Centre for Aboriginal Studies
Our Centre for Aboriginal Studies is a hub for research and education, and provides a place where all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can feel connected and access culturally-appropriate support services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commitment
At Curtin, we are committed to embedding voices and perspectives of First Nations peoples at the forefront of our decision making to create an environment in which everyone thrives.
We have a long history of being at the forefront of reconciliation in higher education. We first began delivering education programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the 1970s. Since then, our non-Indigenous and First Nations people have continued to work together to shape learning, teaching and research.
Support services for First Nations students
Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student support services aim to help students settle in and succeed at Curtin. Services include academic tutoring, counselling, work placements, financial assistance, scholarships and Curtin Student Guild representation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment
We are committed to increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employed at Curtin, from student placement roles to senior academic and professional appointments.
Engaging with community
Through our aspiration-raising activities in the community, we facilitate pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students to access higher education. Many of our outreach initiatives are run by the Curtin AHEAD team and include tailored experiences like the Follow the Dream program.
Aboriginal Student Placement Program
Our Aboriginal Student Placement Program (ASPP) aims to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students find paid employment at Curtin. The program runs year-round, with a variety of casual and part-time roles available across different areas.
Embedding First Nations knowledge in all that we do
As an education and research institution, we seek to embed First Nations knowledges in operations, teaching and research through our Indigenous Cultural Capabilities Framework (ICCF).
The Curtin Cultural Capability team guides and coordinates the framework through authentic education and on-Country immersion experiences for staff, students and the community. These experiences encourage you understand, respect and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and enhance your knowledge of Nyungar and wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of being, working and doing.
We also strive to integrate First Peoples’ knowledges into our curricula through the graduate capabilities and course learning outcomes for all students at Curtin.
Nowanup Bush Campus
Nowanup Bush Campus provides an immersive learning space for students and staff on Nyungar Boodjar (country) in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students can take an On-Country learning unit at Nowanup as an elective, with no prerequisites.
Celebrating culture
Our staff and students are immersed in an environment that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. We feature Aboriginal artwork and Nyungar words and phrases across our campuses and digital spaces, and Curtin in the proud custodian for the Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork.
We also host events and celebrations for significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander occasions, including NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week.
Championing Indigenous-led research
At Curtin, we have a number of research projects and programs led by senior First Nations researchers. This research aims to improve the lives and futures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in ways that are culturally appropriate and underpinned by Indigenous knowledges, practices and perspectives.