16 September 2004

Some keen Charles Darwin University students are taking up the opportunity to fast track their studies by completing one or more intensive units during semester breaks.

Markwell Drury (Tutor) with Djelk ranger Felix Campion (CDU student) collecting long-neck turtles during week field trip to Maningrida

Hosted by the University’s School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the two week long intensive programs - which represent one study unit - have been taken up by undergraduate and postgraduate students, not only from resource management and environmental science, but from students undertaking other courses such as law, business, arts and IT.

The units specialise in Cultural and Natural Resource Management in Northern Australia. Successful completion of the intensive units mean students can be poised to finish their particular degree within or before the standard time.

“Over the last twelve months, we have run five intensive programs designed to build capacity in North Australia’s resource managers and provide a better understanding of related issues,” Resource Management Course Coordinator, Greg Williams, explained.

With approximately 20 people in each group, the School’s intensive programs include:

• Resource Management Legal Issues;

• Coastal and Marine Resource Management – which involves day trips

• Social Impact Assessment;

• Indigenous Resource Management Issues – which includes a week’s field trip; and

• Freshwater Resource management – which involves day trips

“Indigenous Resource Management Issues is particularly popular as one week is devoted to a field trip through Kakadu and the Maningrida region of Arnhem Land.”

As part of this, students visit a number of Indigenous communities and organisations to gain first hand knowledge of the issues facing Indigenous resource managers.

“At Maningrida we have been working with the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation to give the students some experience of the practical work resource managers do and to engage some of the rangers to deliver some of the teaching.

It has been a great experience and we are keen to continue working with them in the future.”

The next intensive program which will study legal issues relating to resource management will begin in November.

More information on the units and their availability can be accessed at www.cdu.edu.au