The University of Notre Dame Australia was delighted to welcome Western Australian Education Minister Dr Tony Buti MLA to its Broome Campus this week, providing an opportunity to showcase the University’s deep commitment to the Kimberley and the communities it serves.
During the visit, Minister Buti met with students, staff and local employers, and toured the Campus, hearing firsthand about Notre Dame’s distinctive approach to rural and remote education, healthcare training, research and community engagement.
A highlight was meeting with final-year Nursing students undertaking placements in the region, who shared how living, learning and working in the Kimberley had transformed their understanding of rural and remote healthcare.
The students spoke about the unique clinical and cultural learning opportunities available in the region, as well as the benefits of learning alongside Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Medicine students. They also reflected on how their placements had strengthened their interest in pursuing careers in rural and remote communities.
Employers reinforced the important role of these experiences play in building the region’s future workforce, noting that approximately 30 per cent of allied health practitioners currently working in the Kimberley have participated in Notre Dame’s rural and remote placement programs.
The Minister also heard about the work of the Majarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health, which facilitates allied health and nursing placements across the Kimberley, helping students develop the skills, cultural responsiveness and experience needed to work in rural and remote communities.
The visit provided an opportunity to highlight the Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training, which delivers Western Australia’s first fully regionally based medical program and provides a pathway for students to undertake the first two years of Notre Dame’s Doctor of Medicine in Broome before continuing their training in rural locations across WA.
Minister Buti was also introduced to the work of the Nulungu Research Institute, which brings together Aboriginal and non-Indigenous researchers to undertake collaborative, community-based research. Nulungu provides an Indigenous research and academic focus for the University nationally, with its work grounded in the priorities, knowledge and aspirations of Aboriginal communities.
As Notre Dame’s Broome Campus has a distinctive place within the University, bringing together education, research, cultural learning and community engagement in partnership with the people and communities of the Kimberley.
The visit also showcased the commitment of Notre Dame’s Broome staff and the broader experience provided to students while they are in the region, including opportunities to build relationships, engage with the local community and develop a deeper understanding of life and healthcare in rural and remote Australia.
The University was pleased to share this work with Minister Buti and demonstrate the important role its Broome Campus continues to play in supporting education, reconciliation and a strong and sustainable workforce for the Kimberley.
Media Contact: media@nd.edu.au