Beyond borders: Indigenous knowledge and international education

In recent years, international education has faced significant disruption. The pandemic, shifting geopolitics, and new regulatory pressures have forced institutions to rethink how they operate. At the same time, calls for greater inclusion, sustainability and Indigenous engagement are reshaping the sector.

In this context, global university networks have an important role to play. Global alliances, such as the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and Universitas 21 (U21) provide opportunities for connection, collaboration and shared learning across borders. But if these networks are to remain relevant, and impactful, they must reflect the full diversity of knowledge systems – and that includes Indigenous knowledge.

At the University of Melbourne, we’ve been thinking deeply about what it means to bring an Indigenous lens to international education. Our new plan, which we call the Indigenous Internationalisation Plan, is already making a positive impact within our university community by driving real change. This includes the introduction of new co- curricular programs, an increase in Indigenous knowledge subjects, and partnerships across faculties – from STEM to the humanities.

A great example of this is our involvement in the Reach Alliance program. In July, a group of six University of Melbourne students from the faculties of Law, Science and Business and Economics will travel to Kowanyama in Far North Queensland to work alongside Indigenous communities. Their research is part of a broader commitment to Indigenous-led engagement, and later this year they’ll present their findings at the Reach Alliance conference in Singapore, in front of scholars from around the world.

We’re also embedding Indigenous content directly into the curriculum, including for visiting students from overseas. For example, through the CASA (Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad) program, international students will spend time at the University’s Dookie campus to study Indigenous knowledge and place-based learning in a rural Australian context. These experiences are helping students understand the depth and relevance of Indigenous worldviews in global education. We’re encouraging the use of tools like the University’s Global Classrooms funding to support academics who want to integrate Indigenous content into their subjects and create cross-cultural exchange opportunities within the curriculum.

Alongside the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, we also lead the APRU Indigenous and First Nations Knowledges Network. This growing collaboration brings together 17 universities across the Asia-Pacific and Latin America. It provides a platform for Indigenous scholars, students and communities to share knowledge, develop research partnerships and strengthen Indigenous studies globally.

The strength of these partnerships lies in their shared focus. Whether it’s truth-telling in Australia, language revitalisation in Canada, land rights in Chile or threats to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Aotearoa in Aotearoa, Indigenous communities are asking similar questions International education offers a platform to explore these issues together and elevate them to a global audience.

This work isn’t about symbolic inclusion. It’s about changing the way we understand expertise and recognising that Indigenous people have long been engaged in knowledge creation, environmental stewardship and intercultural exchange both locally and globally.

As universities consider their role in a fast-changing world, partnerships with Indigenous communities must be part of the picture. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it strengthens the sector. It challenges our assumptions, deepens our impact, and prepares students to lead in a more connected and complex global environment.

International education has always been about exchange. The question now is: what kind of exchange do we want to lead? At Melbourne, we’re choosing one grounded in respect, reciprocity, and the recognition that Indigenous knowledge belongs at the centre of global conversations – not the margins.

Barry Judd will be taking part in the following session at The PIE Live Asia Pacific 2025 taking place 29-30 July on the Gold Coast, Australia: Expert community: indigenous knowledges in Asia-Pacific universities.

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