CQUni part of key meeting for Indigenous Higher Education peak body
Published on 01 November, 2012
CQUniversity was represented at the recent Inaugural Annual General Meeting of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium Aboriginal Corporation (NATSIHEC)...
NATSIHEC is the peak representative organisation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in higher education in Australia. It advocates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access and participation, active engagement and representation at all levels of higher education.
CQUniversity's Professor Bronwyn Fredericks - Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) and BMA Chair in Indigenous Engagement - is a member of NATSIHEC and attended the meeting held at La Trobe University's Franklin Street Campus in Melbourne on October 25.
She said 2013 would be a really big year in Australia and internationally in terms of Indigenous education.
"Lots of preparatory work will be done in the lead up to the 2014 World Indigenous Peoples Conference in Education," she said.
Professor Fredericks said the inaugural meeting of NATSIHEC witnessed the first election under the new incorporation, guest speakers and policy debate.
"For example, we discussed the recently released Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Report, also known as the Behrendt Report," she said.
"Other topics included the 2013 Indigenous-focused conferences: the International Indigenous Enabling Programs Conference, the Indigenous Research Conference, the Native American and Indigenous Studies Conference, and the next meeting of the United Nations Indigenous Permanent Forum which will specifically focus on education."
Prof Aileen Moreton-Robinson, QUT and Prof Stanley Nangala, JCU
The newly elected Directors include:
Prof Peter Buckskin, University of South Australia
Prof Anita Lee Hong, Queensland University of Technology
Dr Susan Page, Macquarie University
Ms Leanne Holt, University of Newcastle
Prof Aileen Moreton-Robinson, QUT
Prof Bonnie Robertson, Griffith University
Prof Stanley Nangala, James Cook University
The next meeting of NATSIHEC will be hosted by UTas in Hobart (March) followed by JCU in Townsville (July). Prof Fredericks or her nominee will attend NATSIHEC meetings.
