Melbourne Poche Centre named AFR Higher Education Awards finalist

The Centre was named a finalist in the Equity & Access category at the 2026 AFR Higher Education Awards.

Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health has been named a finalist in the Equity & Access category at the 2026 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards, held at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney on Tuesday 18 August 2026.

The awards recognise excellence across ten categories, celebrating the contribution the higher education sector makes to Australian prosperity and quality of life.

Professor Shawana Andrews and Associate Professor Odette Mazel represented the Centre at the awards night.

James Cook University's Indigenous Education and Research Centre took out the category award, recognised for lifting subject pass rates through culturally grounded academic support. It's a powerful reminder of the impact this kind of support can have on outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

That reads more naturally as reported news while still acknowledging JCU's win and drawing the same thematic connection.