Robb fundraising on a roll

July 31, 2007

A Guinness World Record attempt at the longest distance rollerbladed in 24 hours by a team of four people, and a charity golf day, are just two of the events being conducted by the University of New England's Robb College as part of its annual fundraising week.

This year's event, which started on Monday, will raise funds for the Armidale Youth Refuge to support projects such as camping, excursions, the purchase of educational games and software, and other improvements to the community organisation.

The world record attempt will begin at Robb College at 8 pm on Friday 3 August and will be opened by the Armidale Dumaresq Mayor, Councillor Peter Ducat. The rollerbladers will attempt to do laps of the college's central courtyard throughout the 24-hour period.

The charity golf day will take place this Sunday, August 5. It will be in a mixed Ambrose format over 18 holes with tee-off starting at 10 am. The golf day is open to everyone, and caters for people of all skill levels. The cost for the event is $15, and drinks and lunch will be available for purchase. Anyone wanting lunch should book through the Armidale Golf Club by Wednesday 1 August. Those just wishing to play can book at any time before the event.

People involved in the fundraising will be hard to miss, as all 160 Robb College students are wearing bright orange pants, skivvies, and (where possible) rollerblades throughout the week. The students will be selling raffle tickets in the Mall outside the New England Hotel, which has been generous in assisting with the week's activities.

"We really want to put something back into the Armidale community because we get so much out of being here," said Robb College Projects Officer Skye Gabb (pictured here). "Seeing as we are university students, we thought we should try to give something back to the youth of Armidale."

Ms Gabb said that the week, sponsored this year by the New England Credit Union, had been helped by the contributions of local businesses. Many of these contributions came as prizes for the raffle, the major prize being a $600 entertainment system donated by Harvey Norman.

Last year Robb College raised around $6,000 for Steve Irwin's Wildlife Warriors.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:07 PM

Film festival 'a window on the world'

July 31, 2007

The 4th Armidale International Film Festival, from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 August, includes a number of award-winning films as well as the Australian premiere screening of the Yemeni film A New Day in Old Sana'a.

Held at the Belgrave Twin Cinema with the cooperation of Services UNE, the festival draws on the knowledge of present and past academic staff members in the disciplines of languages and linguistics at UNE in bringing this unique event to the New England region. This year, the organising committee has welcomed Ann Pettigrew as the Patron of the festival.

One of the festival's major aims is to increase cultural awareness and to gain valuable insights into other cultures through the medium of film. In a single weekend, you will be able to enter the different cultures of France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Korea, Palestine, Yemen, Mexico, Belgium, China, India, Italy and Russia.

The 13 films – all subtitled – will cover international politics, myth and fantasy, romance, music, drama, social issues, and a bit of light-relief comedy. From the Oscar-winning Das Leben der Anderen ("The Lives of Others") which transports us into East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the political "Bollywood" film The Scent of Saffron, to the beauty and power of music in Så som i himmelen ("As it is in Heaven"), there is something to suit everyone's tastes.

The romantic comedy A New Day in Old Sana'a, filmed entirely on location in the ancient Yemeni city of Sana'a, is the first feature ever to come out of Yemen and offers unique insights into Middle Eastern culture.

Tickets are available at the Belgrave Twin Cinema (on 02 6772 2856). The Festival Pass for all 13 films costs $80, and there are 5-film and 3-film passes. For more information concerning the Armidale International Film Festival see www.opus-b.com/iff or contact Caroline Downer on 0428 959 067 or iff@une.edu.au.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:15 AM

UNE helps to animate rural classrooms

July 30, 2007

Four rural New England primary schools have embarked on a project that will make available to them a whole new medium of storytelling: animation.

Teachers and parents from Kentucky, Kelly's Plains, Woolbrook and Kingstown Public Schools spent a day at the University of New England earlier this month, learning and practising the animation techniques they'll need to teach their students.

UNE's Dr Chris Reading, who led the workshop, said that animation offered educators "an electronic form of storytelling" that was becoming increasingly popular in schools.

The procedures involved include creating the characters (often in clay) and the backgrounds, taking a series of photographs, and using computer software to bring the photographs to animated life. Using the skills developed in the full-day workshop and two follow-up sessions after school, the teachers and parents will now be starting to work with their students. They will return to UNE with the students on Friday 28 September for an "Animations Premiere", at which groups of students will judge each other's work.

Malcolm Airs, the Principal of Woolbrook School, said animation was a way of getting schools started on "the broader use of technology in the classroom". In a range of subjects, he said, "technology really does help". He explained that animation projects had the potential to benefit students not only in aspects of art and language, but also through the development of the inter-personal skills required for such cooperative activities.

The "Animating Learning" project is being funded by the National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR), based at UNE.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of an animation "set" displayed here, taken during the workshop, expands to show UNE's Dr Chris Reading (standing, centre) working on an animation project with Malcolm Airs (Principal) and Janelle Smith (a parent) from Woolbrook Public School.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:24 AM

New degree offers exciting future for Music at UNE

July 30, 2007

A new Bachelor of Music degree to be offered at the University of New England from the beginning of 2008 will benefit from – and contribute to – Armidale's unique cultural environment.

For example, all those studying for the degree will be required to join at least one community ensemble in each year of the course. In this way, on-campus students will benefit from Armidale's exceptional variety of musical ensembles, while Armidale will benefit from an increased number of participants in its musical life.

"We really have everything going for us here," said Dr Andrew Alter, Convener of Music at UNE – "a small town environment with a huge cultural atmosphere, as well as a top-class university with a commitment to regional issues and students. We're very excited by the new possibilities this degree offers. Our location in the C.B. Newling Building with the New England Conservatorium of Music (NECOM) and TAFE Audio Engineering will provide all kinds of opportunities for cooperation. Already, aspects of the performance program have been designed to incorporate personnel and ensembles associated with NECOM."

While Armidale's reputation as a thriving musical centre will attract on-campus students to the new degree, UNE's standing as a leader in distance education will also attract students to the program's online and offshore delivery options. "There are growing numbers of students wishing to study music subjects by distance education," Dr Alter said, "and, by designing the program to satisfy their needs, UNE will potentially be able to deliver it almost anywhere in the world. Plans to offer it in Hong Kong are already nearing conclusion."

"Designing a music program that can be delivered online is not the easiest task in the world," said UNE musicologist Dr Jason Stoessel. "We're still really in the early stages of this development, but once we've put all our units online I think we will be one of the few online music programs in the world. New technologies and the Internet allow us to do amazing things that benefit our students through active learning and participation. We'll be at the forefront of this kind of music teaching once all our components are in place."

The UNE degree program will differ from comparable programs at other universities in that all students will undertake the same Music components while being able to choose from a limited number of options outside the area of Music. Performance studies will be undertaken by all students at all levels of the three-year course, but will involve much more than individual study on an instrument. For instance, in addition to studying their specialist instrument (or voice) during their first year, all students will join a choral group, learn conducting, practise sight singing, and study a second instrument. First-year musicology classes will ensure students are given a thorough basis for later study, while aural studies and general musicianship training remain a part of the course throughout the three years – as do composition training, musicology, and ethnomusicology.

The program will benefit from the newly reorganised structure of the University, which places Music together with Theatre Studies, English, Modern Languages and Communication Studies within a new School of Arts. "This should allow music students opportunities to more easily undertake electives in these compatible areas," Dr Alter said.

The Bachelor of Music degree is one of 13 new undergraduate degrees to be offered at UNE in 2008.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:10 AM

Sport UNE commissions Master Plan

July 27, 2007

Sport UNE is looking for feedback from the University and the wider community after commissioning a master planning project that will steer the development of the organisation's facilities and services.

What do you think of the sports and aquatic centre at UNE? Is there a need for additional facilities and programs? Does the range of facilities limit the activities you can take part in? Are there things that might be "just not good enough" or are there things that are lacking? Is Sport UNE somewhere you never go because it doesn't attract you? What could be done to make it useful to you?

The study is being carried out by Suters Prior Cheney Architects and HM Leisure Planning and will assess the feasibility of further developing the Centre's aquatic and dry health and fitness facilities. It will also assess a range of complementary market opportunities including drama, other performing arts, expositions, and child care facilities – all of which could be used by both members of the University and the wider community.

Key elements of the feasibility and planning study will be:

• A review of the demographics of the University and the Armidale and wider regional community, and an assessment of the needs and opportunities these generate.

• A review of trends in aquatic, health and fitness, and related recreational activities and the implications for future needs and provision at the University.

• An assessment of the needs and interests of both users and non-users of the existing University facilities and of the ways in which the existing provision could be improved to better meet the needs of the University, Armidale, and wider regional communities.

• The development of a set of costed designs and recommendations aimed at improving the facilities, programs and services that can be offered.

In order to assess the needs of users, non-users and the wider community, Dr Ken Marriott from HM Leisure Planning will be holding meetings with individual user groups and clubs and holding a public forum. Dr Marriott is also inviting members of the University and wider community to meet him to discuss their needs or to prepare written submissions regarding the things they would like to see added or changed at the sports centre.

Over the next few weeks, relevant clubs and groups will be contacted regarding these meetings. A public forum to discuss development ideas and priorities will be held at Sport UNE on Tuesday July 31 from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. All Centre users, non-users, and members of the wider community are invited to attend. Members of the University and wider communities who would like to meet the planning team are invited to contact Mr David Schmude (pictured here), the Acting Executive Director of Sport UNE, on 6773 5185 to make an appointment. Written contributions can be sent to Mr Schmude at Sport UNE, University of New England, Armidale, 2351.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:23 PM

Participants required for new tinnitus study

July 27, 2007

It drove Beethoven barmy and almost cracked up Captain Kirk. For some it is merely an irritation; for others, constant torture. It's tinnitus – ringing in the ears – and researchers at the University of New England are beginning a new study to see if they can do something about it.

The study will involve participants working through a self-help manual that will guide them through a series of strategies to help relieve the impact of tinnitus. The techniques are based on cognitive-behavioural therapies that aim to reduce sufferers' sensitivity to the condition, rather than treating the physical symptom.

Professor Bill Noble, who is involved in the study along with Dr John Malouff and Dr Nicola Schutte, said that while there was no cure for tinnitus, people could learn to live with it without getting distressed.

"Most people who suffer chronic tinnitus don't get distressed," Prof Noble said, "but there is a proportion of people who get very distressed. They may feel anxious or worried that something is going wrong inside their head. It can interfere with their hearing and make it impossible for them to relax."

As much as two per cent of the Australian population suffered from distressing levels of tinnitus, Prof Noble said.

"What we're trying to learn is whether these techniques – which have proven reasonably effective when supervised by a psychologist in the course of psychotherapy – can be equally effective when people practise them by themselves."

The study will run over four months and will require participants to read a self-help manual and complete a number of questionnaires. People from anywhere in Australia can enrol in the study; travel is unnecessary. In all, Prof Noble and his colleagues hope to attract about 300 participants.

Prof Noble said: "Because this is a treatment study, participants will not only be helping us learn more about tinnitus and how to treat it, but also potentially benefiting from the treatment themselves."

People interested in participating in the study should contact research assistant Liz Temple at etemple2@une.edu.au or leave a message on (02) 6773 2928.

Press contact: Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771.

Posted by Leon Braun at 11:07 AM

Novelist returns from the USA with a 'Golden Heart'

July 26, 2007

Bronwyn Clarke has returned to Armidale from the United States with a "Golden Heart" and a promising future as a novelist.

Ms Clarke, whose novel Falling into Darkness was chosen as a finalist in this year's Romance Writers of America (RWA) "Golden Heart" contest for unpublished romance manuscripts, travelled to Texas for the award ceremony earlier this month. During the ceremony, Falling into Darkness was announced as the winner in its category.

"It was pretty amazing and wonderful and nerve-racking – and I cried," Ms Clarke said. She was presented with the prize – a heart-shaped gold pendant (pictured here) – in front of an audience of 2,500 people in the ballroom of the Hyatt Hotel in Dallas. (Another Australian – the established romance writer Barbara Hannay – was a prize-winner in RWA's 'RITA' awards for published novels, announced at the same event.)

Ms Clarke is a full-time employee at the University of New England and is also engaged in a PhD project on the "romance" genre of fiction. As the award ceremony in Dallas was part of the RWA's 27th Annual Conference, she was able to take part in wide-ranging discussions on a genre of writing that is becoming increasingly richer and more diversified. "It was wonderful and inspirational to be a part of that," she said. "And it gave me a lot of background material for my research."

At a reception for the finalists in the "Golden Heart" competition, she met prominent agents and editors – one of whom is currently reading Falling into Darkness. Several other editors have contacted her since, requesting copies of the manuscript. This access to the publishing world is the most valuable outcome of the contest for the finalists, as about 40 per cent of them get their novels published within a year or so.

Falling into Darkness – the fictional story of the search for a child abducted from a traumatised town on the edge of the Australian outback – was one of more than 100 entries in the competition's "Romantic Suspense" category. Ms Clarke is working on a sequel to her prize-winning novel as well as on another book, and has "lots of ideas" for more.

"Romance is a vibrant and important genre," she said. "Today's romance writing ranges from purely entertaining fiction to deeper, more complex novels looking at serious issues. And the readership is evolving along with the genre: while most of the delegates to the conference were women, there was a sprinkling of men. RWA statistics suggest that the genre is becoming more popular with men."

THE PHOTOGRAPH of the "Golden Heart" pendant displayed here expands to show Bronwyn Clarke with the prize in her UNE office.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:17 PM

Japan researcher on winning streak

July 25, 2007

Japanese Studies Associate Professor Hugh de Ferranti is on a winning streak. Not only is he about to depart on a six-month paid research fellowship in Japan, but he has also begun a $302,000 ARC Discovery Grant to lead a three-year team research project. Not bad considering the highly specialised nature of his research: uncovering the history of musical life in Osaka in the early twentieth-century.

"It's a topic that has been hardly touched by researchers," Dr de Ferranti said. "Most writing about modern Japanese music history has been centred on Tokyo and presented as if that explains the history of music in the whole country."

"Only a handful of articles have been written about music-making in Osaka, and yet in many ways it was at the centre of the Japanese music scene in the 1920s and 30s."

Dr de Ferranti will have the opportunity to explore the musical landscape of Osaka in depth when he travels to neighbouring Kyoto later this week to take up a research fellowship at “Nichibunken”, the International Research Centre for Japanese Studies.

The centre was established 20 years ago to promote Japanese studies and stimulate research on Japanese culture overseas. Every year scholars from around the world are invited to visit the institute to undertake paid research fellowships in Kyoto.

"A research fellowship at Nichibunken is about as good as it gets for someone working in Japanese studies," Dr de Ferranti said. “The resources and the collegial environment at Nichibunken make it possible to go deeply into this topic, undisturbed for six months.”

Dr de Ferranti intends to use his time in Japan undertaking documentary research and interviewing elderly Osaka residents about their memories of the city's musical life in the inter-war years.

"I'll not only be talking to people who were directly involved in the music scene, but also people who might not have thought of themselves as having a strong connection with music," he said.

"Someone may not have played an instrument or gone to concerts, but once you get them talking they may remember that whenever they went with their parents to a particular shopping street or area, there were certain kinds of street musicians playing that we might call buskers. Those sorts of recollections can contribute a great deal to ‘mapping’ the musical life of the city, which is what I’m aiming to do in this research."

Musical styles popular in Osaka at the time included jazz, opera and European classical music, as well as traditional Japanese music, both in its original form and "fused" with Western elements. Another musical phenomenon of the day was professional brass bands employed by department stores for advertising and to entertain shoppers.

Dr de Ferranti said the timing of the fellowship was highly fortuitous, given that he had recently started a project on the same topic, funded for three years by an ARC Discovery Grant.

"Actually I put in for the Nichibunken fellowship two years ago, before I applied for this ARC grant. It has worked out really well, in that I can now visit Japan to work intensively on this same topic for the next six months."

For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photograph is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at 02:53 PM

Migration: social benefits 'far outweigh the costs'

July 24, 2007

Migrants to Australia are generally healthier, better educated, more law-abiding, and less dependent on welfare payments than the average Australian-born citizen. These are some of the findings of a large-scale national study of the effects of migration on Australian society.

The 18-month study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of New England's Centre for Applied Research in Social Sciences (CARSS), found that the social benefits of migration far outweighed the costs.

Led by UNE's Professor Kerry Carrington, the project included extensive field work in metropolitan and regional centres of Australia. The researchers talked to government, business, and community leaders, and to "focus groups" of local people. "The main aim of the community studies," Professor Carrington said, "was to capture a snapshot of how key stakeholders and a cross-section of ordinary Australians perceive and experience the social impact of migration at a local level."

The researchers found only a "marginal" incidence of racial prejudice or resistance to migration (based on concerns about English proficiency, cultural integration, and religious fundamentalism), while there was a widespread appreciation of the cultural and social enrichment that migration brings.

Titled The Social Costs and Benefits of Migration into Australia, the report on the study was published last week and is available on the Web site of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship at : http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/research/social-costs-benefits/index.htm.
It is also available on the CARSS Web site: http://www.une.edu.au/carss/. The project was overseen by the Joint Commonwealth, State and Territory Research Advisory Committee of the Ministerial Council of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

"There are very few social costs associated with migration," Professor Carrington said, "and most of these are short-term integration issues that relate mostly to the humanitarian intake. However, most migrants – including those arriving through the humanitarian intake – have over time learnt English, acquired qualifications, and done well. Furthermore, they are generally ambitious for their children to achieve and to have better opportunities in life. So it is the second generation that enjoys most of the benefits of migration."

UNE's Professor Jim Walmsley, the co-editor of the report, said the research "dispelled a number of myths about the impact of migrants on the host community". He said there was no real evidence of a "migrant underclass", and that any anxiety about the formation of "ethnic enclave ghettos" was unfounded. "On the contrary," he said, "the available evidence overwhelmingly supports the view that migrants to Australia have made substantial contributions to Australia's stock of human, social and produced capital."

The research report will be a valuable resource for policy makers at all levels of government, as well as migrant communities themselves. It includes a chapter that looks to the future of migration in the light of an understanding that "migration is no longer confined to poor people seeking a better life, but relates to a large and growing cohort of people living as global citizens seeking careers and personal development across the world".

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:45 PM

Innovative award scheme sees the distance

July 23, 2007

An innovative award scheme at the University of New England that has strengthened links between UNE students and the Armidale community is set to extend such links to communities throughout Australia.

The New England Award (NEA), introduced at UNE in 2004, recognises and rewards students' involvement in extra-curricular social, cultural, political, educational and sporting activities, and in casual employment (both paid and voluntary). A point system enables students to aim for the number of points they need in order to receive the award when they graduate.

The NEA was developed and implemented with a UNE Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Initiative Grant to Robyn Muldoon, Manager of the University's Academic Skills Office. Ms Muldoon said that the NEA had successfully completed its pilot period and was set to become a core feature of "the UNE experience", available to all enrolled students from the beginning of Semester 2 this year.

"The NEA has, until now, been available only to internal students," she said. "As of Semester 2 this year, however, it will be available to students studying at a distance. It is envisaged that external students who undertake extra-curricular learning and training, and who also contribute to their local communities through voluntary service, will be interested in participating in the NEA program." Information about how to register is available on the NEA Web site: www.une.edu.au/nea.

"Research into the outcomes of the NEA indicates that it encourages the development of well-rounded, highly skilled and articulate graduates who are in possession of attributes, attitudes and human qualities that are highly valued by employers," Ms Muldoon said. "In reflecting on the benefits of their NEA activities, students most frequently mention aspects of personal growth and development such as increased motivation and a growing sense of responsibility and achievement. Secondly, they mention the acquisition of skills in areas such as leadership, teamwork, time management, and communication.

"Feedback from employers suggests that the award is a welcome initiative and marks recipients as possessing the qualities of highly desirable employees and exemplary citizens."

Marty Branagan (pictured here), who received the NEA along with his PhD in October 2006, is one of 57 graduates to have received the award since its introduction in 2004. Dr Branagan earned his NEA points through his involvement – both paid and voluntary – with the New England Regional Art Gallery, the New England Art Society, the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place, the Armidale Environment Group, the UNE Centre for Peace Studies, and TUNE! FM (UNE's student radio station).

Other community organisations that have supported students to gain extra-curricular experience relevant to the NEA are Lifeline, the Lions Club, the Salvation Army, the RSPCA, Oxfam, Armidale Girl Guides, St John Ambulance, the National Trust (Saumarez Homestead), and local church groups. Local organisations that are interested in hosting UNE students as volunteers are encouraged to contact the NEA Manager, Robyn Muldoon, on (02) 6773 2836 (rmuldoon@une.edu.au).

"The concept of the NEA is innovative and ground-breaking within Australia," Ms Muldoon said. "It demonstrates UNE’s commitment to value-adding to the student experience, and to helping students develop skills that will prepare them for the workplace. UNE is keen to build further links with its communities through the NEA."

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Marty Branagan displayed here, taken on his graduation day, expands to include the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:12 PM

A new era opens for UNE

July 20, 2007

The University of New England entered a new era yesterday, with the launch of two new Faculties to replace the previous four. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, officially launched the new Faculties on what he called "a momentous day" for UNE.

The new structure concentrates disciplines contributing to the generalist degrees offered by the University (typically degrees in arts and science) and related specialist degrees (such as the new Bachelor of Biomedical Science and Bachelor of Criminology degrees) in a Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Disciplines contributing to more professionally-oriented degrees (such as those in teaching, nursing, and accounting) are concentrated in a Faculty of the Professions.

As well as reducing the number of Faculties from four to two, the reorganisation has reduced the total number of Schools within those Faculties from 16 to 10. The aim here has been to increase opportunities for academic cooperation in teaching and research by locating related disciplines within the same School. For example, Geography and Planning, Psychology, Linguistics and Sociology have been brought together in a School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Yesterday's launch marked the culmination of a period of consultative planning that began last year at the instigation of Professor Pettigrew, continued in 2007 through the work of a Reorganisation Planning Group, and involved submissions from – and discussions with – a broad range of staff members. Professor Pettigrew said yesterday that the planning had proceeded in "a very collegial way". "I am grateful to those who have assisted us in reaching this point, and who continue to work through the fine details of the implementation," he said. "By aligning and focusing its academic strengths, and by simplifying its academic and administrative structures, the reorganisation will help UNE to realise the vision of its Strategic Plan for 2007-2010."

Speaking at the launch, the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the new Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Professor Margaret Sedgley (pictured here), said the reorganisation offered UNE "a bright new future". She looked back at the achievements of previous Schools and Faculties and the outstanding individuals who had created and sustained them. Among those achievements were the pioneering of distance education in Australia by the original Faculty of Arts, and the innovative work of people such as Dr Miriam Dixson in women's history and Professor Colin Tatz in Indigenous politics. The vision of men like Professor Bill McClymont in Rural Science, Professor Noel Beadle in Botany and Professor John Burton in Natural Resources, Professor Sedgley said, had laid the foundations for UNE's current position at the forefront of ecological approaches to agriculture and natural resource management. "We celebrate where we have come from," she concluded, "and now we empower those ready to change the world."

Alongside Professor Sedgley at the head of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Professor Victor Minichiello will head the Faculty of the Professions as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean.

Transitional Heads have been appointed to eight of the 10 new Schools. These are, in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences: Associate Professor Kerry Dunne (School of Arts), Professor Bill Noble (School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences), Associate Professor Lynda Garland (School of Humanities), Professor John Gibson (School of Environmental and Rural Science), and Professor A.S.M. Sajeev (School of Science and Technology).

The Transitional Heads of Schools appointed in the Faculty of the Professions are: Professor Lynn Meek (School of Business, Economics and Public Policy), Professor Ian Hay (School of Education), and Associate Professor Jeanne Madison (School of Health). Associate Professor Harry Geddes continues temporarily as Acting Head of the School of Law, and a Head has yet to be appointed to the School of Rural Medicine that is being established within this Faculty.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Professor Margaret Sedgley displayed here expands to include Professor Alan Pettigrew and the five Transitional Heads of Schools in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. They are (from left) Professor John Gibson, Professor Bill Noble, Associate Professor Lynda Garland, Professor Pettigrew, Associate Professor Kerry Dunne and Professor A.S.M. Sajeev.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:20 PM

Heritage Centre archives arrangement formalised

July 19, 2007

Yesterday, at the stroke of a pen, the University of New England Heritage Centre became an official repository for NSW State records. This follows nearly half a century of "limited custodianship" of government records at UNE.

The signing of a Distributed Management Agreement at the Heritage Centre marked the transition from what UNE Archivist Bill Oates called "a gentlemen's agreement" to a more formal arrangement.

"UNE has been collecting community records for preservation and research in its Dixson Library since 1957," Mr Oates explained. "This was extended, in 1960, to providing archival storage and controlled public access to regional records in the UNE Archives. Formal transfers to UNE of State Archives relevant to New England and the North Coast date back to 1963. These were, officially, "loans" that were subject to recall. Yesterday's signing of the Distributed Management Agreement means that the UNE Heritage Centre is now an authorised repository of these regional State records."

The Director of the NSW State Records Authority, Mr David Roberts (pictured here), travelled to Armidale to sign the agreement, and to see the work of the Heritage Centre and its staff at UNE's C.B. Newling Centre. UNE's Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Services), Ms Eve Woodberry, signed on behalf of the University.

Mr Oates said the State Archives already housed at the UNE Heritage Centre occupied 1.3 km of the 4 km of total shelf space. "The University is proud of its long history of providing a repository for State Archives relating to New England and the North Coast," he said. "These include such valuable historical resources as Lands Office, police, court, and mining records. The new agreement will involve the transfer of even more records to the UNE Heritage Centre over the next five years, making them accessible to researchers from UNE and the wider community."

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Mr David Roberts displayed here expands to include UNE's Ms Eve Woodberry. It was taken yesterday during the signing of the agreement.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 06:20 PM

UNE psychologist wins Churchill Fellowship

July 18, 2007

Helping people in pain return to normal lives is psychologist Debra Dunstan's professional mission. Her research focuses on ways to help people overcome the debilitating psychological effects of chronic pain. Now she is to continue that research overseas, thanks to a prestigious Churchill Fellowship.

The fellowship, worth about $25,000, is intended to "enable Australian citizens from all walks of life to travel overseas to undertake an analysis, study or investigation of a project or an issue that cannot be readily undertaken in Australia". Named in honour of Sir Winston Churchill, the scholarship was established in 1965, the year Sir Winston died.

Dr Dunstan will take advantage of her fellowship to visit Canada, Sweden and the UK, where she intends to look at best-practise models of community-based pain treatment.

"What I am looking at is delivering a community-based program to help people overcome chronic pain preventing them from doing everyday activities," Dr Dunstan said.

The program will build on research she has conducted with participants from northwest NSW.

"It's a multi-disciplinary program, so there's a psychologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and a doctor.

"I'm going to Canada because the Canadians have developed a training program to teach psychologists to lead these types of multi-disciplinary teams. Like Australia, Canada has lots of remote areas without access to specialist pain clinics. They have pioneered a community-based program that delivers pain treatment to people who would otherwise have to travel to a major city to receive it."

Dr Dunstan will then travel to the UK to look at a similar program that has an additional job market re-entry component. Finally she will travel to Sweden, because "Sweden are the front-runners for early intervention programs to help people suffering from chronic pain".

"My passion is that I want to see a model of service delivery that allows treatment to be delivered to rural Australians in their own communities and that increases access for those who cannot travel easily to metropolitan pain clinics."

Dr Dunstan said that specialist pain clinics in cities such as Sydney normally offered a three to four week intensive program to help people overcome their pain, but that a community-based program was far from a second-rate alternative.

"What I have found is that by using a program in which we draw on a range of different experts, we're able to achieve similar results with a less intensive program of three hours a week for six weeks. It's by no means a replacement, but for people who have pain as the result of an injury, this community-based treatment seems to produce effective outcomes."

Dr Dunstan departs on her three-country trip in November.

For more information about this story, contact Debra Dunstan on (02) 6773 3764 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photo is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at 05:36 PM

National survey aims to remedy bullying of teachers

July 17, 2007

A national online survey of schoolteachers is investigating the bullying of teachers by parents and senior staff members. This follows the publication of research findings that reveal an alarming incidence of such workplace bullying in schools.

The University of New England is hosting the survey Web site (http://www.schoolbullies.org.au), which became available on the 22nd of June and will remain open until the 1st of October.

UNE's Dr Dan Riley, who leads the survey project, is working in collaboration with Professor Deirdre Duncan of the Australian Catholic University. The two researchers have already conducted a pilot survey of 200 teachers in metropolitan Catholic schools. That survey, completed in 2005, revealed that 97.5 per cent of the participants had experienced some form of bullying in their career. "The bullies were the school executive, followed by parents, and then principals," Dr Riley said. "The respondents' experience of bullying was infrequent, but half of them had experienced a third of the 50 potential 'bullying situations' on the survey list. While most of the situations experienced were at the lower levels of seriousness – including attempts to undermine or belittle a teacher's work, or criticism in front of colleagues – they were serious enough to affect the mental or physical health of some of the respondents. It's a bit frightening; we didn't actually expect to find what we did."

"Richard and Freeman, in their 2002 book titled Bullying in the Workplace: An Occupational Hazard, had said that 'bullying is perhaps more common between staff in schools than it is between students'," Dr Riley explained. "This damning assessment required further investigation."

"Our current survey of staff bullying is for all those employed in Australian schools," he said. "It is the first national electronic survey to seek the experiences of support staff, teachers, executives and principals in relation to staff bullying in both government and non-government schools. This research aims to inform those involved in the Australian education profession of the prevalence, forms and effects of staff bullying in schools, and – most importantly – to identify leadership practices that could limit or even prevent it."

"There's an enormous amount of pressure on schools to do more and more with less and less," said Dr Riley in outlining aspects of the social background to the staff bullying phenomenon. "And parents, with their rising expectations, are often quite prepared to challenge how things are done in schools."

The survey Web site, together with its system of data retrieval, was designed and set up by Malcolm Abel, a Web programmer from UNE's Teaching and Learning Centre. Funding for the project has come from an internal UNE grant. "Participants in the survey are assured of confidentiality and anonymity, with their responses protected by a survey 'logon' name of the participant's own choosing," Dr Riley said. "They will not be contacted by the researchers, and may withdraw from the survey at any time.

"We've already had responses from all States of Australia."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:49 PM

School Art Prize attracts record number of entries

July 16, 2007

The University of New England has received 587 entries – almost 300 more than last year – in its annual art competition for school students in regional NSW.

The art works submitted – in a variety of media, from photographs and computer graphics to paintings on canvas and lino prints – have come from 34 schools throughout the north of the State.

A panel of experts has judged the entries in the UNE School Acquisitive Art Prize competition, choosing 70 finalists whose works will form an exhibition called "Let's Hang It!" that is due to open at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) on the first Friday in August. Frances Alter (pictured here), UNE's lecturer in art education, said the panel had chosen works that displayed the artist's individual creativity. "Among them are some critical – and witty – perspectives on popular culture," she added.

The well-known New England artist Fay Porter will judge the works of the 70 finalists on Wednesday 18 July, choosing the eight prize-winning entries that will become part of UNE's permanent art collection.

Professor Victor Minichiello, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of UNE's Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies, will open the "Let's Hang It!" exhibition during a function at NERAM that will begin at 6 pm on Friday 3 August.

Professor Minichiello and Mrs Ann Pettigrew will then present a Certificate of Distinction to each of the 70 finalists, and cheques (ranging from $50 to $300) to each of the eight prize winners. The prizes will be for 1st and 2nd place in each of four categories: Infants, Years 3-6, Years 7-9, and Years 10-12. The art supply wholesale company S & S Creativity Unlimited is sponsoring the competition by providing all the 2nd place prizes.

Ms Alter said the competition celebrated the dedication of teachers and the creativity of students in country schools. "It gives these works a wider audience than they would normally get," she explained, "and allows the artists (and their friends and families) to see them displayed in one of Australia's leading provincial art galleries."

"Let's Hang It!" will continue in NERAM's Richard Lalor Harris Gallery until Friday 24 August.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Frances Alter displayed here expands to include the other UNE judges for the School Art Prize competition. They are (from left) Dr Terrence Hays, Ann Pettigrew, Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk, Dr Margaret Brooks, and Associate Professor Tom Maxwell. They are pictured with some of the Art Prize entries.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:06 AM

Lecture looks back to the birth of the stars

July 13, 2007

A public lecture at the University of New England will trace the history of modern cosmology from the discovery – in 1965 – of the background radiation from the "Big Bang" to today's more detailed picture of the first few moments of the universe.

The free, fully illustrated talk, on Sunday 22 July, will be the first item in a program of workshops, lectures and demonstrations to be brought to Armidale by the "Kickstart" team from the University of Sydney.

The "Kickstart" program, primarily aimed at Higher School Certificate Physics students and teachers, is returning to Armidale and UNE after its initial – highly successful – visit last year. The workshops for students address specific components of the HSC Physics syllabus, and those for teachers facilitate discussion on aspects of the syllabus. The workshops, as well as lunchtime lectures on relativity and astrophysics, will be at UNE on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 July.

There will also be a presentation for primary school students (and parents), titled "The great physics air show", in UNE's Biological Sciences Lecture Theatre at 4.15 pm on Monday 23 July. The "Kickstart" team say this free show, "for all kids aged 9 to 109", will demonstrate "lots of amazing science about air".

The public lecture on the Sunday, titled "From quarks to the cosmos – the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics", will be at 6 pm in the Biological Sciences Lecture Theatre, UNE. Associate Professor Geraint Lewis from the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Sydney will begin his story with the discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background which won Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson the 1978 Nobel Prize.

"Little did they know that the background radiation carries a deeper secret – a picture of the universe at the very earliest moments – which depicts the seething of the quantum vacuum throughout the cosmos," Dr Lewis said. "The 2006 Nobel Prize was awarded to George Smoot and John Mather, who revealed this picture in amazing detail, showing the seeds that grew into the stars and galaxies we see around us today."

Dr Lewis will explain – in simple terms – the ramifications of Smoot and Mather's Nobel Prize-winning discoveries.

The dynamic "Kickstart" team of physics demonstrators will be on the last leg of a country tour taking them to Wagga Wagga and Dubbo as well as Armidale.

For more information on the "Kickstart" program, or to reserve a place for the free public lecture or "The great physics air show", e-mail: outreach@physics.usyd.edu.au or phone 0414 94 5577. For more information on the UNE venue, phone Dr James Buick, UNE Physics and Electronics, on (02) 6773 2597.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:29 PM

Global warming: fact or hoax?

July 12, 2007

Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases: established truth or elaborate hoax? That's the question researchers at the University of New England are attempting to answer by analysing data ranging from historical sea levels to the cycles of the sun.

Associate Professor Robert Baker, of the university's PalaeoGroup climate change think-tank, said scientific evidence of higher-than-present sea levels about 3500 years ago was unequivocal. Whether recent global warming was caused by greenhouse gases or solar cycles was less clear, however, he said.

"Maybe, as some suggest, it was solar in the early part of the twentieth century, then greenhouse gas influenced since the mid-1980s. The jury is still debating the varied evidence," Dr Baker said.

Among Dr Baker's research tools is the tracking of the Southern Oscillation Index, which follows the 80-year Gleissberg solar cycle. This predictive tool was much better than currently-available short-term weather forecasting tools, he said.

"According to the SOI, we can expect above average rainfall for the next 12 months, followed by extensive flooding in 2008 and another drought phase in 2009," he said.

One of the principal projects of the PalaeoGroup over the last decade has been to investigate the links between sea level change and climate in the last 10,000 years (the Holocene) and their relative chronologies, concentrating on Australia and nearby regions, including South East Asia. Special attention has been given to looking for evidence of sudden climate or environmental change.

Dr Baker said that the "simple response" model of rising sea levels postulated by the global warming debate was not reflected by past events.

"The ocean current conveyor belt is far more complicated than the modelling suggests. Approximately 4000 years ago sea levels along the NSW coast were 1.7 metres higher and two degrees warmer. The whole of tropical Australia moved south. There is scientific basis to Aboriginal dreamtime stories of crocodiles in Moreton Bay.

"There is evidence from relic boulder beaches in northern NSW of more intense tropical cyclones penetrating further south. Likewise, 6000 years ago, in an earlier warmer period, dugong remains have been found in middens (including one found in Botany Bay) and coral remnants as far south as Wollongong."

Dr Baker said that members of the public who were interested in learning more about how solar cycles affected climate could visit the PalaeoGroup's website at http://www.une.edu.au/palaeogroup/.

For more information, contact Dr Robert Baker on (02) 6773 2884 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photograph is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at 12:54 PM

Get on your bike at Sport UNE

July 11, 2007

Exercisers at the University of New England can now work up a sweat on the very latest fitness equipment, after the installation of 11 new machines in Sport UNE's cardio workout room.

The equipment includes four treadmills, three cross-trainers, two upright cycles and two summit trainers (a machine that provides a similar workout to mountain climbing).

Altogether, the new machines cost $90,000, provided by the Federal Government as the first stage of a three-part grant awarded to UNE under the VSU transition fund. The total value of the grant is $5 million. Other facilities ear-marked for the grant include a new multi-purpose gym and swimming pool development.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Pettigrew, who opened the upgraded cardio room at Sport UNE yesterday, said: "It's good to see this new gear being provided through the VSU transition fund. It should make a big difference to the facilities here."

Professor Pettigrew said he encouraged students, staff and members of the community to make use of the new facilities.

For more information contact David Schmude (Acting Executive Director at Sport UNE) on (02) 6773 5185 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photo is available to accompany this story.

Pictured: David Schmude and Prof Alan Pettigrew inspect the new equipment at Sport UNE.

Posted by Leon Braun at 02:52 PM

Postgraduates benefit from conference

July 10, 2007

More than 75 postgraduate students at the University of New England participated in a conference last week designed to help them "bridge the gap between ideas and doing research".

The students, enrolled in masters, honours and PhD programs in the Faculties of Economics, Business and Law and Education, Health and Professional Studies heard more than 25 papers and keynote addresses, as well as attending workshops on topics including data analysis, theoretical frameworks, and methodology.

Dr Terrence Hays, who convened the conference with Associate Professor Rafat Hussain, said the conference gave the students "a forum where they can talk about their research, attend sessions on data analysis and discuss their results with other students and academics".

Many of those attending the conference were distance education students who usually worked in isolation, Dr Hays said. "This conference allows them to get together and share their research in a collegiate atmosphere," he said.

Dr Prawit Taytiwat, who is studying for a PhD in UNE's School of Health, said the sessions were highly informative and that he enjoyed listening to presentations by researchers in other fields.

Dr Taytiwat said, "The sessions this morning were very interesting, because my research deals only with qualitative data, and these sessions showed me how qualitative and quantitative data can work together [to illustrate a research question]."

A highlight of the conference was the launch of the conference proceedings of the inaugural postgraduate conference held in 2006 by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Flood and Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean Professor Victor Minichiello. The proceedings have been published by the Australian College of Educators and contain 31 papers based on student projects.

For more information, contact Dr Terrence Hays on (02) 6773 3649 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771.

Posted by Leon Braun at 05:09 PM

UNE continues Carrick success

July 09, 2007

Two researchers at the University of New England have attracted almost half a million dollars in funding from the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, bringing the total value of Carrick grants and teaching awards won by UNE staff in the past 18 months to more than $1.1 million.

Dr Belinda Tynan and Dr Robyn Smyth have received grants of $220,000 and $219,808 respectively to lead projects in two related but distinct areas.

Dr Tynan's project aims to create a professional development program for university lecturers across eight Australian universities, while Dr Smyth's grant is intended to encourage the use of "rich media" technologies, such as videoconferencing, in higher education.

The funding applications for both projects were successful against a highly competitive field. Dr Tynan was one of only four successful applicants from a field of 33, while Dr Smyth beat out 24 other applicants to win funding for her project.

Other UNE staff to achieve Carrick success in recent months include Associate Professor Kerry Dunne ($200,000), Professor Stephen Colbran ($200,000) and Professor Helen Ware ($100,000).

"UNE is getting a name for winning these Carrick grants right across the sector," Dr Tynan said. "In fact, there's only one other university alongside us in terms of their success rate."

Dr Tynan put UNE's success down to the university's leadership in innovative teaching techniques and the support of the Teaching and Learning Centre for staff applying for Carrick grants and awards.

It was important that the ideas are put forward were exciting, relevant to the needs of UNE and the sector generally and showed purposeful collaboration with partners, Dr Tynan said.

"People may not realise it, but these grants are just as competitive – and often as lucrative – as ARC grants," she said. "It's really exciting to see UNE winning so many of them."

In addition to funding individual projects at UNE, the Carrick Institute also funded a recent forum on "Collaboration to offer small courses/subjects" that attracted 50 educators from around the country. The forum was convened by Dr Tynan, Dr Smyth and Dr Dunne in association with Dr Elizabeth McDonald, Director of the Carrick grants scheme.

Dr McDonald said she appreciated UNE's keen involvement with the Carrick Institute.

"UNE has been very active in supporting Carrick Institute activities – including the small courses colloquium, which they managed and hosted – and it is great to see their interest and success in receiving grants," Dr McDonald said.

For her part, Dr Tynan said the Carrick Institute's grants, awards and fellowships were "reinvigorating teaching and learning at Australian universities".

"UNE has been a leader in teaching and learning for some time, and it's wonderful to be recognised and rewarded for that," she said.

For more information about this story contact Dr Belinda Tynan on (02) 6773 3196 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6771 2428. A photograph is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at 10:47 AM

World experts gather to discuss animal nutrition

July 04, 2007

Once every two years the University of New England convenes one of the world's leading forums on animal nutrition. The 16th conference in this series – Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia 2007 – will be at UNE on the 9th, 10th and 11th of July.

About 100 delegates from Australia and abroad will travel to Armidale to discuss topics as diverse as "Grass eating patterns in the domestic dog" and "Why kangaroos don't produce methane".

A member of the organising committee, UNE's Professor John Nolan, said the biennial conference was "a forum for world authorities to present new ideas". "We encourage our speakers to challenge dogma, look ahead, and try to predict where the next significant research advances will be made," he said.

The conference will include sessions on – among other things – new feeding practices, research on gut microbes, and "managing heat stress through nutrition". In a session on the feeding behaviour of animals, UNE's Associate Professor Geoff Hinch will present the results of research on the ability of sheep to recognise – and select appropriately from – different kinds of food. Conference sessions will be in the Wright Lecture Theatre at the Livestock Industries Institute, UNE.

One of the five invited international speakers will be Professor T.G. Nagaraja from Kansas State University in the United States, a leading researcher on the bacterium E. coli 0157 which lives in the gut of cattle and other farm animals and can cause severe diarrhoea in humans – in some cases leading to serious complications or even death. Professor Nagaraja will present, at the conference, his research team's latest findings on the reasons for 0157's increased occurrence.

Professor Nolan said that the papers to be presented at the conference – all of them peer-reviewed – had been published in both book and CD form, and would be available to delegates as the conference "Proceedings". The conference Web site is at: www.recentadvances.org.au.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:28 PM

Devil plight gives urgent edge to mammal meeting

July 03, 2007

The current scourge of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) in Tasmanian devils has given an urgent edge to discussions about mammal extinctions at the Australian Mammal Society's annual conference at the University of New England this week.

In less than 15 years since its discovery, the disease has led to the loss of well over half of Tasmania's wild devil population, and devil numbers are dropping rapidly.

In a wide-ranging address on mammal extinctions, Professor Chris Johnson from James Cook University set the keynote for the conference when he pointed out that the extinction of large native predators – such as, in prehistoric times, the marsupial lion, and, more recently, the Tasmanian tiger – had left the field open for indiscriminate killers such as feral cats. The Tasmanian devil (pictured here) is the largest surviving marsupial carnivore.

Papers on DFTD presented at the conference emphasised both the urgency, for for the survival of the species, of isolating uninfected devils from those infected by the disease, and the serious impact on Tasmania's ecology of the decline in the devil population. Nick Mooney, a wildlife biologist with the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water, said he feared the devil could become "functionally extinct", meaning that it could become "so rare that it was not doing its job" within the ecosystem.

"Feral cats appear to be increasing in general, particularly in DFTD areas," Mr Mooney said. "This may have important effects on small birds and mammals such as the New Holland mouse." "Most alarmingly," he continued, "evidence of foxes is increasing – mostly in DFTD areas. A fully established fox population would directly endanger – through predation and/or competition – Tasmanian bettongs, Tasmanian native hens, eastern barred-bandicoots, and eastern quolls, and put severe local pressure on spotted-tailed quolls, New Holland mice, hooded plovers, masked and banded lapwings, little terns, and short-tailed shearwaters. Such a fox population would have the potential to back-fill the devil niche, making any recovery very difficult."

The 100 delegates to the conference discussed the merits of proposals to isolate uninfected devils on islands, and to reintroduce the species onto mainland Australia.

This is the 53rd scientific meeting of the Australian Mammal Society, and is being held at UNE over the three days from Monday the 2nd to Wednesday the 4th of July. UNE's Dr Karl Vernes, one of the organisers of the conference, said delegates had come from all over Australia, as well as from Canada, Japan and Germany. "The central theme of the conference is the biology, ecology, and conservation and/or management of Australian mammals," he said. Animals under scrutiny this year include kangaroos, koalas, quolls, bats, sugar gliders, rock wallabies, antechinuses, quokkas, possums, wombats, potoroos and bandicoots.

At present (and for the next two years) the council of the Australian Mammal Society is based in Armidale, with UNE's Professor Fritz Geiser as President and Dr Vernes as Secretary.

Professor Johnson, who recently published a definitive book on Australia's mammal extinctions, studied at UNE for 10 years, gaining a Bachelor's degree in natural resources management and completing a PhD study of kangaroo behaviour. "The Bachelor of Natural Resources degree program was excellent," he said. "I'm really glad I came to Armidale and stayed here for 10 years."

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 05:15 PM

Four universities pool Indonesian resources

July 02, 2007

The University of New England is at the centre of a government-funded initiative that is enhancing the teaching and learning of Indonesian at UNE itself and at several other Australian universities.

UNE houses the Project Office for the Regional Universities' Indonesian Language Initiative (RUILI), which has received funding of $369,000 from the Australian Government.

UNE is collaborating with the University of the Sunshine Coast, the University of Tasmania and Charles Darwin University to develop and deliver Indonesian language programs that combine the resources of all four universities. In a higher-education environment that has seen – over the past 10 years – a decline in the demand for Indonesian by Australian students, the initiative is designed to enrich current programs by pooling the resources of each of the four participants.

The Project Officer, UNE's Dorothy Meyer, said the collaboration had brought together the four Indonesian departments (comprising two academics at UNE, three at the University of Tasmania, and one each at the University of the Sunshine Coast and Charles Darwin University) to develop new, unified Indonesian programs that would be offered by all four universities. This involves the development of a common curriculum – including advanced units that can draw on the specialisations of any of the seven academics. (Some of these units are already being offered.) "In this way, students will have access to a wider range of expertise," Ms Meyer said.

"We're not only coordinating curriculum development across our several campuses," she added, "but setting up an 'open' Web site that will enable Indonesian-teaching universities anywhere in the world to contribute to this collaborative development of teaching materials."

Stephen Miller, a UNE Indonesian lecturer who is Project Coordinator for RUILI, said the collaboration would also involve a common "in-country" program, giving students a first-hand experience of Indonesian language and culture. Mr Miller said he had already served – earlier this year – as Resident Director of an "in-country" program based on the Indonesian island of Lombok, and that this program would be integrated into the shared curriculum. "Bringing students from the four universities together for the 'in-country' program will help to build a sense of community among the RUILI participants," he said. (THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show students from UNE, Charles Darwin University and the University of the Sunshine Coast during the in-country program in Lombok earlier this year. Mr Miller is in the back row, second from left.)

"It's a real advantage for me, as an early-career academic, to be working so closely with Indonesian lecturers with decades of experience in the field – including a Professor and an Associate Professor," Mr Miller said. He also pointed out that the inter-university collaboration would make study leave – an essential part of any academic's professional development – more feasible for members of the four Indonesian departments involved, two of which have just a single lecturer.

UNE has already established a name for itself as a leader in the provision of language courses to universities unable themselves to maintain programs in those languages. Through the "UNE Blended Model" of language provision, students at other universities follow the same program (course materials, assignment, exams, etc.) as UNE students – doing much of their work online – and get face-to-face tuition from local tutors. Mr Miller said there was scope within the RUILI project for the delivery of the new, collaborative Indonesian programs – following the "UNE Blended Model" – to universities other than the four participants. "Several universities, in Australia and New Zealand, are interested in this prospect," he said.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:42 AM