No images? Click here
CDU Alumni E-News
August 2022 issue
Western Sydney University, CDU and Menzies partner to establish the NT's own medical school.
Charles Darwin University (CDU), Western Sydney University and Menzies School of Health Research have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the establishment of the CDU Menzies School of Medicine, and growth of the Northern Territory’s medical workforce.
Western Sydney University – an Australian Medical Council accredited medical program curriculum partner – will collaborate with CDU to establish a high quality, relevant curriculum for the CDU Menzies School of Medicine. This is a critical step to enable the teaching of a medical program in the Territory and for the Territory.
The two universities will work together with Menzies to strengthen medical education, training, and research for the benefit of regional and remote communities. The MoU includes shared advocacy for commonwealth funded medical student places and promotes participation in medical education for First Nations, regional, rural and remote students.
CDU welcomes new students at Orientation Week
Hundreds of new students were welcomed to campuses across the Territory in August, getting their first taste of university life at at Semester Two Orientation Week
Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) O-Week activities ran from August 15 to 19 with a range of events being held across campuses at Casuarina, Alice Springs and Sydney.
CDU has vital research projects that need researchers in face of shortages
Charles Darwin University (CDU) has started a push to recruit higher degree students for vital research projects but will have to cast a wide net to get the right people, according to the University’s head of research.
CDU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Steve Rogers said the quality of the projects that need students was a testament to the talent of the researchers at the university.
“When you read the details of these projects, you get an idea of why research in Northern Australia is so important, not just for the NT communities, but also the global community,” Professor Rogers said.
First Nations school students try their hand at University life
First Nations school students from across the Northern Territory are getting a taste for university life as part of a school camp program held at Charles Darwin University (CDU) this week.
More than 50 students from across the Territory including the Tiwi Islands, Katherine, Alice Springs, Galiwin'ku, Nhulunbuy, Maningrida and Darwin have travelled to CDU’s Casuarina campus for the Bidjipidji School Camp Program which is held from August 28 to 31.
The program, which is in its second year, provides Territory First Nations students who are in years 10, 11 and 12 with an opportunity to visit CDU and experience what university life is like for themselves.
Indonesian students learn about biosecurity at Katherine Rural Campus
Six students from Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University have settled into their new surrounds in the Top End, as they begin a 10-week course learning about biosecurity procedures and the NT cattle industry.
The Indonesia-Northern Territory Biosecurity Program (INTBP), established by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) and Gadjah Mada University is an opportunity for strengthening biosecurity networks through skills exchange and knowledge sharing.
The pilot exchange program will provide the students with rich practical and technical learning experiences in biosecurity related operations of government and industry.
CDU changing the environment for neurodivergent students and staff with new partnership
Charles Darwin University (CDU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Untapped Holdings to introduce new approaches to the teaching environment for neurodivergent students, teachers, and staff in the Northern Territory.
Untapped’s Neurodiversity Hub has created and curated resources and approaches to enhance the learning experience that can assist students and teachers who have variations in their cognition and comprehension, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia and autism.
CDU waives fees for health and community services
More than 10 qualifications in health and community services will be free to study for students to better support more community service workers applying to study, thanks to Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Northern Territory Government.
From Term 3, 2022 all fees will be waived for students enrolling in a number of VET courses in early childhood education, certificate courses in individual support, community services, fitness, mental health, allied health, health services assistant and Alcohol and Other Drugs.
CDU College of Health and Human Sciences Dean Dominic Upton said the new initiative would better support workforce shortages in aged care, mental health, early childhood education and other health disciplines.
“The pandemic has put a huge amount of pressure on health, mental health and aged care industries and Charles Darwin University would like to help assist in the recovery,” Professor Upton said.
Reclaiming Indigenous place names in the Territory
Charles Darwin University (CDU) is working with Larrakia Nation to restore place names and revitalise language across its campuses in the Northern Territory.
As a part of the process, CDU will co-name all new buildings and facilities with place names working with Aboriginal leaders to ensure they are written with the correct grammatical structure, concepts and vocabulary.
In partnership with Larrakia Nation, CDU will name its Education and Community Precinct, Danala the name for dillybag which represents a place to house knowledge.
The new Education and Community Precinct, or Danala, is the centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal – a 10-year partnership between the Australian and Northern Territory governments and the City of Darwin to drive a more vibrant and liveable tropical capital city.
CDU investment at Casuarina Campus to boost facilities
The Casuarina Campus at Charles Darwin University (CDU) will receive vital upgrades as part of CDU’s investment to reinvigorate its campus facilities for students, staff and community.
More than $6.8 million will be invested into building upgrades at Casuarina Campus by 2023 which will see upgrades to research laboratories, outdoor teaching spaces, the library, training buildings and facilities.
Many of the upgrades will also include substantial repairs and upgrades that are needed to security, lighting, building infrastructure, heating, cooling and ventilation and road upgrades.
Essential goods donated to women escaping from domestic violence
Vulnerable women and children escaping from domestic violence in the Northern Territory are being supported by staff at Charles Darwin University (CDU).
A fund-raising event to celebrate International Women’s Day and support Remote Womens’ safe Houses was held at CDU earlier this year. Items donated included sanitary and hygiene products, children’s toys, books, clothing and other essential products for women and their children.
The goods are being distributed with the support of the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities (TFHC).
CDU University Secretary Professor Hilary Winchester AM organised the university-wide fundraiser in March to support women suffering from disadvantage, particularly those living in remote Territory communities.
Research institute seeks experts to protect and grow Northern Australia's agriculture
Australia has a new weapon against biothreats to its agriculture industry, such as the recent Foot-and-Mouth disease outbreak in Indonesia, with a new research institute at Charles Darwin University (CDU) recruiting experts.
CDU is undergoing an international search to recruit researchers in biosecurity, broadacre cropping, livestock and grazing, and aquaculture for its newly established Research Institute of Northern Agriculture (RINA) to help push agricultural innovation in Northern Australia.
Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Director Professor Sam Banks, has been appointed to oversee RINA and said the emergence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease was proof of the Institute’s potential value to the agriculture sector.
CDU adventurer takes on world's toughest horse race
Charles Darwin University (CDU) Farm and Stud Overseer, Jessica Di Pasquale, is bringing into focus the world’s longest, toughest horse race when she competes in the 2022 Mongol Derby, representing Australia, this month.
Competitors from around the globe, including Katherine-based Mrs Di Pasquale, are being fitted with GPS tracking devices that capture the progress of each rider in real time as they race through 1000 kilometres of the Mongolian wilderness.
The Derby traces the passage of the long-distance postal transmission system established by Chinggis (Genghis) Khan in 1224, which relies on a vast network of horse stations stretching from Kharkhorin to the Caspian Sea.
Darwin Alumni Reception hailed as a success
More than 100 CDU graduates enjoyed the picturesque surrounds of the Darwin Trailer Boat Club at the inaugural Charles Darwin University Darwin Alumni Reception.
Held on Thursday 28 July, the reception marked the start of a reinvigorated calendar of Alumni events that will be rolled out across Australia annually.
Guests had the opportunity to mingle and share memories with fellow CDU Alumni, meet the Vice-Chancellor, and hear from a guest alumni panel comprising of Dan Richards - CEO of Humpty Doo Barramundi, Rebekah Rosser - Head of Venue Management at Cricket Australia, and Stuart Kenny - Managing Director of Territory Instruments, who were interviewed by Jenny Roberts, Vice-President Global and External Relations.
The next alumni reception will be held in Sydney on Wednesday 19 October 2022. Mark this date in your diary now, more information will be made available in the coming weeks and we hope to see you there!
CDU Art Gallery presents:
5 August - 22 October 2022
With an authoritative and defiant hand, Shock & Ore bursts forth a hype of guerrilla theatre. It calls on the heroes of the old world and new. Archetypal champions claim the stage, parading their power and misadventure, alluding to a pastiche of conflict and pillage. Painted story boards, fuel drums and TVs sendup pipedreams from the colonial project and hint at the collateral damage of its offensive. Angels and promises take wing only to be shot down in flames. Incantations from ashes manifest as jewels on paper with their iridescent coding and song maps. In this exhibition, the Brio bravely declare their stories of living culture from Country: a psalm of Ancestral power, alchemy and renewal.
The Tennant Creek Brio is an artist collective based on Warumungu Country in the town of Tennant Creek. They navigate their individual practices through a collective spirit of energetic and transformative work, captured by their name brio, a word meaning mettle, vigour or a sparkling vivacity of performance. The Brio collective honours connectivity. Their studio is a place of empowerment, brotherhood and dissemination.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Sabaratnam Prathapan
Class of 1983 - Bachelor of Business (Accounting
Winner - CDU Alumni Award for Community Service 2021
Sabaratnam has been heavily involved with community activities around Darwin for almost 40 years and is a two-time graduate of CDU with a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and Certificate in Teaching. He has developed several community-based initiatives that focus on equality and inclusivity in the greater Darwin community, including the development of the Hindu society and its temple over 30 years ago.
Sabratnam has lectured in civil engineering for over 45 years, with 42 of them taking place in Darwin beginning at the Darwin Community College to his present position with CDU where he has been an Associate Professor of Engineering since 2005. He previously held positions as a Senior Project Officer at the Office of Multicultural Affairs and as a Manager for Construction Industry Policy in Darwin while simultaneously committing to his lecturing responsibilities. He is also an active member of over 50 committees and local groups that focus on the development of the community, including many industry training advisory boards across Australia.
Share your story
Have you got a great story to tell? We know that CDU Alumni go on to achieve incredible things. We'd love to hear about your achievements.
Provide a work placement
Could current students contribute to your workplace success? Consider the staffing needs of your workplace and industry.
Be a mentor
Develop the next generation of talents by sharing your skills and knowledge through mentoring students.
Be a speaker
Becoming a speaker is an opportunity for you to impart your knowledge and share your life experiences with the next generation of aspiring CDU students.
Are you a CDU graduate living outside of Australia?
CDU alumni are a vibrant community of more than 70,000 former students and are spread across more than 140 countries around the world.
Remaining connected and engaged with our alumni is important to us. No matter where you go, CDU will always be there for you.
We are hoping to better connect with our overseas-based alumni by developing international alumni chapters in countries that our graduates reside in.
If you graduated from Charles Darwin University and are currently living outside of Australia, we would love to hear from you!
Update your details by clicking below, or reach out to us by email to alumni@cdu.edu.au
LinkedIn Learning Access
You can obtain advice on all matters relating to building your career or even making a change to your current. Here you can access over 15,000 courses, delivered in 7 languages. You can learn a wide range of new skills, anywhere and at any time. You can learn a new language, learn how to build a website or app, become an expert user of Microsoft Office, or even learn how to play a musical instrument!
Alumni Access to CDU Portal
You can now access the CDU portal after you've graduated, so you'll have continued access to online and on-campus library resources, careers centre and your CDU email address.
CDU Careers Centre
Are you looking for a job, promotion, or career change? Did you know that you still have access to CDU careers resources? Absolutely FREE! CDU’s all new online Careers Centre is jam packed with resources to help you navigate the next step of your career. All you need to do is activate your Alumni Account, access the CDU portal then click on the Career Centre tile.
The CDU Careers team also post jobs and opportunities on their CDU Careers Facebook page so make sure you check it out!
Library Access
Though you may have finished your formal study at CDU, with an alumni account, you will have access to a select range of CDU Library’s online resources, which includes access to a growing number of high-quality databases, e-journals and e-books, you are always welcome to borrow physicals materials from any our campus libraries.
Are you passionate about education, research and innovation, or did you benefit from the generosity of others during your studies? Consider a gift to reward outstanding scholars, support a student scholarship or research project, or to develop the resources of the university.
Hi ,
Have you recently moved? Update your details to make sure that we can keep in touch, and connect with us on social media using the buttons below!
Charles Darwin University acknowledges all First Nations people across the lands on which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders both past and present.
