ANU’s Vice-Chancellor’s Courses -
for students who want to change the world.
VC’s Courses stand for critical thinking about urgent problems across disciplinary boundaries. This is why the University matters.
Courses on offer in 2022
Open to all students at all Colleges across ANU. Available for Cross-Institutional Study
Leadership & Influence »
Semester 1 - VCUG2002 / VCPG6003
Critique: PANDEMIC! »
Summer Session 2022 - VCUG3005 / VCPG6005 / LAWS4005
Unravelling Complexity »
Semester 2 - VCUG3001 / VCPG6001 / LAWS4001
What the VC’s Courses aim to do
Across all VC’s Courses, there are common learning outcomes we seek to achieve.
Develop literacy around the nature of complex problems
Complex problems have no natural limits and interconnectedness; there are multiple ways that problems can be defined; there are major irreducible unknowns and unknown unknowns; context matters, including real-world constraints (such as historical structures and processes, economic and political circumstances, cultural context); ‘solutions’ can only be partial and temporary
Construct arguments built on sound critical thinking skills
including understanding the nature of logical fallacies; major cognitive biases and de-biasing strategies; simple statistical and quantitative reasoning
Ascertain the positives and negatives of diversity of thought and being
Diversity in a broad sense, including mental models of stakeholders; social, cultural, and natural interests, values, and personalities; embedded structures of power, legitimacy and knowledge
Cultivate effective collaboration and integration across perceived boundaries
including with researchers and experts, people affected by a given problem, decision-makers, and stakeholders with power and vested interests, and with disenfranchised communities
Devise a personal, values-based repertoire for effecting change
including understanding the complexities of change; the effective use of evidence; strategies for managing and mitigating unknowns; experience of where to intervene in a system
Updated: 07 Feb 2022/ Responsible Officer: VC Courses Convenor/ Page Contact: Webmaster