Charles Darwin University midwifery researchers are calling for Indigenous-led birthing centres to expand across Australia after a seven-year study found a decrease in preterm births and an improvement in breastfeeding and antenatal care for First Nations families.
The paper “Effect of a Birthing on Country Service redesign on maternal and neonatal health outcomes for First Nations Australians: a prospective, non-randomised interventional trial" published today in The Lancet Global Health revealed preterm births were 50 per cent less likely in women accessing a designated Birthing on Country service in Brisbane’s south.
The study reported an almost 40 per cent increase in breastfeeding after discharge from hospital and an 80 per cent increase in women attending more than four antenatal sessions in pregnancy.
Almost 330 students will graduate today at a Charles Darwin University (CDU) graduation ceremony at Sydney town hall.
This graduation ceremony marks the 10-year anniversary of CDU’s Sydney Campus; over the last ten years the centre has expanded its offerings and is now graduating students across a range of disciplines including nursing and midwifery, IT, education, law, exercise and sport science and accounting.
About 250 graduands are expected to attend the ceremony who are being recognised for completing a range of degrees within Vocational Education, Degree Education and PhDs. Almost half of the graduates are from NSW with all others from across all states and territories.
Charles Darwin University supports the NT Government’s efforts to review and implement opportunities for improvement in secondary education. This submission focuses on CDU’s expertise in the NT’s unique learning environment; CDU’s involvement in the secondary years through Vocational Education and Training (VET) in schools; and as a critical enabler of school workforces, especially teachers. This submission responds to the NT Government’s Review of Secondary Education in the Northern Territory Discussion Paper (May 2023).
CDU’s Northern Institute and Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods have unparalleled experience and deep engagement across the NT. In line with the invitation to provide feedback on the Mineral Development Taskforce Final Report, this submission focuses on key recommendations where CDU looks forward to continuing to work with the NT Government and industry to deliver the training, education and research needed to underpin the NT’s future economy.
A French Sociologist once said that ‘Academic language...is no-one's mother tongue’ (Bordieu & Passeron, 1995, p.8). This is because academic English is quite different to general conversational English, and each discipline has its own vocabulary. As a result, some students feel like they need to learn a new language when they start university. This can feel especially true for the large number of CDU students who are studying for their degrees in their second or third language.
Some university students may feel overwhelmed by the unfamiliar words they meet in classes and weekly readings; therefore, this page aims to:
give an overview of the types of words you will see in academic texts
share strategies for learning the new vocabulary you need
share strategies to help you meet vocabulary challenges.
This research project is funded by the Northern Territory Government Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade through the Community Benefit Fund, which is an independent statutory body responsible for distributing government revenues associated with the collection of a 10% tax on pokies in pubs and casinos in the NT. This research is being conducted by Dr Kim M Caudwell and Dr Mal Flack, who are researchers from the Faculty of Health at Charles Darwin University (CDU), for the NT Government. CDU asked Roy Morgan Research to undertake telephone interviews for this project. Roy Morgan Research carried out the interviews for the 2015 and 2018 surveys and manage the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey and are very experienced in conducting interviews for these types of surveys.
This submission proposes a new approach to funding for CDU through the Universities Accord so that future generations of Territorians continue to have access to world-class training and higher education. CDU is positioned to make a significant contribution to some of the nation’s biggest challenges: shoring-up energy and water security in the face of climate change; acknowledging our geopolitical environment to protect our national interests; and developing sustainable economic growth in Northern Australia, particularly for First Nations peoples. Case studies throughout this submission demonstrate that innovative research for Northern Australia is much more impactful when underpinned by First Nations knowledges appropriately interweaved ‘with’ Western knowledges.