Curtin College wins International Education Program of the Year

On 30 November, Curtin College was announced as the winner of the 2022 Council of International Students Western Australia (CISWA) “International Education Program of the Year.”

“Under the ‘Gija Jumulu’ Tree: Facilitating Dialogue between international Health Science students and WA’s Indigenous Community through experiential learning” was selected as the winner from a strong line-up of finalists.

The program is part of a first-year health science unit taught at Curtin College. Content for this unit was jointly developed with colleagues from the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University but delivered in a unique, experiential learning fashion by Curtin College’s Ajay Karia – a style that has resulted in the high levels of engagement, and cross-cultural understandings which the award recognises.

“The ‘Gija Jumulu’ – the iconic giant boab tree gifted by the Gija peoples of the east Kimberley region and welcomed by the local Nyoongar peoples, is where we bring our students to Perth’s landmark King’s Park, and experience nature and history from Aboriginal perspectives. We designed this unit to help international students relate to and foster dialogue and exchange with WA’s First Nations community. We want to ensure these future health practitioners are able to challenge and address misconceptions, and work towards improved health outcomes and equity for a wide range of social groups.”

College Director and Principal, Dr Sven Schottmann, noted that it was the first time a pathway college had won the International Education Program of the Year Award. “Curtin College with its diverse communities of learners and teachers is ideally situated to help facilitate more meaningful dialogue between international students and Indigenous communities. We are very proud of the recognition our flagship program has received from CISWA.”