VOLUME 10 - Now Available

Transform Journal

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Identify and celebrate the most exciting and impactful engagement activities undertaken by Australian and New Zealand Universities

23/24 JULY 2026 2026 CONFERENCE Make sure to save the date for our 2026 International Conference on Universities Engaging All of Us: Committing to Trust, Purpose and Impact. Wrap Up

Community Engagement Classification

Carnegie

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification allows universities to demonstrate their commitment to the communities they serve and to share good practices in the sector.

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Supporting Professional Learning & Peer Exchange

Engagement Australia

Engagement Australia is the peak alliance of Australian and New Zealand universities focused on developing the engagement agenda in higher education.

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About Engagement Australia

Engagement Australia is an alliance that supports and services its members and their various communities. Our membership includes Australian universities as well as private colleges, academic and professional Associate Members.

Community engagement allows universities the opportunity to play an important role of social responsibility in the local and broader vicinity they operate within.

Our main objective is to lead and facilitate the development of best practice university-community engagement in Australia. This is done through creating inclusive forums for discussion and development of engagement, promoting practice, fostering awareness, building capacity and developing resources. Through the work of our Board, committees and working groups, EA provides an array of professional development activities as well as networking opportunities to develop engagement knowledge, skills and capacity and build interactive networks, partnerships and other relationships within and between universities, business, industry, government and community-based organisations.

Engagement Australia – Committed to fostering engagement between higher education and communities.

Championing unique role universities have in society addressing contemporary challenges through teaching, research and partnerships.

Latest News

2026 Engagement Australia Excellence Awards Winners Announced

Engagement Australia is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Engagement Australia Excellence Awards.

November 11, 2026

Transform: The Journal of Engaged Scholarship Volume 10, Issue 1 Available Now

Engagement Australia is pleased to announce the release of Volume 10, Issue 1 of Transform: The Journal of Engaged Scholarship. Universities and Engagement in our Hybrid World

November 5, 2026

Finalists in the Engagement Australia 2026 Excellence Awards Announced

Some 35 of Australia and New Zealand’s most exceptional university community-building and economic-advancement initiatives have been shortlisted in the Engagement Australia 2026 Excellence Awards.

September 17, 2026

Engagement Australia Conference 2026 Wrap-Up

The 2026 Engagement Australia Conference brought together 250 university leaders, practitioners, academics, community organisations and partners from across Australia to explore how universities can build trust, demonstrate impact and deepen engagement in an increasingly complex environment.

July 31, 2026

Global Solidarity, Learning, and Action to Renew Higher Education’s Democratic and Civic Mission, is now publicly available

As part of our membership of the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy we would like to share with you an important webinar on Global Solidarity, Learning, and Action to Renew Higher Education’s Democratic and Civic Mission.

May 28, 2026

Engagement Australia Excellence Awards 2026 – APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

In 2026, Engagement Australia continues to recognize excellence in engagement through the Engagement Australia Excellence Awards. These awards identify and celebrate the most exciting and impactful engagement activities undertaken by Australian and New Zealand Universities

May 25, 2026

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Our Programs

View our range of online resources, live events and seminars and industry updates here. Some of these items are available only to member institutions. If you need a login, please register here. If you would like to become a member visit our member page.

TRANSFORM JOURNAL

EVENTS & SEMINARS

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

RESOURCES

CARNEGIE

Leading the Engagement Agenda

Engagement Australia champions the unique role universities have with society to address contemporary global challenges and trends through teaching, learning, research and partnerships. We do this by:

Providing and inspiring leadership;
Developing capacity and future leaders;
Enabling peer-learning;
Providing practical tools and tips; and
Providing a platform for collaboration and knowledge creation.

Engagement Australia supports the wider contextual standard definition of community engagement, previously developed by the US-based Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which has succeeded in codifying the core characteristics and principles of community engagement. It defines Community engagement as a method of teaching, learning and research that describes interactions between universities and their communities (business, industry, govt, NGOs, and other groups) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.

INNOVATIVE

SUPPORTIVE

STRATEGIC

COLLABORATIVE

“The hallmark of engagement is the development of partnerships that ensure a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge between the University and the community.” Holland and Ramalay (2008:33).