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Batchelor Institute to play host to Governor-General Quentin Bryce
Governor-General, Her Excellency the Honourable Quentin Bryce AC CVO met staff and Indigenous students at Batchelor Institute, Batchelor campus, Northern Territory. Image supplied
by Imran Naveed 22 August 2013
T
he Governor-General, Her Excellency the Honourable Quentin Bryce AC CVO visited the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education main campus 100 km south of Darwin on Monday. Batchelor Institute Director, Mr Adrian Mitchell, says it is an honour to host a visit by the Governer- General. “The visit will be an opportunity to showcase the work of the Institute as Australia’s leading Indigenous education and training provider”, Mr Mitchell said. “The visit will give the Governor-General a strong appreciation of the scope and value of the Institute’s work through meeting staff and students involved
in the Institute’s Vocational Education and Training and VET in Schools programs and Higher Education and Research programs. “We have also arranged for the Governor-General to meet Defence Force students undertaking the Defence Indigenous Development Program (DIDP) at the campus and their Officer Commanding, Major Marty Alsford. “The Institute performs a unique and important role in providing educational and training opportunties, tailored learner support and educational pathways for Indigenous students in VET programs through to postgraduate research degrees. “Her Excellency will meet many of our student and be able to hear their stories and learn first hand how education changes lives in so many ways,” Mr Mitchell said
On arrival, the Governor-General was welcomed by the Director and attended a “welcome to country” ceremony performed by Dr Sue Stanton, a Kungarakan Elder, Fulbright Scholar and Senior Lecturer at the Institute. The Governor-General’s visit included meetings with lecturers and students from VET Arts program and candidates of the Institute’s Masters and PhD program. The Institute also showcased the products of the Batchelor Press and the highly valued Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics (CALL) collection. The Governor-General’s visit concluded with a morning tea with guests from across the Institute, Batchelor Area School and Coomalie Community Council.
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