2026 Black Knowing Seminar: Showcasing Indigenous Scholarship in Education

Presenters

• More details about Nicole Simone

  Nicole Simone

  Nicole Simone identifies as a descendant of the Bundjalung people of Northern Rivers, NSW. She has a career spanning 30 years in Indigenous education including teaching in the Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education contexts. Nicole has held positions as Director and Nominated Supervisor at Aboriginal Early Learning and mainstream services as well as Senior Program Officer and Manager for Indigenous Education in the North Coast Region of QLD Department of Education. In her Master of Philosophy study at QUT, Nicole explored teachers’ perspectives of embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures in Mathematics (Foundation to Year 10). She also worked for the national peak body for Indigenous Early Years, SNAICC National Voice for our Children which inspired her PhD study. Nicole’s PhD research explored how mainstream, standalone Early Childhood services can become more culturally responsive through integrated family centred care. During her PhD studies, Nicole delivered QUT002 – Walking on Country for Carumba Institute. Nicole is now a fulltime academic with the QUT School of Education teaching EUN114 – Culture Studies, EUN689 – Designing for Indigenous Australian Education, EUN649 – Policy in Indigenous Education and EUN650 – Leading Indigenous Australian Education. Nicole will be sharing her PhD study, how she walked alongside an Aboriginal Child and Family Centre to codesign research, utilised a traditional oral metaphor for describing Country and developed a Framework of Codesign Guidelines to amplify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in holistic, integrated education and care.

• More details about Dr Bridget Hughes

  Dr Bridget Hughes

  Dr Bridget Hughes is a Butchulla woman and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Queensland University of Technology. Her research focuses on Indigenous education, educational leadership, community engagement, and the collective impact of programs, services and partnerships on outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Drawing on Indigenous research methodologies, Bridget examines how schools, families, communities and service systems work together to strengthen culture, connection, wellbeing and educational outcomes. Her work spans education, health and community contexts and has informed policy, practice and service delivery across regional and remote Queensland. Bridget holds a PhD from Queensland University of Technology and a Master of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and School Improvement from the University of Cambridge.