The Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) program supports the leadership journeys of 20 social change makers, who share their learnings with Indigenous communities and broader society across the Pacific this year.
The 2026 cohort includes 10 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Fellows, 5 Māori Fellows, and 5 Fellows from the Pacific Islands.
The 2026 AFSE Fellows are working on a varied range of social issues, including public policy and governance, anti-nuclear testing, criminal justice, climate, healthcare, treaty, arts and culture, economic empowerment, journalism and education.
The program profoundly reflects many aspects of the University of Melbourne’s Advancing Melbourne Globally strategy and Murrmuk Djerring’ Indigenous strategy Damien Miller (Gangulu), AFSE Executive Director and Senior Fellow (2018 Cohort) said.
“It’s an honour to support the social change initiatives of 20 emerging and established Indigenous leaders,” Miller said.
“During challenging times when social equity and Indigenous rights are increasingly under threat, we often witness the emergence of innovative and powerful ideas – concepts that are needed to create lasting positive change in our communities. And these are the people and ideas we back”.
The AFSE Experience unfolds in two seamlessly connected chapters, the Fellows begin at their Foundation Year completing a fee-free University of Melbourne Master of Social Change Leadership. They will develop leadership capabilities by immersing themselves in Indigenous knowledges, apply theoretical frameworks directly to their own social change initiative, and experience a blend of cohort-based collaboration, On-country learning and experiential leadership development, all through a Module-Based learning framework.
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Indigenous), Tiriki Onus said the University of Melbourne is proud to support the 2026 Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity.
“This program reflects our commitment to strengthening Indigenous leadership, elevating Indigenous knowledge, and deepening our relationships across the Pacific,” Onus said.
“AFSE nurtures Indigenous Australian, Māori and Pacific Peoples’ knowledges and leadership traditions, and we are excited to stand with this cohort as they drive meaningful change for our communities.”
After completing their master’s degree, the 2026 cohort will receive AFSE’s support to implement their social change initiatives developed during their studies. This support includes access to up to AUD$30,000 in funding and ongoing professional development.
The cohort will also join a lifelong global community of Atlantic Fellows – a network of over 1,050+ changemakers from 70+ countries across 7 Atlantic Fellow programs, united by a shared commitment to creating fairer, more inclusive societies.
For more information visit https://www.socialequity.atlanticfellows.org
