The Australian National University (ANU) is to be the first university in the country to use a new online learning module focused on Australian Indigenous culture.
The module aims to educate and build greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and will be rolled out as part of the University’s Reconciliation Week program.
Vice-Chancellor at ANU, Brian Schmidt said the Core Cultural Learning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia Foundation Course was developed by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and would be available to staff and students.
He said the course was a modified version of the program AIATSIS first produced for the Commonwealth Public Service and had been adapted for delivery to a general audience.
Professor Schmidt said Core Cultural Learning was designed to enhance cultural capability across the ANU and build greater awareness of the vast history and cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“The University is committed to a renewed partnership with Indigenous Australia and is the first Australian university to implement the program in the higher education sector,” Professor Schmidt said.
“I am extremely proud of that.”
He said the program aligned with the University’s Reconciliation Action Plan, which defined the ANU’s vision for reconciliation and set out a range of university-wide activities for achieving it.
“To put our strategic plan into action, it is crucial that the community has access to quality resources that provide a foundation for understanding of traditional knowledge, cultural expression and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians,” Professor Schmidt said.
