It has been another challenging year for the higher education and research sector with COVID-19 continuing to affect our personal and professional lives.

Despite the stress and uncertainty, it has nonetheless been a rewarding year with many great milestones achieved. SAGE subscribers have persevered with actions to address and reduce inequities in their organisations, and together we have made great progress in advancing our shared mission to embed genuine and sustainable gender equity, diversity, and inclusion across Australia’s tertiary education and research sector.

I want to thank our subscriber institutions for their continued commitment to, and championing of the SAGE accreditation program. I also want to extend my gratitude to our dedicated Working and Special Interest Group members and program contributors for sharing their valuable time and expertise throughout the year.

As 2021 draws to a close, I am excited about the opportunities for growth and improvement that the new year presents. Several subscribers are preparing to submit their first Cygnet Award applications. This is an important milestone for Australia’s pathway to Athena Swan Silver Awards and we look forward to receiving the first of these applications in the new year.

In early 2022, we will be launching a new SAGE website with improved access to SAGE learning resources. Throughout 2022 SAGE will also be hosting a range of events and forums to provide subscribers with more opportunities to collaborate and share their learnings. The first of these events will be the Heads of Institutions Forum in February. Further information is provided below.

Earlier this month we welcomed Kate Hulm to the SAGE team in the role of Manager, Communications and Public Relations. Kate joins SAGE from the National Gallery of Australia where she was responsible for the delivery of priority projects involving extensive stakeholder engagement. She has previously held roles at The Australian National University where she spent several years leading marketing communication projects and teams. Kate will be working closely with SAGE subscribers and stakeholders in 2022.

This will be my final update for 2021. Our staff will be taking a well-earned break from Friday 24 December 2021 to Monday 3 January 2022. On behalf of the entire SAGE team and the SAGE Board, I wish you a happy and safe holiday season. We look forward to working with you in 2022 as we continue to progress the implementation of the SAGE Strategic Plan.

Dr. Wafa El-Adhami 
Chief Executive Officer, SAGE Ltd