Welcome to the 2022 CDU Higher Degree by Research Conference, another milestone for our fantastic HDR student cohort. In this three-day conference, our research students can showcase their research and network with Industry Leaders, Government, and the Research Community.

Importantly, this conference will enable our research cohorts to come together to share their stories and connect with various industry and government leaders. Charles Darwin University is proud to be bringing together in a virtual sense and a physical presence of more than 100 research students from across CDU Colleges and Research Institutes.

The theme, “Connect & Succeed: from Research to Real-life Impact” is derived from the CDU Strategic Plan 2021-2026. We believe that we can only be successful through our connections with all our partners, and the people of the Northern Territory, Australia and beyond. These connections help us realise the mutual benefits of learning, undertaking research and working together to allow our communities to grow and prosper.

There will be academic papers on critical issues such as emerging renewable technology, advancement in the First Nations health research, groundwater research, and other research that aim to make our future more sustainable. In addition, the keynote sessions and panel discussions have been prepared to inspire our research students and supervisors to build those connections with the sectors, where CDU research could make real impact. We aim to build capacity and a shared understanding of our research impact measurements to maximise the benefits of CDU’s research.

I want to thank everyone who has made this conference possible, especially over these past challenging years.

With that, I hope you enjoy the conference.

Professor Scott Bowman AO,

Vice-Chancellor and President, Charles Darwin University