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Liv Kidston has been awarded the 2025 ANU School of Art and Design drawing prize for her autobiographical artist book that explores her experience of dyslexia and neurodivergent perception. Using layered machine embroidery and distorted text, the work captures the speed of ADHD thought spirals and her frustrations while learning to read, inviting viewers into a sensory encounter with dyslexia.  
 
Congratulations to Liv on this well-deserved achievement. 

With 43 finalists, the 2025 drawing prize showcases the breadth and depth of drawing practice within the School of Art and Design. Don’t forget to visit the gallery during the exhibition to vote for your favourite artwork. The People’s Choice winner will be announced at the closing reception on Wednesday 22 October with the exhibition running until Friday 24 October.  

 

For Charley Barnes, creativity thrives in the light-filed studios of the ANU School of Art and Design. Her space is scattered with acetate prints, works-in-progress and splashes of paint across the desk. Completing a flexible double degree in Visual Arts and Design, Charley blends collage, painting and printmaking to explore memory, perspective and the lived experience. 

Alongside her studies, she works as a junior designer and casually at the National Gallery of Australia, putting her skills into practice beyond the classroom. Reflecting on her time at ANU, Charley says that her degree has opened a breadth of career pathways for her and has equipped her to pursue both art and design careers, breaking the myth that creative degrees don’t have strong job prospects.  

 

Earlier this month, the Tuckwell community gathered at the National Museum for an evening of celebration, connection and inspiration.  

This year embraced a new format, spotlighting four Tuckwell Scholars who have championed the ANU Women in STEM Leadership Conference over its five-year journey. Marissa Ellis (2020), Mariane Johnstone (2021), Zoe Crooke (2021) and Hannah Wang (2024), shared the evolution of the conference from its inception in 2021 to the vibrant, inclusive community it is today.  

 

The 2025 elections for ANUSA have now concluded. A huge congratulations to our new ANUSA President, Charley Ellwood, Vice-President Stella Serrao-Smith and all those elected to other positions.  

The ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA) is the peak representative body for all students at ANU. If you’re an ANU student, then you’re automatically a member of ANUSA. 

ANUSA is made up of 56 elected student representatives and a team of professional staff members. It is best known for organising student activities during O-Week, such as ANU Market Day, and other social events on the ANU calendar, but ANUSA does so much more than this. Its three major aims are to promote the welfare and further the interest of its members, provide recognised representation and enhance their social lives. 

Check out your 2026 representatives and learn more about how they will be supporting you. 

 

Master of International Law and Diplomacy student, Zyarna Leefe, recently represented Australia at the G20 Youth Summit (Y20) in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

The Y20 is the official youth engagement group of the G20 and brings together young leaders from across member states to discuss global challenges and develop policy recommendations.  

Zyarna participated in a discussion titled Meaningful Youth Engagement and Reforming Multilateralism for a Just Future, where she called for multilateral institutions to formally recognise Indigenous peoples as independent actors, with dedicated seats and decision-making roles. Her proposal was supported by 18 of the 20 delegations. 

“It was an incredible opportunity to contribute to international conversations and work alongside inspiring young leaders,” Zyarna said.  

As any footy fan knows, commentators and coaches love to champion data.  

In every AFL match, for example, a GPS tracker logs each player’s co-ordinates, at a rate of 10 times per second. It calculates their speed, acceleration, endurance and movement patterns. By a game’s end, each one has logged more than 20 million data points. 

 

A widely available and affordable drug has shown to be effective in treating seriously ill COVID-19 patients, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU).   

The researchers believe the drug could also be useful in fighting other serious respiratory infections such as pneumonia.  

Heparin has traditionally been injected and used to treat blood clots. But lead author of the study, ANU Professor Frank van Haren, said the results confirm heparin’s effectiveness in treating COVID-19 when it is inhaled, rather than injected. 

 

The Immersia Festival, a flagship annual program hosted by the ANU School of Culture, History and Language, has officially wrapped up for 2025 after two vibrant weeks of connection, creativity and celebration.  

From the lively Mini Naadam ('Festival') of Mongolia with traditional music, dance and calligraphy, to the serenity of the Japanese tea ceremony in the Tatami Room, students, staff and the Canberra community had the chance to experience a world of traditions right here at ANU, as well as around Canberra on Saturdays.  

Workshops like Chinese lantern-making lit up the festival with colour and fun, while performances, food and hands-on activities showcased the diversity of our community. 

Immersia may be over for 2025, but the memories (and the lanterns) will keep glowing. We can’t wait to see what new traditions, flavours and celebrations will arrive on campus next year. 

Wednesday 22 October, 6.30pm – Sunday 26 October, 3.30pm 

Canberra Writers Festival is a joyful collision of art-makers, big thinkers and storytellers. ANU is a Founding Partner of the Canberra Writers Festival and as part of the partnership the University is holding a competition to giveaway free tickets. 

To participate, describe your favourite book using only six words. . Winners will be notified by email and announced by On Campus on Tuesday 21 October. 

Terms and conditions: Competition is open to ANU staff and students only. Tickets cannot be used for events sold by a third party (including events at Louis Dining, Hyatt Hotel and Dendy Cinemas). 

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month.  

The ANU Information Security Office has planned a month of events, workshops and learning opportunities with something of interest for all staff and students.  

Thursday 16 October, 6–7.30pm  
 
Come along to celebrate the life of Brendan Sargeant and to reflect on his concept of 'Strategic Imagination'.  

Wednesday 22 October, 3–5pm 

In collaboration with the Centre for Stories, the ANU McCusker Institute is celebrating and sharing the work of this year's winner of the international Human Rights Essay Prize, Sabia Rasool with her essay The Blind Side. 

Wednesday 22 October, 5.30–6.30pm  

Presented in partnership with the ACT Branch of the Order of Australia Association, Emeritus Professor Mark Howden AC FAA FTSE, will deliver the keynote speech exploring the costs and benefits of climate action versus inaction and the consequences for Australia’s future. 

Register here for the Order of Australia Lecture – Go hard or go slow on climate change? What’s in the national interest? 

The Be Bin Smart program is rolling out across ANU, making recycling simpler, clearer and more effective. Following a successful pilot program, the first new bins have been installed at ANU Sport, with Chifley Library being next in line and more locations to follow soon.  

You can get involved today by exploring the new Be Bin Smart Toolkit, which is a practical resource packed with guides, tips and downloadable resources you can use in your own spaces.   

 

From tiny insects to majestic trees, we want to see the biodiversity on campus through your eyes. Together with our partner universities in the (IARU), we are collecting creative photo submissions until Friday 31 October under the theme “Biodiversity on Our Campus.” 

Submit your photos and get the chance for your work to be featured internationally across the IARU network. 

  

Help is available if you need it. If you are dealing with a personal or university-related issue, ANU encourages you to seek support through the Student Safety and Wellbeing team by emailing student.wellbeing@anu.edu.au or calling 02 6125 2211, Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm.

You can also visit our Urgent Support page for a list of 24/7 and crisis support options.

For life threatening emergencies first call 000 (or 0000 if dialing from an internal phone), then call ANU Security at (02) 6125 2249