THE University of Newcastle's Wollotuka Institute is Australia's first university to receive an accreditation that recognises its strong outcomes with Indigenous higher education.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since its establishment in the mid-1980s, the institute has played a key role in representing and supporting Indigenous students.
The university has produced half of Australia's Indigenous doctors, more Indigenous nurses than any other higher education institution and graduated the highest number of Indigenous teachers in Australia.
The World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium accreditation ensures Wollotuka can work with Indigenous leaders worldwide to highlight the importance of higher education.
"We are extremely excited about the accreditation and that our leadership in Indigenous higher education is being recognised internationally," Wollotuka director Leanne Holt said.
"The opportunities for cultural academic and research exchange, as well as the building of networks and relationships with Indigenous nations globally, are endless.
"When the panel visited Wollotuka they commented that our practice and environment was the best they'd seen anywhere in the world," Ms Holt said.
The Wollotuka Institute cultural standards are defined within five areas: respect and honouring, community responsiveness, cultural celebration and academic research and inter-institutional relationships.
Wollotuka Institute elder Aunty Colleen Perry received an honorary doctorate of letters from the World Indigenous Nations University in Ontario, Canada on August 11.
