Yesterday marked a big moment for CQUniversity’s future –
and for the future generations of Northern Queenslanders.
I was thrilled to attend the opening of CQUniversity
Townsville last night, and to see so many local business, education, and
community leaders be wowed by this incredible $3 million project. At the event, there was a palpable sense - CQUniversity
Townsville isn’t just a place to kickstart careers, but hub for the region’s
growing community aspirations, too.
Townsville is now a two-university city, and the new campus
provides exciting opportunities for local students.
Our expansion into Townsville demonstrates our national
reputation for supporting our students to achieve, no matter how they choose to
study.
Many of our regional students, and also our international
students, tell us they want to study in regional centres, and we believe
Townsville can deliver them a great experience for study, and for lifestyle.
It’s this experience, and our determination to engage all
our students, that puts CQUniversity on track to becoming a truly great university.
The campus is already supporting more than 600 Distance
Education students, and I can see great potential for allowing growth, in
face-to-face programs including Paramedic Science, Nursing, Law, Education, and
Psychology.
With multiple universities calling Townsville home, the
Northern Queensland hub joins the ranks of Australian capital cities, and
vibrant regional centres such the Gold Coast, Geelong, and Mackay.
The CQUni Townsville campus includes large teaching spaces for
class and residential schools, computer and videoconferencing labs, a Paramedic
Science lab, a library, staff offices, study spaces and a welcoming reception
area. It also boasts plenty of student parking, and room for further expansion along with this CQUniversity’s popular Study Hub at Jones St, which opened
last year, will remain as a study space for students, with secure access
available around the clock.
The Townsville campus is one of 24 CQUniversity sites around
Australia, and is a key to our plan to grow student numbers to 50,000
nationwide by 2020.
The campus will not only support face-to-face learning, but
students can also access a range of expanded services, including careers
advice, counselling, and scholarship support.
As I continue to serve on the panel advising the Prime
Minister on the development of Northern Australia, the potential and growth
opportunities of Townsville, and all of Northern Australia, continue to amaze
me.
Same goes for the enthusiasm of local people. Since we first
established a presence in Townsville in August last year, I’ve been thrilled
with the excitement of local leaders, businesses, and students who have
welcomed us to Townsville. Yesterday, it was great to catch up with many of
them, and hear how CQUniversity is already making a difference in their lives.
Whether it’s helping locals to reach their dream careers, or
attracting new students to Townsville, or even inspiring school leavers to
pursue higher education that they might not of previously considered, I’m
confident that this campus can deliver real social and economic benefits for
the Townsville region.
