Benefitting Society category

The University of Tasmania’s Island of Ideas is a flagship public engagement initiative that translates research into accessible knowledge and fosters informed community dialogue. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals, the program delivers free, hybrid public events that connect researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and community voices to explore complex societal challenges.

Created in 2020, the program responds to barriers such as geographic isolation, regional access constraints and limited access to expert information. Through in-person events, livestreams, recordings and podcasts, Island of Ideas has reached nearly 90,000 live and virtual participants, with 89% of attendees sharing insights within their networks.

By strengthening community capability, supporting evidence-informed discussion and enabling civic participation, Island of Ideas demonstrates how universities can act as trusted civic convenors. The program provides a scalable model for delivering measurable societal benefit through public knowledge sharing, policy dialogue, community decision-making and ongoing partnerships.

The University of Tasmania – Building Social Cohesion in a Multicultural Country

Impact and Benefits

  • Reached nearly 90,000 participants through free public talks, livestreams, recordings and podcasts since 2020.
  • Improved community knowledge, with more than 90% of participants consistently reporting increased understanding of the topics discussed.
  • Extended impact through community networks, with 89% of participants sharing insights from the talks with others.
  • Shifted perspectives and encouraged dialogue, with 67% of participants reporting changed perceptions and growing interest in panel-style discussions.
  • Reduced access barriers, using hybrid delivery to overcome geographic, financial and regional constraints while lowering travel-related impacts.

 

Leadership and engagement

  • Positioned the University as a trusted civic convenor, bringing together academic expertise, policy perspectives, industry insight and lived experience.
  • Created a sustained, hybrid public engagement platform.
  • Co-designed programming with community relevance, involving UTAS faculties, research institutes, government agencies and external partners.
  • Built strong ongoing audience engagement, with 72% of 2025 attendees engaging with at least two talks and 20% attending five or more.
  • Embedded place-based and culturally respectful engagement, including local framing of global issues and the use of palawa kani language in opening elements.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Democratised access to expert knowledge, making research and evidence-based discussion available to diverse communities free of charge.
  • Strengthened civic participation, giving communities structured opportunities to explore complex issues such as climate, health, social justice and emerging technologies.
  • Connected local and global challenges, positioning Tasmania as “an island in conversation with the world” and enabling regional communities to contribute to broader sustainability discussions.
  • Created a replicable model for university-community engagement, showing how universities can use hybrid events, partnerships and public dialogue to deliver lasting social benefit.
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Top 3 learnings

  • Hybrid delivery dramatically expands access and engagement beyond regional constraints.
  • Dialogue-based formats drive deeper understanding and sustained audience participation.
  • Co-designed programming with community voices increases relevance and impact.

Supported by

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Category finalists

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Benefitting Society category

The University of Tasmania’s Island of Ideas is a flagship public engagement initiative that translates research into accessible knowledge and fosters informed community dialogue. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals, the program delivers free, hybrid public events that connect researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and community voices to explore complex societal challenges.

Created in 2020, the program responds to barriers such as geographic isolation, regional access constraints and limited access to expert information. Through in-person events, livestreams, recordings and podcasts, Island of Ideas has reached nearly 90,000 live and virtual participants, with 89% of attendees sharing insights within their networks.

By strengthening community capability, supporting evidence-informed discussion and enabling civic participation, Island of Ideas demonstrates how universities can act as trusted civic convenors. The program provides a scalable model for delivering measurable societal benefit through public knowledge sharing, policy dialogue, community decision-making and ongoing partnerships.

Top 3 learnings

  • Hybrid delivery dramatically expands access and engagement beyond regional constraints.
  • Dialogue-based formats drive deeper understanding and sustained audience participation.
  • Co-designed programming with community voices increases relevance and impact.

Impact and Benefits

  • Reached nearly 90,000 participants through free public talks, livestreams, recordings and podcasts since 2020.
  • Improved community knowledge, with more than 90% of participants consistently reporting increased understanding of the topics discussed.
  • Extended impact through community networks, with 89% of participants sharing insights from the talks with others.
  • Shifted perspectives and encouraged dialogue, with 67% of participants reporting changed perceptions and growing interest in panel-style discussions.
  • Reduced access barriers, using hybrid delivery to overcome geographic, financial and regional constraints while lowering travel-related impacts.

 

Leadership and engagement

  • Positioned the University as a trusted civic convenor, bringing together academic expertise, policy perspectives, industry insight and lived experience.
  • Created a sustained, hybrid public engagement platform.
  • Co-designed programming with community relevance, involving UTAS faculties, research institutes, government agencies and external partners.
  • Built strong ongoing audience engagement, with 72% of 2025 attendees engaging with at least two talks and 20% attending five or more.
  • Embedded place-based and culturally respectful engagement, including local framing of global issues and the use of palawa kani language in opening elements.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Democratised access to expert knowledge, making research and evidence-based discussion available to diverse communities free of charge.
  • Strengthened civic participation, giving communities structured opportunities to explore complex issues such as climate, health, social justice and emerging technologies.
  • Connected local and global challenges, positioning Tasmania as “an island in conversation with the world” and enabling regional communities to contribute to broader sustainability discussions.
  • Created a replicable model for university-community engagement, showing how universities can use hybrid events, partnerships and public dialogue to deliver lasting social benefit.

Supported by

logo

Category finalists