Australia's First Social Enterprise University
CQUniversity is proud to be Australia’s first and only university certified as a social enterprise. A social enterprise is a business that operates for social, community and environmental benefit.
CQUniversity was founded on these principles, and continues to grow its impact as Australia’s most inclusive, accessible, supportive and socially innovative university.
Social enterprise certification from Social Traders reflects CQUniversity’s determination to put people and planet first, and its commitment to support every student to create social impact in their careers and lives.
We equip these changemakers by embedding social innovation education across our curriculum, so every student graduates with social innovation mindset and skills. We also empower academics, researchers and staff to integrate social innovation practice across their work and community partnerships, supported by our Office of Social Innovation.
We work with First Nations Peoples to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, to prioritise Reconciliation, to Indigenise the curriculum and elevate Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being.
We maintain and grow our operations in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia, to meet demand for local and supportive education and training.
We remove social, geographic and cultural barriers to careers and opportunities, through our life-changing education, training and non-traditional pathways. And we leverage the power of our purchase, supporting Indigenous and social enterprise through our procurement.
Social Traders, which issues Australia’s only social enterprise certification, has commended CQUniversity’s trailblazing commitment to social enterprise. The recognition builds on CQUniversity’s work as Australia’s only Changemaker University, accredited by global social change network Ashoka U since 2016.
