Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, Australia

Charles Darwin University is unique. No other single Australian university serves such a large area of the continent, in such a remote location and with such a small population to sustain it. 

While the Northern Territory covers around 16 percent of Australia, in 2015 it was home to just over 1 percent of the population, 30 percent of whom were Indigenous compared with around 3 percent of the general Australian population.

The only university based in the Northern Territory, CDU is a dual sector university. We are the most northerly Australian university, literally on Asia’s doorstep. Closer in many respects to the vast populations of Asia than to the southern Australian states.

Ours is a university deeply engaged with, and informed by, Australia’s Indigenous people. Recognising that we operate on the lands of many strong Indigenous nations, respecting the knowledge and culture of Aboriginal people and committed to Indigenous advancement.

These are truly unique features that CDU embraces as both challenges and opportunities for the years ahead, building on the strong foundations and remarkable achievements of our 25-year history. 

In this relatively short space of time, we have developed a reputation as one of the most innovative teaching and learning and most research-intensive universities in Australia and have risen to the ranks of the top 2 percent of world universities in 2015.