Regenerator

Regenerator #5 – 17th October 2025

Culturally Regenerative Universities (CRU) met to explore Delama Dja on the Waurn Ponds campus to practice relating with place and immersing in respectful, relational ways of learning together. In the Wadawurrung language, Delama Dja means to ’embrace Country’. This self-guided walk is a chance to do just that–to embrace Indigenous stories, history and ways of knowing; to embrace Country and our responsibility to care for it; to embrace the power of nature; and to connect with the land, waterways and skies of our campus. (Deakin Delama Walk)

A Reflection from Bron

 We really did Delama Dja (‘embrace Country’) and express Nyatne (gratitude) for the Place, the project (which we agree is more of a process than an inquiry), and the Centre….Bunjil’s Lore (see photo of the sign) struck a chord. I’ve been thinking about it a lot since! It was great to be part of this Regenerator in the same week that the Treaty bill passed the lower house in Victorian parliament.

A reflection from Jacqui started in the morning in a classroom, led by Bron, where she recapped the CRU project for those on Zoom. In the physical room (and those who went to lunch) were Llew, Bron, Amanda, John C2 and I. On Zoom were others: Will, Cher, Michelle, Jo, Genee. We went outside and began the walk, ably led by Llewelyn. We stopped at the yarning circle for some somatic practices and a yarn with some of the crew with us via Zoom. We used all of our senses to really experience and appreciate the gorgeous space at our Waurn Ponds campus. We even had sunshine, which was a bonus. At the conclusion of the walk, we admired the amazing tree planting efforts that Llewelyn and crew had been engaged in and enjoyed lunch at Waurn Ponds Estate. Lunch included all sorts of wonderful conversations, and the food was amazing.

Reflection from Jo

 I was only able to join this Regenerator event via Zoom, but still felt like I was very present with my colleagues, able to join in the yarning and embrace Country. While they walked, Delama Dja, I remained connected via mobile and walked along the beach path on Bunurong/Boon Wurrung Country near my home. It was possible to be connected to colleagues and the Country in an embodied way, even though far away on the other side of Naarm. Where there is will, we can find flexible ways of relating with place and immersing in respectful, relational ways of learning together.

Regenerator #4 – 6th August 2025.

In this session, we focused on developing the participants’ capabilities to build and maintain trust with diverse partners to secure research funding.

Watch the recording here: CRF – Regenerator – Andy Brader – Cat 2-4 Funding

Regenerator #3 with The Marketing team – 29th July 2025.

The Faculty Marketing Team (FMT) introduced us to the practical use of LinkedIn as a professional tool. We looked at how individual researchers can quickly boost their profile, share and promote their research activity, and make use of the platform to grow and engage with relevant networks. The session also outlined how CRF might approach using LinkedIn as a group: what to post, how often, and when it may or may not be worth investing in promotion. Finally, we gave an overview of how the Faculty Research Marketing team uses LinkedIn to support research visibility, including how we use paid advertising, what kinds of content we prioritise, how we target specific audiences, and the best ways CRF can work with FRM to amplify key research.

Some of the key points presented were:

• Tips for maintaining an effective researcher profile.
• Sharing research and building networks.
• Group-level use: posting, tagging, and when to promote.
• How Faculty Research Marketing uses LinkedIn (organic and paid).
• What kinds of content we share and why, and how we can work together.

Watch the recording here: CRF – Regenerator – Research community building via Linked In

Regenerator #2 – 2nd of June, 2025

On this Regenerator, CRF members, HDR Colleagues, and Allied members joined to discuss, explore, and share thoughts and
practices. The perspectives valued in this Regenerator are those of the supervisor AND the student/candidate – exploring practices together. We started the session with some updates about how Deakin University is ‘reimagining’ our HDR program. Then we continued with a series of key questions that enable us to discuss (in breakout rooms) key practices of the PhD journey. These include exploring the following:

-Finding students/supervisors and developing the relationships.

-Meeting strategy – being prepared, managing agendas, taking minutes, writing, and project planning.

-Colloquium development (the proposal) – how to ensure success.

-Publications – co-authoring or not.

-Getting the thesis out – strategies for success.

-Examination strategy – who to invite as examiners and how to be ready/confident.

Regenerator #1 with Dr Louise Gwenneth Phillips – 8th of May, 2025.

To design action plans for amplifying the Centre’s planetary reach and influence, Louis led a re/generative process of artful questioning and imagining. Participants brought to the session challenges they have as researchers in manifesting the Centre’s planetary reach and influence. We explored varying perspectives on these challenges to unearth the root of obstructions. Then, from a place of greater clarity, we located actions and resourcing that participants were individually and collectively motivated to embrace and enact with co-designed accountability methods.

Regenerator #4 – 17th October 2024 – Online

In this session, we discussed designing great externally funded research projects. This often starts with ensuring we have the right research partners and healthy relationships, which might come down to how we represent ourselves. Amy Antonio (Senior Manager – Business Development) shared some ideas with us. Then Andrea Witcomb presented a workshop about how to design the ARC ROPES – research opportunity and performance evidence. The outcome of this Regenerator was CRF members who are research-ready and savvy!

Watch the recording here: CRF Regenerator – 17th October 2024

Regenerator #3 – 23rd July 2024 – Online

This Regenerator focused on communicating our research as impact. Peta White shared research experience and informed strategies to enable us to design, develop, and manage our online presence. There are now many repositories, tools, and opportunities to profile yourself as an academic, and this is an important part of our new profile system that draws data directly from Elements. We asked how we can maximise our online presence and the ‘optics’ of our contributions while having time for everything else? In this Regenerator, we explored the 2 of 5 use of online tools and shared experiences about how to best use them.

Regenerator #2 – 30th May 2024 – Online

In this session, we stepped back to reflect on how the CRF has been able to increase our researcher capacity. Our reflective questions asked What is the CRF doing RIGHT for you? What could the CRF do to develop your researcher capacity further? We then went on to discuss how we ‘win’ at research at Deakin University and explored success strategies for: publications, HDR completions, and Research income. We described the strategies we have applied in our Regenerator – Strategiser meetings, where we use insight to plan a strategy to be ready for that grant the next time it comes up (in one or a few years). The steps to success here include building a ‘track record’ with key collaborators; developing research projects that matter and contribute meaningfully to our society (and are therefore fundable); designing projects that attract high-quality HDR applicants; and planning
impactful publications.

Regenerator #3 – 28th July 2023 – Online

This is the CRF strategy to support us in sharing research profiles and outputs. We heard from Bronwyn Sutton (a Centre-aligned HDR Colleague), who we contracted to design the CRF communications plan share this plan with us. We also heard from Erin Thornback, the Deakin Social Media Coordinator. Then we met with Rebecca DiNuzzo, Deakin Media Coordinator.

Al asked a really important question about how we, as Deakin academics, are supported when we share via social media… Erin has sourced updated information for us, including Deakin’s Social Media Response Guide and other advice for posting and dealing with responses to social media. We are sharing these resources on our Teams site under Communicator Social Media. Then we had a rich discussion about communications and the CRF strategy.

Regenerator #2 – 9th June 2023 – Online

In these post-COVID times, many of us are facing a significant acceleration in the work volume and expectations. This coincides with the renegotiation of our EBA and potential industrial action, and transitioning out of the first trimester and into the second. Many of us feel depleted and demoralised. How do these working conditions mirror the logics of coloniality and extractive capitalism that are destroying the planet? How are contemporary university working conditions differentially experienced amongst staff? Who are the current working conditions benefiting, and who is left exhausted? How are we potentially complicit in accelerating the pace of university work through our everyday working habits, and how could we disrupt and rework these habits?

This session provided time for discussing the pressures, considering the strategies, and making plans for ensuring our care for each other in reciprocal relationships is maximised. We considered together: What
would a regenerative university look, sound and feel like? How could the Centre for Regenerative Futures contribute to nurturing such a university? And is such a university even possible, considering the colonialist capitalist foundations of the university?

Regenerator #1 – 14th April 2023 – Online

We held our first exciting three-part Regenerator session to help regenerate research capacity for Centre members via Zoom. Prof Vaughan Prain presented on writing strategies and practices, including how to get started, how to write for your target audience, and how to clarify what’s new in your work. Glenn Auld led a session on exploring our centre’s collaborative writing projects. We had 21 Centre members in attendance for the first 2 parts, and more than half stayed on for the ‘Shut up n write’ session that followed. There were some general discussions as we work in the community.