Catherine Manathunga

Professor Catherine Manathunga is a historian and Professor of Education Research at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), where she co-directs the Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre. With over 30 years of experience in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand universities, she specializes in decolonial and transcultural approaches to doctoral education, academic identity, and the history of international student programs, particularly the Colombo Plan. Her work bridges historical, sociological, and cultural studies to reimagine higher education through Indigenous knowledge systems.

• Education: BA (First Class Hons), PhD (History) from The University of Queensland; Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education from Queensland University of Technology.

Her research interrogates neoliberalism in academia, focusing on transcultural supervision pedagogies, epistemic justice, and decolonization of curricula. Collaborative projects span South Africa, China, and South America, emphasizing First Nations and CALD community engagement. She employs postcolonial and poststructural frameworks to address systemic inequities.

Recent publications analyze power dynamics in water governance, multilingual doctoral education, and resisting neoliberalism through collegial practices. Her work also explores time mapping as a method to integrate Indigenous and non-Indigenous temporal philosophies into doctoral pedagogy.

• Scientific Awards: Australian National Carrick Institute Award (2006), AAUT Award (2004), UQ Awards for Enhancing Student Learning (2005, 2004), Promoting Women Fellowship (2004), Irish Studies Scholarship (1992), United Nations Graduate Study Program (1992), Irish Studies Prize (1989).
• Grants: Australian Research Council Discovery Project (2021-2024), DFAT Australia-China Council (2018-2021), Ako Aotearoa (NZ), HERDSA, and industry partnerships.

She supervises doctoral students in transcultural and Indigenous education, including Annette Dupont (2025), Lisa McIlwain (2024), and Kairen Call (2024). Her leadership roles include Chair of the Community of Associate Deans of Research in Education (2021-2024) and advisory contributions to educational reform.