In this second part of our blog series on the CASS Collaborative Cultures Project we share recent participatory research undertaken with staff at the Australian National University’s (ANU) College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) investigating the institutional, project and individual enablers and challenges of collaborative practice in a university context. We outline our process and findings to date and share our plans for next steps in action research and culture change to enhance collaborative cultures at the ANU.

There is a clear and present gap in how universities consider and support effective collaborative practice. If we really are going to embrace collaboration as an essential way to help universities achieve their strategic goals, it is essential to consider how we will address this.

Collaboration, cooperation, co-design, co-production, co-creation – the list goes on. The meanings of these terms may seem obvious, but do we always know if others are interpreting them in the same way? Why is it important to come to a shared understanding of the terms we use as we come together and work together over time?

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the first season of Collaboratory, a podcast that will explore what creating things together can look like in practice, and how we can put things in place to help us do it well, and enjoy the process along the way.

On May 4th and 5th 2022 the Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies and the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre hosted a Research Translation Workshop Program as part of the Following the Trade Routes project. The workshop was convened to support one of the guiding questions of the Trade Routes project – How can knowledge of historic and regional trade routes inform cultural practices for a new generation of Indigenous leaders and knowledge custodians in Australia?

The live workshop was by invitation only, but we are now pleased to share videos of selected presentations to a broader public audience