An enduring challenge facing science around the world is how to best include and engage Indigenous communities.
In Australia, for example, 0.5% of Indigenous peoples held a university STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) qualification in 2021, compared to 4.9% of the Australian population. Studies have also shown that while researchers are increasingly engaging Indigenous communities, they often do so disrespectfully and with a lack of goodwill.
Addressing this challenge was the focus of a research summit I attended earlier this month.
