The Northern Territory’s new Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Education (ACIKE) is uniquely poised to become a leading provider of tertiary education programs that address the needs of Indigenous Australia.
From Semester 1 2012, the centre will offer a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate study options in the areas of languages, public policy, creative industries, education, health and Indigenous knowledges.
A joint venture of Charles Darwin University and the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE), the centre will focus on the academic needs of Indigenous Australians and will be unsurpassed in the Australian Higher Education sector.
ACIKE Director, Associate Professor Terry Dunbar, said the partnership with BIITE represented a significant step in CDU’s commitment to becoming a leader among Australian universities in relation to Indigenous participation and relevance.
“Post-secondary education is critical to ensuring that Indigenous people can access available employment opportunities and in the development of Indigenous community leaders,” she said.
“Our aim is to empower and inspire Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through education and to support them in realising their full potential within Australian society.”
ACIKE’s $30 million state-of-the-art facility that is being built on CDU’s Casuarina campus will house research, teaching and computer facilities.
“It will expand the capacities of both CDU and BIITE to deliver positive outcomes to Indigenous communities through higher education in areas relating to Indigenous knowledge and education.”
Ms Dunbar said the shared vision was to “create presence by respecting the past and looking to the future".
Students will have the choice of full-time, part-time or online studies through campuses in Casuarina, Alice Springs or Batchelor.
“The aim is to build Indigenous student capacity while recognising and valuing student learning styles and needs.
“The flexibility in study options allows students to study in ways that best suit their lifestyle and commitments, and reflects the complexities in delivering education in some of the most challenging environments in the country,” she said.
“We have also developed a strong internal academic support program that focuses on a student’s individual and course needs.” For information on studying at ACIKE, visit W: acike.edu.au