In July, the Life Course Centre played host to a powerful gathering of experts and voices committed to addressing deep and persistent disadvantage over the life course and across generations.
The International Life Course Conference 2025: A roadmap for the future brought together more than 200 delegates from across Australia and around the world to explore innovative research and advance knowledge.
The two-day event showcased the Centre’s unique ability to convene diverse perspectives including leading academics, policymakers, community leaders, First Nations representatives, and those with lived experience.
Together, they tackled some of the most pressing issues facing Australian families and communities.
Keynote speakers Professor Patrick McGorry AO and Professor Thomas Calma AO set the tone for the conference with powerful presentations on youth mental health and First Nations health equity.
Recognising the complexity of social and economic disadvantage in Australia, 15 sessions were held across the two days to explore key themes such as housing precarity, mental health and wellbeing, place and equity, gender equality, and education inequalities.
Each session was designed to be wide-ranging, with a mix of insights from academics, international experts, industry and community leaders, early- and mid-career researchers and those with lived experience.
The program was intentionally future-focused, exploring innovative and emerging research, social policy, and asking big questions in each session.
The conference concluded with a thought-provoking plenary panel on navigating social, economic, and political turbulence in a globalised world with panellists from a range of sectors offering bold ideas and practical strategies for resilience and reform.
Importantly, the event marked the launch of the Life Course Centre’s Roadmap project – a strategic initiative that will be shaped by the insights and priorities gathered during the conference and other activities over the next 18 months.
This roadmap will drive real-world impact across government and community sectors by setting out how a life course approach can guide research, policy, and programs addressing social disadvantage for years to come.
Finally, the International Life Course Conference sparked meaningful conversations, forged new connections and research collaborations, and laid the groundwork for a more equitable future for all Australians.
