Annette Gainsford

Professor Annette Gainsford is the Associate Dean (Indigenous Teaching and Learning) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), within the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement). She provides strategic leadership in advancing Indigenous teaching and learning priorities across the university, with a strong focus on embedding Indigenous cultural competence and graduate attributes into curricula. Her academic expertise spans law, criminal justice, business, and education, with a deep commitment to decolonizing higher education and centering Indigenous knowledges.

• Doctor of Philosophy, Charles Sturt University (2022)
• Bachelor of Business (Honours, First Class), Charles Sturt University (2016)
• Bachelor of Education, Australian Catholic University (2009)
• Diploma of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, Australian Catholic University (2008)

Her research is deeply rooted in Indigenous pedagogy, andragogy, and curriculum development, particularly in legal and business education. She has pioneered models for embedding Indigenous knowledges in higher education, emphasizing collaborative partnerships with Indigenous communities. Her work explores place-based learning, cultural safety, and the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in out-of-home care and the justice system. She champions two-way learning (Yindyamaldhuray yalibilinga mawang) and relational pedagogy as foundational to authentic Indigenous cultural competence.

Her recent publications reflect a strong trajectory in Indigenous curriculum reform, especially in law and business programs. She has led research on embedding Indigenous graduate attributes, using yarning and storytelling in legal education, and critiquing colonial continuities in criminal and migration law. Her work consistently bridges theory, policy, and practice, influencing institutional change.

• UTS Teaching and Learning Award (2024)
• Charles Sturt University Vice Chancellor Excellence Award (2020)
• Indigenous HDR Maria Locke Grant (2019)
• CSU Centre for Law and Justice Leadership Excellence Award (2018)
• CSU NAIDOC Award for Excellence in Indigenous education and curriculum design (2018)

Professor Gainsford has held significant leadership roles, including membership on the Courses Accreditation Committee and founding the Indigenous Higher Education Curriculum Conference. She chairs the International Indigenous Curriculum Community of Practice, fostering global collaboration. While no specific lab or research team is named, her collaborative research network includes scholars across law, education, and social justice. She has secured research funding for her doctoral work and ongoing projects on Indigenous curriculum design and child welfare pathways.