NTI Conversations series

Country as Teacher in the Reimagining of Australian Education

Presented by Dr Aunty Barbara Nicholson, Dr Anthony McKnight and Barbara Lepani

Our special guests for this conversation are Wadi Wadi Elder, Dr. Aunty Barbara Nicholson, Awabakal/Gumaroi/Yuin Cultural Man, Dr. Anthony McKnight, and Blue Mountains author and senior Buddhist practitioner, Barbara Lepani. Each of these speakers, in their own unique way, is deeply familiar with cultural wisdom found in both ancient and modern systems of knowledge. Together they will lead us to explore how the deep ecological consciousness of Indigenous and Buddhist knowledge systems can inform a new story of education—one that is holistic, ethical and responsive to our shared future.

About the Presenters

Dr Aunty Barbara Nicholson is a Wadi Wadi Elder and the 2024 Wollongong Citizen of the Year. She who holds a degree in English Literature (Newcastle), an Honorary Doctor of Laws (UOW), and started the Ngana Barangarai (Black Wallaby) project which collects and publishes creative writing from First Australian inmates in Junee Jail. Aunty Barb received the First Nations Australia Writing Network’s lifetime achievement award in 2023.

Dr Anthony McKnight is an Awabakal, Gumaroi and Yuin Cultural Man who is an Associate Professor and the Curriculum Transformation lead within the Indigenous Strategy Unit at the University of Wollongong. His work centres Country in Aboriginal approaches to curriculum, teaching, learning and research. His publications include a 2023 3rd edition of his book ‘Research for Educators’ (Cengage).

Barbara Lepani is the Co-convenor of the New Economy Network Australia’s Arts & Culture Hub (NACH) and National Coordinator of The Enlivenment Network, which works for a new/ancient way of human community acknowledging Australian First Nations’ Caring for County. She has authored numerous works based on her life of cross-cultural relationship and deep cultivation as a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner.

A Modern Reflection on Life and Death: Deciphering the Natural Mechanisms and Mysteries of ‘Death’, ‘Dying’ and ‘Rebirth’

Presented by Venerable Dr Huei Kai

Download a copy of the slides from this presentation.

What if death isn’t the end but a vital part of life’s natural rhythm? In this Dharma Talk, Venerable Dr. Huei Kai invites us to reimagine life, death, and everything in between. Drawing on modern science, Buddhist philosophy, and his own moving journey, Venerable Huei Kai offers practical insights into how understanding the cycle of life and death can help us live with greater clarity, calm, and purpose. Whether you’re navigating grief, caring for others, or simply curious, this talk offers a refreshing and empowering perspective on a subject too often cloaked in fear and uncertainty.

Venerable Dr. Huei Kai is a Buddhist monk, renowned scholar, and Deputy Abbot of Fo Guang Shan Monastery. With a PhD in Religious Studies from Temple University (USA) and a background in mathematics from National Taiwan University, he has spent decades exploring the crossroads of Eastern wisdom and modern thought. As a columnist, author of The Sustainable Management of Life, and an Emeritus Professor at Nanhua University, his teachings blend Buddhist wisdom and logic with warmth and clarity. Known for making profound topics deeply relatable, he now shares his life’s work with global audiences—offering not just answers, but a new perspective on life and death.

Mindfulness Mechanics: Ancient Wisdom guiding Mental Health Research

Presented by Corey Jackson

Mindfulness and meditation, once considered fringe practices, have now become integral to mainstream culture. This shift is largely driven by a surge in research highlighting their benefits for modern well-being. However, the eagerness to embrace these benefits has far outpaced efforts to understand the underlying mechanisms, often overlooking the traditional theories and teachings that form the foundation of these practices.

This discussion will explore some of the potential mechanisms behind mindfulness and how a deeper understanding of them can enhance the treatment and prevention of mental conditions.

Corey Jackson is in the final stages of a PhD mapping traditional Buddhist theory and meditation onto a modern understanding of anxiety and depression. This research taps into increasing psychological interest in aspects of cognition that Buddhism has long-held to be important for mental health. His work is the culmination of a degree in Psychology and Sanskrit plus more than twenty years of studying and translating Buddhist philosophy from Tibetan to English.

Corey is a lead trainer in the peer-reviewed Cultivating Emotional Balance program, which sits at the intersection of authentic contemplative and psychological approaches to mental health and wellbeing. This forms the basis of his courses and retreats that challenge popularised concepts of self-care. Before any of this, he was a jazz pianist in Toronto, Canada.