Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) achievements in wine production are a model for the future of higher education, the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson, said at the opening of CSU’s new multi-million dollar winery yesterday.

“Charles Sturt University is a regional university servicing a regional community, which is offering a range and wide variety of courses to students of the region and beyond,” Dr Nelson said.

“You are linked very closely to industry, you are applying research and science to agriculture, enhancing value to both the product and the communities in which it is produced and processed.”

Dr Nelson said regional universities play a critically important and increasing role – not only in education, but also in innovation in applied research – which adds considerable value to the regional economies in which they are based, playing a vital role in the social development of regional and rural Australia.

“Nothing should be considered in terms of our future which does anything other than strengthen the role of regional universities,” Dr Nelson said.

“I congratulate you on what you have achieved.”

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter acknowledged the Minister’s recognition of the role that regional universities played in Australia, and added that he looked forward to accelerating the contribution that CSU makes to its regional communities in the future.

The new $2.5 million production winery located on the Wagga Wagga Campus is a site for education, training and experience for students in CSU’s winemaking and viticulture courses – which have developed into some of the most significant in the world.