In an Australian-first, QUT has announced it will establish a Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture in 2024.
The new faculty will expand current education and research programs in Indigenous Knowledges and Culture for all QUT students and partner organisations, building on the strong foundations in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, research and partnerships developed by the university over the past five years.
The recent Federal Government reform to funding for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will provide increased opportunity for students from throughout Australia to attend QUT to study Indigenous Knowledges and Culture alongside all other specialty programs. QUT’s goal is to double its current number of Indigenous Australian students within the next five years.
The faculty will be the first of its kind in Australia – a stand-alone faculty that will accelerate QUT’s commitment to being a model of innovative leadership in Indigenous Australian education, research and community engagement, nationally and internationally.
The new faculty is centred on a partnership model with external stakeholders, particularly community organisations and alumni to design and deliver academic programs and research within an environment where Indigenous Australian excellence is supported, recognised, and celebrated.
The faculty will launch in 2024 and start taking students in 2025.
It will be a high-profile connection point for the university and community and will work with partner organisations across a range of related areas including arts, health, education and training, justice, business and law, media, and sport. It will offer award programs and pathway opportunities as well as play a key role in the university’s continuing professional education offerings.
QUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Sheil, said the new Faculty reflected a pivotal step in the evolution of the QUT Indigenous Australians strategy spanning education, research and engagement.
“We recognise the importance of hearing and supporting Indigenous voices in our university and to encourage more students, we need to offer further welcoming spaces of learning and support,” Professor Sheil said.
“The development of a dedicated Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture will be an Australian-first and further signal the QUT commitment to provide a focussed academic home to drive change and provide a high-profile connection point for community, scholars and students.”
QUT Chancellor, Ann Sherry, said the Faculty will drive demand from business and industry for future QUT graduates, who will have a range of opportunities to increase their understanding of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture, either through dedicated programs or through complementary study for other disciplines.
Ms Sherry said she also anticipates there will be strong interest from business and government in the professional development programs to be offered by the Faculty, given increased training and development needs in all sectors as all parts of business and government work towards initiatives under the Closing the Gap strategy.
Queensland Deputy Premier, the Hon Steven Miles, said every Queenslander deserves access to a world-class education – the new Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture at QUT will provide more students with the opportunity and support to further their studies and research in this area.
Queensland Minister for Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts, the Hon Leeanne Enoch – a proud Quandamooka woman and QUT graduate in education – said she was delighted to see this initiative from QUT and looked forward to working with the University and the whole of government, the arts and the community to ensure the success of the new Faculty.
QUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Australians) Woppaburra woman, Angela Barney-Leitch said the establishment of the new Faculty is part of QUT’s next phase of creating intellectual spaces to incubate and support Indigenous Australian excellence and innovation.
QUT will advertise for the Executive Dean of the Faculty in early 2024. In the interim the development will be overseen by a joint working group led by Ms Barney-Leitch, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Robina Xavier.
QUT has supported its pledge to drive change in higher education’s relationship to Indigenous Australians during recent years through key leadership appointments, the expansion of the student support Oodgeroo Unit and the establishment of the Carumba Institute, led by Executive Director, Professor Chelsea Watego.
The University also has an award-winning Campus to Country strategy which guides the development of the inner-city QUT campuses, which will have a prominent position as the eyes of the world turn to QUT in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
QUT currently has five faculties – the Faculty of Business and Law; the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice; the Faculty of Engineering; the Faculty of Health and the Faculty of Science – as well as QUT College, which provides pathway programs for domestic and international students.
Media contact:
Madeline Healy, QUT Media, 07 3138 3083, m5.healy@qut.edu.au
After hours: 0407 585 901 media@qut.edu.au
