Partnership to improve outcomes for First Nations people

The Australian National University (ANU) is teaming up with Charles Darwin University (CDU) to work toward better outcomes for First Nations people in the Northern Territory.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt was joined by CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman in Canberra to formalise the partnership, with a focus on building the leadership capacity of First Nations peoples of the Northern Territory.

“We are excited to partner with CDU to deliver outcomes that will make a real and positive difference to the Northern Territory and its people,” Professor Schmidt said.

“ANU is a university that serves the nation and all Australians.

“We were founded to deliver the knowledge and expertise Australian needs, as well as to meet the challenges and opportunities we face as a nation.”

The MOU, which will run for five years, will also seek to support social and economic outcomes for the Northern Territory and will support study outcomes for students studying at both universities. 

The partnership will develop opportunities for students from both universities to enter postgraduate programs at the other institution, support student exchange initiatives, expand capacity for joint research projects and aid in the sharing of knowledge to support the development of shared knowledge and course curriculum. 

The MOU will also identify opportunities for staff secondments, joint supervision, joint research publications, and joint development of learning resources.

Professor Bowman said the partnership would strengthen the capability of both institutions to deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve and support student and staff development.

“ANU and CDU have complementary values around improving outcomes for First Nations Territorians, so we’re delighted to announce this joining of our two universities together,” Professor Bowman said. 

“Both institutions have a passion for improving education outcomes for students, and we know that student exchange initiatives will be of particular interest to our Territory students who want to experience life in our nation’s capital.”