Be a Better Human will help strengthen a respectful and inclusive culture.
UNSW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs recently launched the 2026 Be a Better Human campaign to help strengthen a respectful and inclusive culture.
Hear from the Vice-Chancellor on the inspiration behind the Be a Better Human campaign and its importance for us all.
At UNSW, we bring together students and staff from across the globe. This diversity is our greatest strength. The Be a Better Human campaign, developed by UNSW and Arc, will build on this to create a really strong sense of belonging.
Since 2021, Arc and UNSW have partnered in the campaign. Together we want to encourage everyone to do more when it comes to understanding, preventing and responding to disrespectful behaviours. This is especially important at this time when conflict and human rights abuses are fracturing communities around the world.
Be a Better Human provides practical tools, guidance and support to help students and staff feel more confident in supporting one another and responding to disrespectful behaviours. This is vital because at UNSW, respect and inclusion are not optional values, they are fundamental to who we are and the kind of university we aspire to be.
Being an active bystander
Active bystanders are valuable allies in combating disrespectful behaviour, attitudes and systems and play a pivotal role in helping prevent incidents. But you don’t become an active bystander by just talking or posting about it. It requires self-education and action.
Read about how to be an active bystander and safely intervene in future situations.
Kindness Awards
New in 2026, the Kindness Awards celebrate members of the UNSW community who help create a more respectful, inclusive and connected campus through everyday actions.
This is a great opportunity to recognise the people who support others, who show empathy, speak up, build belonging and positively contribute to the culture of our community.
Find out more about the Kindness Awards and nominate someone you know who has made a significant effort to assist someone or build a stronger culture.
Speak Out
In this thought-provoking video series, we talk to people who courageously share their personal experiences with racism, discrimination, harassment, bullying and gendered violence. They share how they have been impacted and what they’ve learnt from it.
We hope these stories will help the UNSW community to understand how we can better support our classmates, colleagues, friends and fellow community members by being an active bystander and safely providing support to those being impacted.
Past speakers in the series have included writer, speaker, MC, anti-violence campaigner and mental health advocate, Tarang Chawla. He developed Not One More Niki, a grassroots non-profit working to end men’s violence against women named in memory of his younger sister Nikita who was murdered by her partner in 2015.
After you’ve watched the videos, we would love to hear your thoughts on who you'd like to see in future episodes. Just email: EDIComms@unsw.edu.au.
‘Say what …?’
In certain situations, where someone says something disrespectful, it can be difficult to know what to say. Our ‘Say what …?’ page has tips, so you don't freeze in the moment.
Over to you
The Be a Better Human campaign can provide you with the support to meet the challenge as we make a stronger community.
To join the conversation and play your part in building a culture of belonging, visit Be a Better Human.
Diversity and Inclusion training
In addition to the campaign, UNSW offers students and staff training on the varied aspects of diversity and inclusion, which includes LGBTIQA+ Allyship, Cultural Inclusion and Accessibility.
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