A new partnership with one of East Java's leading education institutions is aligning Charles Darwin University (CDU) with priorities to strengthen Australia's relationship with Indonesia.
This week, CDU signed an education and research Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universitas Islam Malang (UNISMA) in Indonesia.
CDU's relationship with UNISMA began in 2017, when Senior Lecturer in Teaching and Learning Dr Ania Lian collaborated with now Vice Rector for Student, Religious and Alumni Affairs Dr Muhammad Yunus through a CDU visiting scholar program.
The academic partnership continued and notably in 2026, CDU and UNISMA received funding for a joint education research project through the Knowledge Partnership Platform Australia-Indonesia (KONESKI) Program funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The MoU will help facilitate the KONESKI project, which focuses on developing and piloting a culturally responsive, project-based learning model for primary education in West Nusa Tenggara.
The MoU will also support the expansion of academic and research collaborations including publications, research funding, lectures and seminars, and student and community engagement.
"The partnership allows both universities to work on practical questions about how children learn in culturally and linguistically diverse communities," Dr Lian said.
"Maintaining strong educational relationships with Indonesian universities matters for Australia's long-term regional engagement.
"The partnership supports practical collaboration between two neighbouring countries with shared interests in education, community development, and regional engagement."
CDU Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Fiona Coulson was thrilled to welcome representatives of UNISMA to CDU's Casuarina Campus for the signing.
"CDU has a long history of research collaboration and sharing knowledge with people and institutions across Indonesia, with the goal of uplifting our respective communities," Professor Coulson said.
"We are excited to strengthen our relationship with UNISMA, celebrate the continued success of this partnership and the opportunities it will bring to our universities."
CDU Associate Vice-Chancellor (AVC) Indonesia Dr Nathan Franklin said thanks to the University's proximity to Asia, partnerships such as this were well-aligned with the growing priority of Australia's bilateral relationship with Indonesia.
"This is an area where CDU is an Australian leader in Indonesian engagement. People come to us, they look to us for ideas and leadership, and they want to work with us to help build capacity," Dr Franklin said.
The signing comes after a mini symposium in which academics from CDU and UNISMA shared ideas, research and practical experiences on inclusion in education.
