Strategic Planning process 2025: Fellows Strategic Plan Survey

For over fifty years, the Academy has played a vital role, independent of Government and universities, in demonstrating the necessity and value of humanities scholarship to Australia.

For the last five years, we have been guided by our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, introduced just after our 50^th anniversary and at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. An ambitious plan, this strategy has provided an effective roadmap, honing our focus on important objectives, including:

1. Shape a more diverse Fellowship – through elevating/appointing Diversity Lead position on Council, and recognising diverse models of excellence in our electoral processes, as determined by the disciplines
2. Expanded engagement and outreach – through our new Policy Committee and enhanced communications program
3. Increased visibility on issues of national importance – through our advocacy on key issues, and research impact on policy through reports on China Capability, Indonesia, Asia Literacy and Generative AI (for example).
4. Reconcile and Recognise – through the establishment of our new Indigenous Studies Section, and provision of quality research and analysis in relation to the Voice Referendum, and subsequently.
5. Invest in organisational capability – by modernising our Royal Charter and By-Laws, strengthening the objects of the Academy and enshrining recognition of the First Australians in our Royal Charter.

The humanities face difficult headwinds in the twenty first century.  Achieving our primary purpose of ensuring that the humanities in Australia thrive and contribute to the flourishing of our citizens’ thinking, requires thinking afresh about ways we can enhance the life of the Academy and how we can better advocate for and foster our vital disciplines and interdisciplinary areas – for the benefit of all Australians.

In November last year, Council and the Heads of Section (HoS) convened for a strategic planning workshop. Despite our ongoing concerns related to the “culture wars” and perceived “irrelevance” of the humanities in some quarters, it was an excellent and uplifting discussion. In summary, we agreed the following themes and ideas should be considered in shaping the next strategic plan:

• Fellows’ engagement – create new mechanisms and opportunities through state-based meetings, and through the establishment of multi-disciplinary forums/clusters, that cut across Sections, to address issues of national importance.
• First Nations – prioritise the Academy’s First Nations agenda and empower First Nations scholarship in the humanities. This could involve an Academy truth-telling project.
• Inducting New Fellows – celebrate the election of new Fellows and showcase their work in innovative/diverse ways/forums.
• EMCRs – build on our support for the SHAPE Futures, EMCR Network, through mentoring and financial support to seed research in next-generation humanities leaders.
• New Sections – embrace and convene new disciplines and interdisciplinary areas in the humanities to keep the Academy at the leading edge of developments.
• Stakeholder engagement – partner and build alliances with humanities disciplinary bodies, peak bodies, and other relevant stakeholders to press our case with decision makers.
• International – develop a new International Strategy, seeking to enhance the Academy’s profile and influence internationally. (Fellows will receive a second survey in coming months, to enable us to map your existing collaborations, connections and networks.)

In July, Inga Davis and I will be meeting with Fellows at specially convened Section meetings to reflect the feedback we have heard, and how it is influencing the planning process.

With thanks in advance, for your time.

Stephen Garton