Vision led = vision fed

NIRAKN’s role in progressing scholarship in Aboriginal early childhood education, raising the bar in Aboriginal knowledges in higher education and holding ground in Aboriginal research capacity building

Abstract

As the National Indigenous Knowledges and Research Network (NIRAKN) reaches its completion as an entity in 2016, this paper takes up the invitation to its members to write about the key learnings, benefits and challenges experienced as a member of NIRAKN’s Indigenous Sociology, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology node. The author discusses the role of NIRAKN in progressing the scholarship of Aboriginal early childhood education through its collaborative research program, raising the bar regarding Aboriginal knowledges in higher education through its network connections and aspects for holding ground in Aboriginal research capacity building, particularly in the area of qualitative research methodologies. These discussions serve to highlight that, as the NIRAKN model has been led by a strong vision, it has fed change and achieved its visions.