President Renee Leon | Charles Sturt University

In this episode of the Broken Education Podcast, host Joel Di Trapani, Co-Founder of Vygo, sits down with Renee Leon, Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University, for a candid and deeply grounded conversation about equity, regional education, and what it truly means for universities to serve the public good.Renee brings an extraordinary perspective to higher education leadership. A first-in-family university graduate, she has built a distinguished career across senior roles in Commonwealth and state government, including CEO of the Departments of Human Services and Employment. A Menzies Foundation Law Scholar with degrees from ANU and Cambridge, and a recipient of the Public Service Medal, Renee’s journey is a living example of the transformative power of education.From the outset, Renee reframes the role of a regional university as something far bigger than student enrolments or rankings. Under her leadership, Charles Sturt University positions itself as an anchor institution for regional Australia—educating the nurses, teachers, vets, health professionals, and agricultural leaders who sustain regional communities and largely stay to serve them.Joel and Renee explore how CSU’s mission extends beyond individual students to the economic, social, and health outcomes of entire regions. From agriculture and climate resilience to regional health equity, Renee explains how CSU deliberately focuses its research on problems that matter—locally grounded, yet nationally and globally relevant.