Bonita Mabo honoured by JCU with honorary doctorate

James Cook University has honoured Bonita Mabo, widow of Eddy Mabo, with an honorary doctorate of letters.

Bonita Mabo reflects on the 150th anniversary of the arrival of South Sea islander slaves in Australia. Pic by Luke Marsden.

In today’s Higher Ed Daily Brief: JCU’s newest honorary doctorate, entente cordiale

Honour for Bonita Mabo

James Cook University has awarded Bonita Mabo, widow of Eddy Mabo, an honorary doctorate of letters in recognition of her 45 years of service to the indigenous community and people from the Pacific Islands.

Dr Mabo was the co-founder of Australia’s first indigenous community school, the Black Community School in Townsville, where she worked as a teacher’s aide and oversaw the day-to-day operations, including providing continuity and cultural training to all children.

She also spent 10 years on the Central Queensland Land Council and worked alongside her late husband during his long and ultimately successful fight for indigenous land rights.

“Her acceptance of this award is an honour to the university,” university chancellor Bill Tweddell said. “We can all take inspiration from Bonita’s courage and determination.”

French connection

Delays in the final agreement to build 12 French submarines in Adelaide have not dented the growing number of university collaborations between South Australian universities and their French counterparts. The latest is the University of South Australia’s deal with the University of Southern Brittany to set up a joint chair to be called the Brittany Region/UniSA Professor of Industry of the Future. Often called Industry 4.0 (for the fourth industrial revolution) it includes new automation technologies, the internet of things and cognitive computing.

The new prof will spend half their time in Adelaide at UniSA and half their time in France at the University of Southern Brittany and another university partner, engineering school IMT Atlantique. There will also be staff and student exchanges.

UniSA vice-chancellor David Lloyd is very enthusiastic. “Industry 4.0 is a concept of critical importance to Australia but there is a need to develop far greater educational and research expertise in the field than currently exists in this country,” he says.