Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host three major conferences in 2015 as part of its Rural and Regional Conference Program, helping to showcase regional Australia and promote tourism.

CSU in Wagga Wagga will host Australia's Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors when a plenary session of the peak body, Universities Australia is held at the University on Monday 18 May and Tuesday 19 May.

In July 2015, CSU will host around 200 participants at the National Rural Law and Justice Alliance Conference in Orange, which will bring legal experts and practitioners together to explore challenges and opportunities in rural law and access to justice. 

CSU was also last year announced as the host of the 2015 Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia (SEGRA) Conference, which will take place in Bathurst from Tuesday 20 to Thursday 22 October, bringing more than 250 experts and practitioners in regional development from around Australia and the world to the region.

"Charles Sturt University set up the Rural and Regional Conference Program last year to attract more conferences and similar events to our regions as part of our community engagement program," Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said.

"Bringing conferences to our regions has numerous benefits. In many cases it allows members of our local communities and industries to engage with professionals and experts from outside the region around common opportunities and challenges.

"It exposes new visitors to the opportunities our regions offer for business, and people thinking of relocating, and it delivers a direct economic injection into our regional economies through overnight stays, which is critical to support our local hotels, motels and restaurants."

The Rural and Regional Conference Program is part of the University's community engagement program, which includes the new Community-University Partnerships Grants program that has delivered a wide range of new equipment and infrastructure to rural and regional schools, sporting clubs and arts groups around our regions.

"The University is currently working with the Western Research Institute to develop a free tool which will be available online that can help rural and regional communities assess the economic impact of attracting conferences, workshops and similar types of events to their region," Professor Vann said.

Future Health Leaders Conference in Orange in September 2014, the Engagement Australia Conference in Wagga Wagga in July 2014, the Bangamalanha Conference in Dubbo in September 2014 and the Regional Development Conference in Albury-Wodonga in September 2014 were also part of the University's Rural and Regional Conference Program.For more information visit www.csu.edu.au/about/community