Social cohesion, the connectedness of people to each other and their trust in the institutions that give society structure, is an important element of societal stability and security. As challenges to social cohesion increase, bridging divides to foster inclusive communities becomes an increasingly urgent and critical issue.
In the next decade, UNSW will continue efforts to strengthen societal resilience, security and cohesion. This will build on our significant education and research into human rights, justice, resilience, cohesion and inequality across Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
We will focus on enabling access, ensuring equity and building trust in the digital age, through active participation in policy development, our deep research expertise, and genuine engagement with the people, communities and partners throughout our region.
We will be a leader in our contribution to the Societal Impact Goals:
- Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
- Ensure Australia’s sovereign capability by advancing expertise, new technologies and sharing knowledge.
- Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, and ensure sustainable food production and resilient agricultural practices.
Objectives
1. Foster trust in the digital age and advocate for policies that protect individuals and communities, by:
- building societal resilience through our education and engagement
- addressing ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies and ensuring innovation serves the public good through interdisciplinary collaboration between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and the humanities
- promoting equity in access to technology to reduce societal divisiveness and build inclusive frameworks that benefit all
- empowering students and the wider community to navigate the complexities of the digital era.
2. Mobilise multidisciplinary policy expertise to shape a fairer and more cohesive future, by:
- working to ensure that the voices of marginalised and underrepresented communities are heard and integrated into policy discussions and decision-making processes
- supporting the development of more just societal structures, advocating for equity and strengths-based approaches to inclusion in policy design and implementation.
3. Facilitate the protection and enhancement of security and cohesion including access to critical resources, by:
- representing the diverse needs of local communities and a multidisciplinary approach to ensure security – individual, community and national – and social cohesion are strengthened at all levels
- contributing to solutions that promote sustainable access to essential resources like clean water, energy, housing and education, with efforts aligned to the UN SDGs.
4. Deploy our strengths for capacity building to breakdown societal barriers, by:
- leveraging UNSW’s multi-faculty expertise in social justice to equip individuals and communities with the knowledge and tools needed to bridge cultural divides
- contributing directly to sovereign capability through our enduring partnership with Defence.
Flagship initiatives
Developing the Indigenous Micro-Treaty
UNSW will create a Micro-Treaty with Indigenous communities, ensuring a strength-based and Indigenous-led approach. The Micro-Treaty will empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff and communities by upholding self-determination, fostering autonomy, and dismantling systemic barriers. Through genuine partnerships, cultural respect and inclusivity, the Micro-Treaty will amplify Indigenous voices in shaping their relationship with the University now and into the future.
Leading knowledge translation for supply chain security
UNSW will create a knowledge translation hub focused on supply chain security, covering critical areas such as food, water, climate, disaster response, housing, poverty, education, ethics, policy, regulation and business incentives. By aligning with the UN SDGs, this initiative will enhance our capacity to promote sustainable access to essential resources and foster inclusive development, supporting human security globally.
Enhancing capacity through the Canberra City Precinct
The Canberra City Precinct builds on UNSW’s longstanding security and defence heritage and operations in the ACT, projecting whole-of-UNSW capability into the nation’s capital. The Precinct will leverage proximity to government, business and innovation organisations in Canberra, and serve as a catalyst for multi-sector collaboration to address national technological and educational priorities and champion lifelong learning and accessibility pathways.
Get in touch
Our Strategy was designed by our UNSW community, for our UNSW community so we want everyone to get involved. Please get in touch to discuss the Strategy or ask any questions.