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Italian honours, festival to celebrate UNE Languages

August 11, 2004

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The University of New England has celebrated its long tradition of modern-language teaching with the presentation of honours from the Republic of Italy to two of its academics, and an international film festival.

During the celebration last Friday, Dr Franko Leoni, Convener of Italian at UNE, became a Cavaliere (“Knight in the Order of the Italian Star of Solidarity”) when the Consul General of Italy, Dr Antonio Verde, presented him with the medal of that Order. Brennan Wales, another Senior Lecturer in Italian at UNE, received the title of Grand’Ufficiale (“Grand Officer in the Order of the Italian Star of Solidarity”). Dr Verde presented the medal to Mr Wales’s son Geoffrey, as Mr Wales is on study leave in Italy.

“I’m very proud to accept the award,” Dr Leoni said. “Our work at UNE will provide for a wider acknowledgement of the importance of the Italian presence in Australia.” He said UNE had begun teaching Italian in 1974, and had become one of Australia’s principal providers of tertiary-level Italian. Furthermore, it was still Australia’s leading provider of Italian by distance education. He acknowledged the Italian Government’s funding of one of UNE’s four full-time lecturers in Italian.


The Italian President awards such honours to Italians living abroad (and also to foreigners) who have given outstanding service to Italy and the Italian people, or who have effectively promoted Italian culture abroad for a long time. Dr Leoni revealed that his father, Attilio Leoni, had been made a Cavaliere in 1969 for his long and outstanding service to Italian Military Intelligence.

As well as Dr Verde, the Consuls General of Switzerland (Mr Albert Mehr) and Germany (Dr Gunter Gruber), the Acting Consul General of Indonesia (Ms Sofia Sudharma), the chief representative of Alliance Francaise in Australia (Mr Bertrand Calmy), the Head of the Italian Institute of Culture (Dr Gerlando Butti) and other distinguished international guests attended Friday’s celebration. It was one of many events this year to mark the University’s golden jubilee.

In launching the film festival, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses, pointed out that UNE had taught languages from the time of its inception as a College of the University of Sydney. Since then the University, celebrating 50 years of autonomy this year, had flourished, she said. Associate Professor Herman Beyersdorf, Head of UNE’s School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, concluded the proceedings by saying: “Languages will continue to be a vibrant part of this University for the next 50 years.”

The international film festival at the Belgrave Cinema over the weekend was organised by the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics as its contribution to the golden jubilee celebrations. The films represented all the languages taught in the School: French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese. There was also a film featuring the speech and culture of a group of Indigenous Australians. One of the organisers of the film festival, Dr Linda Hess-Liechti, said it had been a great success. “Many people who came to the films said they hoped the festival would become an annual event,” Dr Hess-Liechti said. “We are investigating this as a real possibility.”

Media contact: Dr Franko Leoni (02 6773 3133) or Dr Linda Hess-Liechti (02 6773 3068), School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, UNE, or Jim Scanalan, Public Relations, UNE, Armidale (02) 6773 3049. For photographs, contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 11, 2004 11:34 AM