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Graduands urged to address social inequities 'with courage'

March 11, 2005

Madison.Clout.Minichiello.jpgStudents graduating at the University of New England today were urged to have the courage to address inequities in society and courage to embrace inevitable changes in the course of their careers.

Courage was a major theme in the Occasional Address delivered at the graduation ceremony by Mr Terry Clout, the Chief Executive of the Hunter / New England Area Health Service. At the same time, however, he urged the graduands to “have fun in whatever you do, and always have a good sense of humour”.

Today’s ceremony was for graduands in disciplines of Health as well as for graduands in the Sciences, and Mr Clout said the health industry, while facing many challenges, offered fulfilling careers for people having a wide range of skills, temperaments and ambitions: from those motivated by “deep idealism and compassion” to those seeking careers as “hard-nosed businessmen” or meticulous scientists.

The social inequities needing to be faced with courage, he said, included the “pockets of poverty” in a land of great wealth, and groups of people (such as many Aboriginal groups) disadvantaged in the context of health. He urged the graduands to “have the courage to confront these complex issues in our society". He also spoke about the need for the courage to “accept your imperfections”. “We all have strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

At today’s ceremony, the first of four this autumn, about 260 graduands received their testamurs in person from the Chancellor of UNE, Mr John Cassidy. In all, the ceremony celebrated the success of more than 450 graduands, many of whom could not travel to Armidale for the occasion.

Dr Colin Perrott, who graduated from UNE in the 1960s with an Honours degree in Physics and then a PhD, received an honorary Doctor of Science degree. In outlining Dr Perrott’s distinguished career in research and management within CSIRO and then the optics company Sola International, the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, said: “Dr Perrott’s exceptional talents at management, research and development have been recognised by his election in 1991 to Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and by the award in 2003 of an Australian Centenary Medal for ‘service to Australian society in research and development'. His skill in ideas and concept development in lens design has played a significant role in the improvement of vision and quality of life for millions of people throughout the world.”

Professor Moses presented the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research to Associate Professor Steve Walkden-Brown from UNE’s School of Rural Science and Agriculture. In summarising the achievements of Dr Walkden-Brown and his colleagues, she mentioned the development of revolutionary new techniques of monitoring and controlling Marek’s disease, a scourge of the poultry industry.

At tomorrow’s [Saturday 12 March] ceremony, more than 300 graduands in Education and Professional Studies will receive their testamurs from the Chancellor, representing a total of more than 700 graduands in those disciplines.


The photograph displayed here shows Mr Terry Clout (centre) with Dr Jeanne Madison (Head of UNE's School of Health) and Professor Victor Minichiello (Dean of UNE's Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies). For copies of this and other graduation photographs, please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Lydia Roberts at March 11, 2005 10:03 AM