Human and Social Futures
With strong connections to industry, our College delivers education and research grounded in contemporary issues affecting the world today.
To inspire a just, prosperous and sustainable future that embraces collaboration, creativity and life-long learning
About our College
Our College is highly respected for our teaching quality and research, with learning methods that ensure our students have high-level professional skills to graduate confident, skilled and life-ready.
Our Schools
Newcastle Business School
University of Newcastle School of Law and Justice
School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences
School of Education
Research stories
Run like a girl
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The ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ is exposing older Australians to the risk of financial abuse
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Creative ageing – it’s all in your mind
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Teacher transformation scores top marks
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Research Institutes & Centres
Tackling the issues that matter to our regions and our world.
Teaching and Learning
Our students gain a professional edge through real-world, practical experience designed to give them the skills, knowledge and professional networks needed to excel in your chosen field.
International Engagement
Our College has a strong reputation for global collaboration and success through our partnerships, research, and student experience opportunities.
Real world experience – Reid McManus working with BMG artists Dune Rats and Hockey Dad 02:17
Career-ready placements
By collaborating with industry on ground-breaking research and through connecting students with opportunities for real-world experience, our students graduate work and life-ready.
Student entrepreneurs dive into Hong Kong's startup ecosystem
Sixteen University of Newcastle undergraduate students got a crash course in the world of international startups, during a four-week placement at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park Corporation (HKSTP).
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Grassroots communities share storytelling to preserve environmental gems
A beautiful cross-cultural storytelling project facilitated by the University of Newcastle is amplifying the voices of climate-facing communities and deepening understanding of the environmental and cultural significance of wetlands and waterways across the Pacific.
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From kitchen table to Woolworths shelves
From kitchen table to woolworths shelves
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Gift or loan? The legal grey area of the ‘bank of mum and dad’
A growing reliance on familial financial support is presenting unprecedented legal risks for Australian families, leaving both parents and adult children vulnerable to costly disputes and fractured relationships.
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‘Outed’ by the algorithm – how social media is revealing queer identity ahead of self-disclosure
Social media algorithms are increasingly revealing users’ sexual orientation or gender identity before they have consciously come out to themselves or others, according to new research.
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Team sport the MVP for kicking kids’ mental health goals
Findings examining sport participation and mental health in children and adolescents reveal that organised sport, particularly team sport, can be a powerful setting for supporting mental health and social development.
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FINDING HOME Life Outside Institutions
This exhibition tells their stories by drawing from a rich set of archival material to evoke the spaces of care and the varied experiences of individuals who sought help. It shines new light on twentieth-century journeys between hospital and home for people leaving institutions.
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Finding home: life outside institutions
Exhibiting the stories of those who attended and left mental hospitals between 1900 to 1960 to better understand mental health care in the community before new ideas about 'community psychiatry'.
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2026 HDR Student Festival
Higher Degree by Research students are making breakthrough discoveries and solving the world’s most formidable problems. The HDR Student Festival will feature a range of conference-style activities, as well as University-wide events to showcase the excellence and innovation of our HDR cohort.
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Three Minute Thesis Finals
The 3MT competition final is always a highlight of the HDR calendar. We are delighted that this year our finalists will again be presenting their research in front of a live audience. Come along and be dazzled by the creative talents of our HDR students while enjoying refreshments throughout the evening.
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2026 Newcastle Music Festival: Rhapsody
Join us for the opening event of the 2026 Newcastle Music Festival featuring Mitchell Berick and Erin Sweetman.
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2026 Newcastle Music Festival: Weddings and Parties Over Coffee
Miriam returns home for this very special program featuring Bach’s poignant and heartwarming Wedding Cantata together with his Coffee Cantata, a miniature comic opera about a disgruntled father and his coffee-obsessed daughter.
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The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.