Government Award

Winner: University of Wollongong

(Left to right) Victor Dominello Minister for Citizenship and Communities, Edwina Ellicott, Marketing and Occupancy Manager, Accommodation Services, Taneile Kitchingham, student from International House, University of Wollongong, Nigel Pennington, General Manager, Accommodation Services, University of Wollongong , Alison Hemsley, Student Residence Manager, International House and Kooloobong, University of Wollongong

The University won its award for the Global Highway, an annual event organised by students to celebrate the cultural diversity on campus. At least half of the resident students are from abroad and this year twenty-three cultural backgrounds were represented on the Global Highway.

Visitors to the campus taking the Global Highway met students from Austria, Bhutan, Canada, China, Colombia, England,  France, Germany, India, Indigenous Australia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, United States and Vietnam and shared their customs, food and traditions.

They experienced Thai dancing, Chinese calligraphy, Indian henna painting, Sri Lankan dress-ups, Italian boccé and exciting Kenyan dance moves. 

After the announcement, the Chair of the CRC, Stepan Kerkyasharian commented: “As a society, I believe, we have not paid sufficient attention to the presence amongst us as international students of so many future citizens or future friends of Australia. This is an issue the CRC has been closely involved with and I am delighted to see the work being done in Wollongong.”