 Hello, I'm Professor Brian Schmidt and today I stand before you as the Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University to directly address racism as an issue that concerns our institution and our whole society. Racism is deeply troubling and it is wrong. We have recently observed how racism happens up close at home here in Australia and terrible acts around the world are also having an impact. Six in ten Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples report experiencing racism in Australia and we know from experience around the world and now here at home that racism has negative consequences for health and well-being. Racism stands in complete opposition to the ANU values and principles of inclusivity, respect and an openness that reflects the diversity of our community and our nation. Today I want to take our understanding of this issue a step further. I want to be clear that racism causes harm and it's bad for everyone. When we allow discrimination and racism to persist it stops our collective growth as a society. As an institution that is dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of our nation through education, research and the pursuit of knowledge we have a responsibility to address the issue of racism by providing our nation with the research and calling for solutions. Well, ANU has done the research and it illuminates a painful truth. The Mayikuayu study led by ANU Professor Ray Levitt has provided further insights into the relationship between racism and health. The Mayikuayu study is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led and governed national study of over 12,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults from over 150 community groups. It was designed to answer the question of how culture relates to health and well-being for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Key findings from the Mayikuayu study show that nearly half of the total burden of high to very high psychological distress reported amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults could be attributable to eight forms of everyday discrimination. These broadly relate to surveillance, persecution, disrespect and aversion. This groundbreaking research proves racism has negative consequences for health. It was launched at ANU and published in The Lancet, the world's highest impact academic journal in November 2022. We can no longer ignore this stark reality. We were founded to carry out research that advances Australia and its place in the world and that means we have to pay attention to what that research tells us. That's why ANU is making the call to end of racism. Today, I want to share with you the steps we're taking to counter racism. Since signing the Australian Human Rights Commission campaign in 2022 entitled Racism, It Stops With Me, we have established an anti-raism task force that has conducted consultations and undertaken research to provide recommendations to the university. The task force has produced its recommendations report and I'm pleased to say it received swift and enthusiastic endorsement from our IDEA governance committee on the 11th of September earlier this year. ANU is working on implementing the immediate and short-term phase one actions in the report including providing information, support and a safe place to report incidents of racism or discrimination on campus. By fostering an environment where conversations about the effects of racism can be made known and by ensuring our students and staff feel encouraged, supported and indeed safe to report those harmful experiences we're helping ensure that our diverse voices are actually heard but more importantly they are acted upon. Now our medium to longer term phase two and three actions starting in 2024 include reviewing our policies and legal provisions to ensure they uphold the ANU principles for quality, inclusivity and anti-discrimination and establish a comprehensive communication strategy that emphasizes prevention, education and support initiatives but we're not stopping there. In line with our ANU by 2025 strategic objectives we are also embedding decolonization perspectives and indigenous knowledge systems into our curricula. ANU is committed to raising awareness and understanding of the ongoing settler colonial history of our nation. It's ongoing impacts and how we can do better. We believe research and education and action is fundamental to putting an end to racism. I call on you, our students, our staff and all who are part of the ANU community to each do your part. I encourage both individuals and organizations to use the Ending Racism Checkup Tools developed by the Mayukawayu team to reflect on what more you could do to be ending racism. And I want to go to one step further and call on the leaders of other Australian organizations to do their part too. Your actions will make a difference. Let's stand together, united against this killer, racism. Let's challenge stereotypes, prejudices and biases wherever we encounter them. Let's strive for a world where our health disparities based on race are unheard of and where all people are treated with respect and dignity at all times. Together, we must make a real and lasting change. Thank you.