This program is not your average executive leadership program, participants will be encouraged to question held assumptions, reflect deeply on their own cultures, and confront challenging truths
In partnership with Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council the University of Sydney’s National Centre for Cultural Competence has developed the Cultural Immersion Executive Leadership Program. Taking place on Worimi lands, at the Murrook Cultural Centre, this program is aimed at leaders who are committed to transformative change and motivated to engage in immersive learning, truth-telling and innovative discourse around culturally responsive leadership.
Through self-reflective learning methods and cultural immersion activities delivered by Gudida, participants will build their capability, capacity, and resilience for culturally responsive leadership. Deepening their understanding of the connections between leadership, cultural competence and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts.
Over the past seven years, this program has been available exclusively to senior leaders at the University of Sydney, with select external cohorts in 2024 and 2025. In 2026, the program has been adapted and is now open to external participants. More than 700 University of Sydney leaders and select external participants have taken part in the program, participating in carefully curated immersive experiences and cultural competence workshops that are continuously renewed and refreshed for incoming participants.
Tuesday 11 August 2026 - Friday 14 August 2026
Murrook Cultural Centre, Nelson Bay Rd, Williamtown NSW 2318
Sunday 19 July 2026
$8,690 (inc GST)
Discounts are available for University of Sydney alumni and those working in not for profit organisations.
Email nccc@sydney.edu.au
Through this program, we facilitate authentic growth to support and transform your ability to lead in culturally responsive ways.
Over the course of four days, participants will engage in a program focused on self-reflection, learning, and cultural immersion. Participants will be welcomed onto Worimi Country, at the Murrook Cutural Centre and have the opportunity to listen to Aboriginal Community Elders and participate in immersive cultural activities led by the Gudida Team, all designed to enhance cultural capability. Emphasis is placed on cultural understanding, connection to land, truth-telling, and experiential engagement with practices that support the development of culturally responsive leadership.
Academics from the University of Sydney will also facilitate interactive workshops designed to enhance cultural competence through critical self-reflection. Peer-to-peer discussions incorporated throughout the program will foster a sense of community and expand your network of cultural competence advocates. Participants will engage in activities to examine their own cultural backgrounds, critically assess perspectives on identity and leadership, and advance their personal development. These experiences are structured to equip you with a comprehensive strategy for promoting cultural competence within your professional environment.
Throughout this program, participants will develop the skills and knowledge necessary for authentic culturally responsive leadership. The program is designed to equip individuals to critically evaluate established organisational systems and drive meaningful change. Emphasis will be placed on integrating new insights within participants own organisational contexts and empowering their own teams to make respectful and ethical decisions within intercultural contexts.
This program is designed for those who:
$8,400 (excluding GST)*
Included in the cost:
*Discounts available for those working for not-for-profit organisations and University of Sydney Alumni. Please contact nccc@sydney.edu.au for more information on discounts available.
If you have any accessibility concerns about what is involved in the program, please reach out to nccc@sydney.edu.au
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Please select the ‘apply’ button at the top of this webpage, where you'll be able to apply through the Sydney Short Courses page.
You'll be asked to provide details on:
Spaces are limited, so we encourage early applications. We will review submissions and makes offers to suitable candidates on a rolling basis.
The partnership between Worimi and the University of Sydney is a strength of this program and has developed over many years, with both organisations working together to thoughtfully design activities that create meaningful impact and transformation for participants.
Over the past seven years, the University of Sydney’s National Centre for Cultural Competence has partnered with the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Gudida team to deliver this program exclusively to senior leaders at the University of Sydney, with select external cohorts participating in 2024 and 2025. These cohorts have engaged in carefully curated experiences on Worimi Country that centre truth-telling, reflection and culturally responsive leadership practice.
Gudida, which translates to family, speaks to the values that underpin this work. The Gudida team hold a vital role as stewards of the Sovereign Tree, ensuring that cultural knowledge and 'Gudida' education shared remain protected and firmly rooted in the authority of the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council. Through Gudida, participants are invited to experience Worimi Country, reinforcing that this education is not just a commodity, but a way of living and learning that bridges the gap between knowing and true knowledge.
