SWAN (sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Women's Academic Network)
sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Women's Academic Network (SWAN) aims to assist women at any stage of their academic career to develop their leadership capacity and provide support for those wishing to progress their career.
About SWAN
Established in 2015, the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Women’s Academic Network (SWAN) began as a grassroots initiative to address the underrepresentation of women in academia, particularly at senior levels. It has since grown into an ecosystem of mentoring and support for career advancement of women and gender diverse academics.
The SWAN ecosystem is led by five guiding principles with each program designed to:
- have a foundation of women supporting women
- provide a safe space to share vulnerabilities
- be outcome-oriented and use a holistic lens to consider the various roles women fulfil
- be social, structured and celebratory
- build enduring cross-disciplinary networks.
SWAN programs
SWAN supports women across the university through five distinct and interconnected programs. This initiative contributes to sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½â€™s Gender Equality Strategic Action Plan which encourages, recognises and promotes achievement of gender equality across sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½.
SWAN Promotions Program
The SWAN Promotions Program helps women academics to create an application for promotion in a step-by-step way. The Promotion Program combines one-on-one mentorship and information and workshop sessions. Virtual meet-ups provide an opportunity to touch base, discuss issues, and answer questions related to promotions process at sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ University. The program also provides resources to mentors and mentees, information about promotion applications, workshop and inspiring stories recordings.
For more information, please email SWAN_promotions@swinburne.edu.au.
​SWAN Career Development Program​
The Career Development Program aims to create an accessible range of events and activities to empower a diverse group of women academics including HDR, sessional and all academic levels. The events include informal catch-ups, face-to-face and online workshops and podcast series to build diversity in different career development stories. Timing and length of events alternate to cater for different women academic schedules.
The Career Development Program explores a range of different topics aimed to support career development, based on past feedback and co-design with women academics. Topics include:​
- planning your future​
- striking your balance​
- branding yourself​
- finding your voice​
- bold stories - podcasts​.
For more information, please email SWAN_development@swinburne.edu.au.
SWAN Academic Carer Financial Assistance (AFCA) Program​
SWAN coordinates a financial assistance program to provide career support for research development to academics who experience a career interruption due to parental or carer responsibilities. The aim is to support gender parity among sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ academics by providing financial support to academics whilst on parental or carers leave, or after returning to work following a period of parental or carers leave. ​
Application assessments
Applications are assessed by a selection committee established by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½) based on: ​
- impact of this financial assistance in allowing the applicant to maintain or improve their research development
- expected outcomes to the applicant and the university resulting from the grant
- how the grant would support the needs of the parent or carer transitioning back into the workplace upon their return to work after a career interruption
- impact of this financial assistance in supporting currently enrolled PhD students to address career disruption.​
For more informaton, please email ³§°Â´¡±·³å²¹»å³¾¾±²Ô°ª²õ·É¾±²Ô²ú³Ü°ù²Ô±ð.±ð»å³Ü.²¹³Ü​.
WATTLE Program
The underrepresentation of women in senior levels of leadership in the university sector, both within academic and professional roles, continues to be an unresolved issue. WATTLE brings together women identified as potential leaders across the university sector to provide an intensive leadership and networking program.
The program is designed, and run, by female academic and professional staff in the university sector. The program is based on the highly successful New Zealand Universities Women in Leadership (NZUWIL) Programme. WATTLE is governed by a steering committee consisting of the four founding members and representatives from the participating universities, with an organising committee responsible for each individual program.
For more information, please email ³§°Â´¡±·³å²¹»å³¾¾±²Ô°ª²õ·É¾±²Ô²ú³Ü°ù²Ô±ð.±ð»å³Ü.²¹³Ü​.
SWAN in action
Two of SWAN founders Professor Virginia Kilborn (left) and Professor Helana Scheepers (right).
Current and former SWAN members Professor Christine Thong, Dr Melissa Wheeler, Dr Faith Kwa, Professor Jean Brodie and Associate Professor Tatiana Kameneva (left to right).
A group workshop organised by SWAN.
Current and former SWAN members Professor Christine Thong, Associate Professor Jennifer Beaudry, Professor Flavia Marcello and Dr Carolyn Beasley (left to right).
The SWAN team
Our news
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- University
sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Women’s Academic Network celebrates 10 years
sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Women’s Academic Network (SWAN) is celebrating 10 years of empowering women and gender diverse academics at sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ through mentoring, career development and community support. The 10-year milestone was marked by a celebration and exhibition, highlighting SWAN’s impact and reaffirming its commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion.Â
Wednesday 24 September 2025
Contact the SWAN team
For more information about SWAN, email us on swan_admin@swinburne.edu.au or visit the .