Page 25 - Tropic Magazine Issue 28

TROPIC • EDUCATION

CQUni Cairns

changes lives

FOWARD THINKING
Innovation, flexibility and Our Masters students do significantly
more practical days in schools than other
expansion will see CQUniversity universities and this helps to improve
soar through the new academic their skills and confidence.
year, explains Cairns Associate Our Digital Media students are also
Vice-President Jodie Duignan- obtaining paid work while doing their
degrees due to public and corporate
George. demand for digital and screen services.
Many took part in the Netflix filming in
In 2020 CQUni was challenged to reset Port Douglas late last year, while others
its strategic direction and operations for have been employed in a trial with a local
a new, more dynamic and agile world, broadcast outlet to record and livestream
in which education, training, industry local sporting events. These opportunities
collaboration and applied research is an provide students with paid on-the-job
essential aspect of our region’s economic training and experience.
and community recovery. Our Information Technology researchers
The biggest role post-pandemic will be are forging opportunities with Cairns
helping students prepare for and adapt to Regional Council to improve the city’s
the changing global landscape. park irrigation, utilising innovative
At the start of the pandemic, it was real-time monitoring sensors, cloud
necessary to transition all classes online computing and the Internet of Things
and bolster the digital delivery of student (IoT).
support services for more than 2,000 This year and beyond, I’m confident
Cairns students. CQUni will continue to change lives for
While on-campus delivery is expected to These activities the better, for our students and for the
resume this year, students can expect a place regional communities our graduates will work
much more flexible experience. within to transform.
Our focus has sharpened on making the universities at We’re now seeking support to back
digital student journey seamless, from the centre of regional the development of a new $50 million
delivering hyper-flexible courses to suit campus development for Cairns. Given
busy lives, to ensuring job-readiness and prosperity the current climate, a new campus will
employability is front-of-mind in our Jodie Duignan be an investment in future employment
course design and delivery. -George opportunities for the people of our city.
This ongoing commitment to learning CQUni is shaping the next generation of
and teaching saw students excel in Looking to the future, I believe CQUni the Cairns workforce; its nurses, teachers,
work-integrated activities during the Cairns will continue to grow the psychologists, pilots and engineers, to
pandemic, creating highly employable city’s footprint and facilitate better name but a few professions.
graduates with the skills, experience and engagement with industry. This major project would provide
expertise to take on the roles of the future. To this end I invite industry employers, tertiary education opportunities and
We continued to produce some of the who are not currently working with the continued upskilling of our region’s
most employable teachers with all of our us, to reach out to me to discuss ways community for years to come.
2020 Masters of Teaching (Primary and in which we might work together to
Secondary) graduates offered teaching create mutually beneficial learning MORE: cqu.edu.au
positions in the region. opportunities for students in the region.

By 2030 the proposed CQU campus would deliver

103 per cent $500 million 330 initial
increase in local injection into construction jobs
student demand the Far North

25 • tropicnow.com.au