NECTAR aims to assist ANU in “providing … an inclusive and welcoming environment” for our diverse population by welcoming our staff and PhD candidates as well as their family members.

NECTAR has taken the following initiatives for family members of our ECAs:

PARSA Playdates

The ANU Postgraduate & Research Students’ Association (PARSA) organises monthly Playdates which are now open to ECAs and their family members. Check out what is on at the PARSA Facebook events site.

Family Friendly Committee

We are collaborating with the ANU Family Friendly Committee on future developments for 2021. Watch this space for updates.

NECTAR Partner Activities - 2019

Between June and November 2019, NECTAR staff Melde Van Ingelgom organised four NECTAR Partner Activities. Through these activities, NECTAR aimed to create a space for partners/spouses of ANU staff and PhD candidates to connect with each other and form community. The participants were a very diverse international group, with native speakers of Afrikaans, Catalan, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Mongolian, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish and more.

Together, we strolled through the Australian National Botanic Gardens, learnt about Australian Indigenous heritage on the ANU Campus through a guided tour with a Ngunawal Elder, admired tulips at Floriade, and enjoyed yummy international food at a potluck picnic in the park. Along the way, we exchanged tips, stories and phone numbers.

Some feedback from participants:

“Moving to a new country has been exciting, but also challenging. It was wonderful to connect with other people navigating the same challenges.”

“Thank you very much for organizing the NECTAR Partner Activities for us! It really helped to get new friends and get more involved in the society.”

The NECTAR Partner Activities were a collaboration with the ANU Family-Friendly Committee. NECTAR has gained inspiration from 'Get in Touch', led by Carola Eijsenring of Indigo-Wereld, an award-winning social support program for spouses of international knowledge workers in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Thank you Carola!