs celebrating diverse identities, lived experiences, and expressions of belonging across the FEIT community, including themes such as culture, disability inclusion, Indigenous perspectives, and gender diversity. Students will submit artwork suitable for stickers, magnets, postcards, bookmarks, and other student engagement materials, together with a short statement explaining the inspiration, creative process, and connection to diversity, inclusion, identity, or belonging. Submission guidance will encourage respectful, original, and inclusive representation, helping students consider how their designs can communicate welcome, recognition, and connection. If GenAI tools are used, students should disclose this and explain their own meaningful creative contribution. Submitted works will be showcased at the CIS Student Hub, creating a visible, accessible display that celebrates the diversity of the FEIT student community in a familiar student facing space. FEIT students and staff will be invited to view the designs, read the statements, and vote online to select winning submissions, creating broad participation and a shared point of conversation in the Hub. Winning designs will be professionally produced and distributed through CIS Student Hub activities, orientation, outreach, and student events. By transforming the Hub into a space that visibly reflects student voices and experiences, the project will foster connection, encourage dialogue, and strengthen belonging. The final designs will form a reusable Belonging Collection that supports inclusive FEIT student engagement beyond the showcase period and gives the project a practical legacy.

Inclusive teaching for diverse student cohorts: Practical tips for implementing Universal Design for Learning in STEM education

Project Group: Lucy Sparrow (Lecturer, CIS), Ashley Anderson (Senior Learning Designer, Scholarly Services) and Melissa Rogerson (DECRA Fellow, CIS)

Project Summary: We propose a half-day workshop that offers FEIT teaching staff a platform to learn, share and discuss evidence-based inclusive teaching practices for diverse student cohorts. The workshop will include an expert panel and a bespoke card-based game designed by boardgames expert Dr Melissa Rogerson, with card decks to be distributed to attendees to keep. This workshop has 3 key aims:

1. Enhance faculty staff’s understanding of inclusive teaching based around Universal Design for Learning (UDL);
2. Give teaching staff practical tips and tools for implementing inclusive practices in their subjects; and
3. Introduce COIL (the Community of Inclusive Learning) to FEIT staff members.

The proposed workshop structure is as follows.

• 9:30-10:00am (30 mins): Introductions/meet-and-greet. This time will allow everyone to get to know each other and become comfortable with the setting.
• 10:00-10:30 (30 mins): Introduction to key principles of inclusive teaching, UDL, and COIL. Led by Ashley Anderson.
• 10:30-11:45 (1 hour 15 minutes): Expert panel and Q&A. This panel will be facilitated by Ashley Anderson. We have in-principle agreement from a range of experts in engaging international students, neurodiversity, and disability, including Prof Shanton Chang (CIS), Dr Paul Fijn (Sci & COIL member), Dr Melissa Rogerson (CIS), and Jess Rowlings (CIS).
• 11:45-12:30 (45 mins): Lunch. We will provide a catered lunch for all attendees.
• 12:30-1:20 (50 minutes): Card-based activity. Attendees will play a card-based game that encourages them to think about how they can apply UDL practices to their own teaching.
• 1:20-1:30 (10 minutes): Wrap up. We will summarise the day’s activities and key takeaways and will distribute the game card decks to all attendees.

FEIT Festival of Languages

Project Group: Ekaterina Vylomova (Senior Lecturer – CIS)

Project Summary: Festival of Languages will serve as a platform to experience and celebrate the high linguistic and cultural diversity within the faculty community (students and staff). It will invite community members to share their languages with others and discuss some fascinating aspects of their cultures by giving 10–15 minute presentations. As the event will be hosted within FEIT, it will also put a special focus on the state of language technology. Faculty researchers working in language technology will be invited to present their works. This will be followed by a general discussion of the current state of technology available for the world's languages. Finally, the event will be concluded by linguistic trivia games similar to the one hosted at SIGTYP 2022

(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1or3mwS7cU8uzOnAOi_YvyeexaQcFR-3s/view).

During the trivia (which we anticipate to be a very light and fun activity), all festival participants will be split into small groups to discuss and answer the questions. The activity will encourage them to get to know each other and learn about the many cultures of the world. To summarise, it will be a day-long event, split into three parts: (1) language presentations;

(2) language technology presentations;

(3) language trivia games.

We will run coffee-breaks between the parts for further networking.

Resilience Masters: Stories of Courage and Creative Resistance

Project Group: Natalia Orel (Research Software Engineer, CIS) and Mar Quiroga (Senior Research Data Specialist, CIS)

Project Summary: This series brings two acclaimed documentaries to FEIT, each centred-on women meeting a hostile system with resilience, followed by a guest speaker and discussion.

Picture a Scientist is an award-winning documentary that follows three women scientists as they navigate gender bias, discrimination, and barriers to inclusion in academia. Through their personal experiences, alongside insights from researchers and leaders in the field, the film explores how systemic inequities shape scientific careers and what individuals and institutions can do to create more equitable and inclusive environments. The screening will provide an accessible starting point for reflection and discussion about equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM. (Guest speaker: TBC)

Porcelain War is an Oscar-nominated documentary that follows three Ukrainian artists continuing to create porcelain art while living under Russian occupation. Through their daily lives and creative practice, the film explores how ordinary people sustain culture, community, and hope under conditions of war and displacement. (Guest speaker: Artem Polyvyanyy)

The two films will be screened as separate sessions, each followed by a guest speaker and a discussion over light refreshments, hosted at the Forum in Melbourne Connect. Open to all FEIT staff and students, and the wider University of Melbourne community, each session is expected to draw up to 100 attendees, giving people a chance to meet and connect outside their usual day-to-day circles.

AI on Equal Terms: The FEIT Fair AI Challenge

Project Group: Vi Truong (Lecturer (Education Specialist), CIS) and Stella Peng (Associate Lecturer (Education Specialist), CIS)

Project Summary: AI on Equal Terms is a facilitated, scenario-based card activity for FEIT students and staff. In mixed teams, participants discuss short scenarios about bias, missing perspectives, privacy, accessibility and human judgement, record decisions in an AI Fair Play Passport and move through five stations. No technical AI knowledge is required, allowing people to contribute from experience.

Development begins with a Co-design Café involving 10 to 15 students from different FEIT courses and levels of AI experience. They will test draft scenarios, identify assumptions and help make the activities useful and engaging. Three pop-ups will then trial and promote the activities. At least one will run in an Engineering student-facing space, reaching students from other FEIT schools and testing relevance beyond CIS. At the main Fair AI Challenge, teams move through five stations: (1) Bias Busters spots stereotypes; (2) Whose Voice Is Missing? identifies absent perspectives; (3) Privacy Detective considers what should not be entered into an AI system; (4) Access for All examines clarity and accessibility; and (5) Human Judgement Showdown asks teams to accept, reject or revise an AI recommendation. Participants earn stamps by explaining their choices, not by finding one predetermined answer.

Food, music and team play will create a welcoming atmosphere. No paid AI account or personal device is required. Each participant who completes all five stations may enter the prize draw once. Winners will be selected randomly because the stations have no single correct answer. At a late-April Sharing Café, student and staff representatives will review the near-final deck and plan its wider use across FEIT. Ten printed decks and an accessible digital version will support future FEIT activities.

Ancient Engineering & Living Heritage: Baiame’s Ngunnhu (Brewarrina Fish Traps), Photo Exhibition, and Indigenous Knowledge Panel

Project Group: Winn Chow (Senior Lecturer - Subject Cluster, CIS), Arzoo Atiq (Lecturer, CIS), Stella Peng (Associate Lecturer (Education Specialist), CIS) and Tyrina Garstone (Indigenous Projects Coordinator, FEIT)

Project Summary: The proposed activity, "Ancient Engineering & Living Heritage," is a multi-day event celebrating Australia’s first engineers through the lens of Baiame’s Ngunnhu (the Brewarrina Fish Traps). Tentatively scheduled for National Reconciliation Week in May 2027, the initiative centres on a high-foot-traffic photographic exhibition within the FEIT precinct, accompanied by an interactive Indigenous Knowledge Panel. The week-long exhibition will be launched with an opening event featuring a formal Welcome/Acknowledgement and a keynote cultural presentation by a custodian from the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum. This representative will then join FEIT academics and students for a panel discussion. This dialogue is designed to bridge the gap between regional Indigenous knowledge holders and metropolitan university cohorts, actively fostering mutual learning and cultural humility. Following the launch, a free-standing public photo and history exhibition will remain open in the communal space for five days. The curated, high-resolution photographic collection and historical narratives will showcase the Brewarrina Fish Traps as a global masterclass in sophisticated hydraulic engineering, ecology, and social governance. By visibly recognizing millennia of Indigenous innovation, the activity addresses a critical need to embed First Nations sustainable water-management systems and complex structural engineering into the consciousness of FEIT students, researchers, and staff. Ultimately, this initiative creates an accessible, welcoming space that directly aligns with FEIT’s core values of Diversity, Inclusion, and Connectedness.

Wattle Women in STEM

Project Group: Wattle Fellowship Team (Linh Do; Jarred Abrahams; Clancy Lester; Lemae Mortimer)

Project Summary: This event would feature a panel of female engineers, data scientists, and technicians, all of whom are alumni of the Wattle Fellowship, who will share their personal journeys, challenges, and successes. The goal is to provide a direct and inspiring connection between students and professional role models, making the concept of a STEM career feel more tangible and accessible.

Inspiring Women in Engineering: Panel Discussion and Lab Tours for Undergraduate and Master's Students

Project Group: Lili Chen, Christina Lim, Margreta Kuijper, Ye Pu and Rajitha SenanayakeProject Summary: This activity will bring together female academics and PhD students in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology to engage, inspire, and encourage female students to pursue this field. Prof. Elaine Wong (Pro Vice-Chancellor - People & Equity) will join as an advisor. The centrepiece will be a panel discussion where women researchers and academics will share their career journeys, research interests, and experiences working in engineering. The session will provide undergraduate and master’s students, particularly first-year cohorts, with relatable role models and concrete insights into the diverse opportunities available in this discipline. Following the panel, students will participate in guided laboratory tours showcasing real-world demonstrations and ongoing research projects. This hands-on exposure aims to demystify the technical aspects of engineering while highlighting its societal relevance and innovation potential. The event is designed to foster a sense of belonging, increase visibility of female role models, and address the gender gap in the field. By creating an inclusive and supportive environment, the activity aims to inspire more female students to consider choosing or continuing with an engineering major.

Navigate to Tech Industry: A Panel Discussion on Diversity, Leadership, and Innovation in Tech

Project Group: Haiyi Ye, Gayani Siriwardana, Chin Tong Leong, Ran Shi, Jacqueline Mel, Xining Nan, and Lili Chen

Project Summary: This panel discussion will bring together professionals in the field of engineering to explore the intersection of diversity, leadership, and technological innovation. The event will provide a platform for panellists to share their insights on how emerging technologies are reshaping the engineering landscape, the unique contributions of women engineers, and career development strategies in traditionally male-dominated fields. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact, ask questions and engage in discussions with the panellists to promote inclusive work environments and leadership development in engineering. This will be a great opportunity for students to learn, network, and be inspired to drive positive change in their careers.

Creating a supportive and inclusive community

Project Group: Raquel de Souza, Jillian Kenny, and Claudia Sandberg

Project Summary: Our initiative aims to create a supportive community for female and non-binary students. A series of events throughout the semester will enable continuous engagement, foster connections and equip participants with essential skills and confidence. First week of March 2026: Social gathering to welcome female and non-binary students and create connections. o Female academics, female and non-binary students will be invited to an afternoon tea. Ice-breaker activities will be planned to engage the participants. This first event aims to welcome students, create connections and announce the upcoming events. Monthly meetings (April, May, June) for female and non-binary students to encourage networking with other female students and female academics. o First week of April 2026 - Workshop on overcoming impostor syndrome. A practical session in which attendees will learn effective strategies to combat imposter syndrome. Participants will learn to identify and work constructively with limiting beliefs and develop actionable tactics they can immediately implement to advance their personal and academic journeys with confidence. o End of May 2026 or s1 SWOT Vac - Panel discussion with alumni, academics and industry professionals with the topic “Sharing experiences of female engineers in Industry and Academia” o End of June 2026 (End of exam period) - Workshop on navigating challenging situations in gender-imbalanced workplaces. Participants will examine authentic case studies, focusing on issues such as exclusion and gender stereotyping. Through guided discussions and learning from role models, students will prepare proactive responses, helping them to navigate similar challenges in their future careers with confidence.

FEIT Festival of Languages

Project Group: Ekaterina Vylomova

Project Summary: Festival of Languages will serve as a platform to experience and celebrate the high linguistic and cultural diversity within the faculty community (students and staff). It will invite community members to share their languages with others and discuss some fascinating aspects of their cultures by giving 10–15 minute presentations. As the event will be hosted within FEIT, it will also put a special focus on the state of language technology. Faculty researchers working in language technology will be invited to present their works. This will be followed by a general discussion of the current state of technology available for the world's languages. Finally, the event will be concluded by linguistic trivia games similar to the one hosted at SIGTYP 2022 .

During the trivia (which we anticipate to be a very light and fun activity), all festival participants will be split into small groups to discuss and answer the questions. The activity will encourage them to get to know each other and learn about the many cultures of the world. To summarise, it will be a day-long event, split into three parts: (1) language presentations; (2) language technology presentations; (3) language trivia games. We will run coffee-breaks between the parts for further networking.

Fostering Belonging: Inclusive Teamwork through Identity, Reflection, and Collaboration

Project Group: Shuang Jie Zhu, Andi Putra and Zoey Li

Project Summary: This activity addresses a key challenge in engineering and IT education: ensuring all students feel included and valued in small group work. Group projects are central to FEIT’s coursework and mirror professional practice, yet student feedback highlights exclusion based on gender, culture, disability, language, and other factors. To address this challenge, we propose a two-phase interactive workshop series. The workshops will introduce identity and positionality, exploring who we are, what we bring, and how we are seen. Students will reflect on how differences and experiences shape group dynamics. They will learn to appreciate diverse perspectives and apply strategies for respectful, inclusive, and effective teamwork. In Phase 1 (March 2026), Dr. Nira Rahman will lead an interactive session that helps students explore identities and roles within diverse teams. The workshop will link reflection to principles of respect, reciprocity, and responsibility. Students will be introduced to strategies such as group agreements, equitable communication, accessibility planning, and role rotation. These strategies will be compiled into a starter version of the Inclusive Group Work Toolkit, which students will use in projects. In Phase 2 (June 2026), Professor Doreen Thomas (TBC) will facilitate a reflection and co-creation workshop. Students will share experiences, connect learning to practice, and refine the toolkit into a student-informed, practice-tested resource. Participants who complete both phases will be recognised as Peer Inclusion Champions and awarded a FEIT Inclusive Leadership Certificate. This staged approach ensures immediate skill development and long-term cultural change. It will also produce a resource that embeds inclusive teamwork practices across FEIT.

She Leads Tech: Careers, Networks, and Global Connections

Project Group: Kabir Manandhar Shrestha, Chunhua Liu, Jinrui Yang, Aidan McLoughney

Project Summary: This initiative will host three sessions to connect women across academia, industry, and entrepreneurship pathways—tackling networking gaps, gender-bias barriers, and limited cross-continental knowledge sharing. Session 1 – Women in Academia: targets women considering academic careers and seeking insights into research pathways across Australia and the US. Speakers are academics who have transitioned between AU/US at different stages (postgraduate → PhD → postdoc → assistant professor → professor). They share lived experiences and practical advice on academic networking, securing research funding, and overcoming gender-specific STEM challenges. Session 2 – Women in Industry: targets women seeking industry experience and broader perspectives on tech companies. Speakers come from major firms (Google, Amazon, Oracle, TikTok, Meta, and more) across roles (e.g., data scientist, DevOps engineer, HR, product manager) and career stages. Activities include panels on career transitions, resume optimisation, salary negotiation, networking strategies, and company culture insights addressing gender inequality in engineering and IT through practical progression and workplace navigation techniques. Session 3 – Women in Innovation & Entrepreneurship: targets women starting ventures or joining start-ups. Speakers include VCs, founders, angel investors, start-up advisors, and corporate innovation leaders from accelerators and various stages. They share start-up ecosystem journeys and practical advice for overcoming entrepreneurial barriers. Each 2-hour session will blend panels and workshops for actionable skills on international transitions, visas, and cross-border networking. We expect 60–80 attendees in Melbourne, San Francisco, and online.

Necessity is the mother of invention: An African Perspective

Project Group: Judy Too, Felix Hui and Pauline Njoki Kimani

Project Summary: This is a half-day event on Africa Day, 25 May 2026, titled Necessity is the mother of invention: An African perspective. This event will spotlight the ingenuity of precolonial African civilisations, showcasing how necessity drove innovation across construction, water systems, metallurgy, and mathematics. The event will feature TED-style storytelling talks by 3 invited speakers who will highlight iconic inventions from different regions and eras, such as Imhotep’s design of the Step Pyramid in ancient Egypt, indigenous metallurgical practices in Southern Africa, and water management in the Sahel, among others. These stories will bridge history and engineering, showing how ancient ingenuity continues to inspire contemporary innovation and engineering knowledge. Following the talks, an interactive panel discussion will invite audience participation, connecting historical lessons to present-day global challenges of sustainability, infrastructure, and resource management. Complementing these conversations, poster exhibitions around the venue will provide deeper insights into African innovations, while a digital Padlet “knowledge wall” will enable students and staff to share reflections and resources in real time. The event aims to broaden understanding of what counts as engineering knowledge, challenge deficit narratives of Africa, and create an inclusive platform that validates cultural knowledge as academically significant. It will be open to all FEIT students and staff, with targeted outreach through student associations and academic networks to encourage wide participation. By embedding underrepresented knowledge traditions within the Faculty’s intellectual environment, this activity advances FEIT’s 2025 commitment to invest in people and culture.

Women in Chemical Engineering Panel

Project Group: Sarah Shannon (MUCESS Treasurer), Isla Jones (MUCESS President) and Catherine Sutton

Project Summary: We are planning to host a professional panel event featuring 4–5 industry professionals, including female chemical engineering graduates from the University of Melbourne and/or female academic staff. This event aims to highlight the experiences of women in engineering, a field where female representation remains low. The panel discussion will explore key topics such as navigating male-dominated industries, career progression, leadership, and creating inclusive workplace cultures. A moderator will guide the discussion with prepared questions to ensure a thoughtful, engaging, and diverse conversation. Time will also be allocated for audience Q&A, encouraging further student interaction and learning. Our goal is to promote empathy and awareness of the unique challenges women face in engineering, while celebrating their achievements. This event will empower students—particularly women—by connecting them with relatable role models and providing actionable career advice. Light refreshments will be served following the panel, creating a welcoming space for informal discussion, peer-to-peer networking, and sharing of experiences among students, staff, and industry professionals.

Building Bridges to Parliament: Inclusive Pathways for Engineers and Migrants

Project Group: Judy Too, Felix Hui and Priyan Mendis

Project Summary: This project will deliver four guided student visits to Victoria’s Parliament House, each engaging approximately 30 participants (120 students in total). The Hon. Telmo Languiller, former Speaker of the Victorian Parliament and a migrant, will personally lead the tours and discussions. Students will gain first-hand exposure to parliamentary processes, civic participation, and the pathways through which engineers and technologists can influence policy and shape public outcomes. Each visit will conclude with an informal tea-and-coffee roundtable with Telmo and invited Members of Parliament (at least one MP for each session) who hold interests in technology, infrastructure, and engineering. These dialogues will provide students with candid opportunities to ask questions, learn from diverse leadership experiences, and consider how technical expertise intersects with public service and civic leadership. This initiative builds on a highly successful single-visit pilot conducted last year, which was oversubscribed and left many students unable to attend. To address this demand, four sessions will now be offered, ensuring wider accessibility across FEIT’s diverse student body and reducing scheduling barriers. Importantly, the Master of Engineering Management Student Community (MEMSC) will be enlisted to help in planning and hosting, supported by staff mentors. This shift creates authentic opportunities for student leadership, stakeholder engagement, and cross-cultural collaboration. The initiative aims to inspire students from all backgrounds, particularly those from migrant and underrepresented communities, to view civic participation and leadership as attainable pathways. It directly responds to the underrepresentation of engineers in public decision-making.

Beyond technical skills - inclusive collaborative workshops

Project Group: Amiraslan Fila, Azadeh Taghvaie, Donya Eghrari and Behnam Atazadeh

Project Summary: Engineering education focuses heavily on technical expertise, yet graduates often face challenges when working in diverse teams where non-technical factors can make or break success. Soft skills such as inclusivity, consultation, cross-cultural communication, and culturally-aware project management are critical for collaborative problem-solving, particularly in multicultural contexts like universities and workplaces. Many students, especially international cohorts, express a need for spaces to practice and strengthen these skills in parallel with their technical studies. Understanding other team members’ migration journey as well as lived experiences can help develop respect for the diversity of perspectives which in turn leads to healthier study and work environment.