2025 Excellence Award Winners

Engagement Australia is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Engagement Australia Excellence Awards.

Supported by our sponsor The University of Sydney. The Engagement Australia Excellence Awards focus on outstanding nation-building initiatives, demonstrating far-reaching impact and innovation, in all sectors and aspects of the Australian economy and community.

At a gala dinner held in Sydney, the work of 35 finalists across 8 award categories were celebrated. The winning submissions were:

Excellence in Community Engagement: Curtin University, Empowering Autistic Talent through Inclusive Education and Employment Pathways

Excellence in Indigenous Engagement: Curtin University, Virtual Reality Healing Tool

Excellence in Industry Engagement: The University of Sydney, Cogniti Project

Excellence in International Engagement: Griffith University, Building Counselling Capacity in Papua New Guinea

Outstanding Engagement for Student Learning: Monash University, Global Immersion Guarantee Program

Outstanding Engagement for Research Impact (Dual Winners): Deakin University, TransformUs: Partnering with the education, health and sport sectors to revolutionise the Australian classroom and University of Newcastle, Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered

Excellence in Student and/or Alumni Engagement: The University of Technology Sydney (Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion), UTS SOUL: Award

Outstanding Leadership in Engagement: Dr Joshua Pate, The University of Technology Sydney

We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the Highly Commended winners

Excellence in Community Engagement: The UNSW Tax & Business Advisory Clinic, UNSW Sydney and The Perfect Match: Connecting Rural Health Consumers with Community Paramedics, La Trobe University

Excellence in Indigenous Engagement: The Cracks in the Ice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Project, The University of Sydney and NISA, Monash University

Excellence in Industry Engagement: Emergency Medical Response, Monash University and Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN), Curtin University

Excellence in International Engagement: Nutrition and Education in International Community Engagement, The University of Melbourne

Outstanding Engagement for Student Learning: Nexus Program, La Trobe University and UN SDG Challenge for 1st Years, UNSW Sydney

Outstanding Engagement for Research Impact: Scientia Professor Gangadhara Prusty & SDI Limited – Developing Next Generation Composites to Replace Mercury Amalgams , UNSW Sydney

Outstanding Leadership in Engagement: Dr Changlong Wang, Monash University