The Wuyagiba Bush Hub, in South-East Arnhem Land, is supporting local Aboriginal students to access higher education on-country, with an ambition to forge remote Aboriginal leaders of the future.

The Hub is located at the Wuyagiba outstation between Ngukurr and Numbulwar, and offers university preparation courses for local Aboriginal students. Under the leadership of local Elder, Kevin Rogers and Dr Emilie Ens of Macquarie University, the Hub interweaves cultural content with academic skills, with courses taught by local Elders and Macquarie University staff.

In 2019, the Wuyagiba Bush Hub saw nine students successfully complete its university preparation course and participate in interviews for the Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University. Of these students, five have been offered places at Macquarie University and four have been offered places at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.

Looking to the future, the Hub is focusing on expanding its course offerings to facilitate more on-country access for current and aspiring Aboriginal students, with the long-term goal of delivering a range of accredited university courses.

The Wuyagiba Bush Hub is part of the Regional University Centres program, which is supported by the Australian Government. Since 2018, the Australian Government has committed a total of $53.2 million to support the establishment and operational costs of 21 Regional University Centres. These Centres provide study spaces, video conferencing, computer facilities, internet access and academic support in regional and remote communities, so that students can access higher education courses delivered by distance.