Introduction to Volume: Trauma-informed Higher Education – Fostering Systemic Change Across Disciplines

The purpose of higher education extends beyond the transmission of knowledge; it plays a vital role in fostering student growth, advancing society through research and innovation, and nurturing a culture of critical thinking, diversity, and lifelong learning. As global instability, climate anxiety, systemic inequities, and rising mental health concerns place a growing strain on individuals and communities, higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to respond in more adaptive and holistic ways. This introductory chapter positions trauma-informed practice as a vital, systemic response to the challenges facing higher education today. It explores how adversity impacts the learning and working lives of students and staff across Australian higher education, and how trauma-aware approaches can foster more inclusive, equitable, and compassionate institutions. The chapter provides an overview of the volume, which is structured in three parts: institution-wide perspectives, research-based practice examples, and conceptual models for future development. Contributors highlight diverse applications of trauma-informed approaches across disciplines and roles, from curriculum design and law education to postgraduate research supervision and medical training. This volume recognises that higher education is uniquely positioned to drive systemic change and social justice. In doing so, this volume offers a collective invitation to reimagine higher education institutes as spaces of safety, connection, and transformation, for all who teach, learn, lead, and support within them.