7 June 2004

Left to right, Dr Lynda Prior, Dr Agna Krave, Professor Helen Garnett, Professor Greg Hill, and Dr Bronwyn Myers

Existing links have been recognised and strengthened with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Charles Darwin University and Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW), Salatiga, Indonesia.

Dr Agna Krave, Dean of the Faculty of Biology, UKSW and Professor Greg Hill (Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Science, Charles Darwin University signed the MoU last week.

Present at the signing were:

• Charles Darwin University Vice Chancellor Professor Helen Garnett
• Dr Bronwyn Myers, ACIAR Project Leader and
• Dr Lynda Prior, Researcher, Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre.

The MoU relates to educational activities associated with building capacity for postgraduate education in savanna management in eastern Indonesia, through the exchange of existing educational materials, and postgraduate studies.

It will also formalise existing cooperation regarding an ACIAR-funded project which aims to build capacity for fire management in eastern Indonesia, focussing on study sites on Flores and Sumba.

UKSW has a small campus in Sumba, and a main campus in Salatiga, Java.

The Faculty of Biology at UKSW and the School of Science and Primary Industries at Charles Darwin have many common research and teaching interests and both offer a coursework Master program.

There is potential for postgraduate educational materials in savanna management, developed at Charles Darwin University with the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre, to be used at UKSW. There is also potential for students from UKSW to study savanna management units at Charles Darwin. In addition, research collaborations related to fire management are also possible.

Collaborations between the two Universities are already underway, as part of the ACIAR project activities. An initial meeting of the education team members, was held in Sumba in December 2003.

Dr Krave visited Charles Darwin to meet with teaching and research staff in the Faculty and to look at the facilities on campus. Dr Penny Wurm, Leader of the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre’s Higher Education Project, will travel to UKSW Salatiga this month to assist with the implementation of activities associated with the ACIAR project objectives and the MoU.

Collaborations will focus on:

• Sharing of coursework units learning materials
• Cross-institutional and joint enrolments
• Research training
• Research collaborations
• Guest lecturing in postgraduate programs