A senior Charles Sturt University (CSU) Indigenous academic says news of the first Indigenous Australian to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship will inspire current Indigenous students at CSU and everywhere to aim high and study hard.Professor Jeannie Herbert, the Foundation Chair of Indigenous Studies at the Centre for Indigenous Studies at CSU in Dubbo, says the achievement of Ms Rebecca Richards, a member of the Adnyamathanha and Barngarla peoples of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, is something that all Indigenous people can be proud of, and all Indigenous students can aspire to emulate.
“It has taken the 108-year history of the Rhodes Scholarships for an Indigenous Australian to achieve this award, and I’m sure she will be the first of many,” Professor Herbert said.
“Just as many Indigenous people were inspired when Charles Perkins became the first Indigenous Australian to graduate from university, so too will Ms Richards’ Rhodes Scholarship inspire our Indigenous students at Charles Sturt University and every other university in the country to work hard and excel in their chosen disciplines.”
Professor Herbert says there are over 400 Indigenous students enrolled at CSU, and they all have the potential to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and to become leaders in their field.
“Charles Sturt University aims to become a leading and preferred provider of Indigenous education and research, both nationally and in inland Australia,” Professor Herbert said.
“The establishment of the Centre for Indigenous Studies at CSU in Dubbo provides the University with the opportunity to increase the number of Indigenous students participating in higher education by providing rural and remote Indigenous students with the opportunity to participate in higher education within or close to their own country.
Indigenous people who want to find out more about how to study at CSU can contact the CSU Indigenous Student Services.
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