Archive for July, 2011

The University of New England will soon offer ancient history enthusiasts a rare opportunity: to view and hear about 50,000 fragments of wall paintings more than 3000 years old from the so-called “Palace of Nestor” at Pylos in Western Greece.

The speaker at the University of New England’s next Aspects of Antiquity lecture on Thursday, August 11 at 5.30pm is a specialist on this site which dates to before 1200 BC.

Professor Jack Davis, the Carl W. Blegen Professor of Greek Archaeology at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, will be the speaker. He is an acknowledged expert on this site, and in this he follows in the footsteps of Carl Blegen who dug at Pylos and (among much else) found wall frescoes there.

The title of the lecture is, “Reconstructing an Iconographical Program of the Palace of Nestor at Pylos: New Wall-Paintings and their Interpretation.”

Professor Davis, accompanied by his wife Dr Sharon Stocker, who is also an archaeologist, is visiting UNE and Armidale as the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens 2011 Visiting Professor. Currently Prof Davis and his wife reside in Athens where he is the Director of the American School of Classical Studies.

All are welcome to his lecture on Thursday evening, which will be held in the Junior Common Room (above the Dining Hall) at Earle Page College. The next morning, Friday 12 August at 9.30 in the University’s Arts Building lecture Theatre 3, Professor Davis will speak at the School of Humanities weekly Research Seminar series. His paper is entitled, “Dateline 1180 BC: The Palace of Nestor after the Collapse of Mycenaean Society”, and concerns who lived in Messenia in W. Greece, and what level of lifestyle and affluence there was before the coming of the Spartans in the 8th century BC.

Enquiries: Greg Horsley on 6773 2390 or 6773 2555.

Aspects of pre-colonial African societies and traditional Japanese music are among the many topics that will be concisely explored during the University of New England’s first “Speed Research Day”.

The “Speed Research Day”, on Monday 1 August, is in fact the 2011 School of Arts Research and Postgraduate Conference. The format of the conference, which comprises 17 research papers, is a new venture for the School of Arts – and for UNE – in restricting the length of the presentations to 10 minutes each. The presenters will be both postgraduate researchers and academic staff members within UNE’s School of Arts.

John Adeleke, a Nigerian writer with seven published novels to his credit, is working on his eighth novel as part of his PhD project at UNE. The novel will expose aspects of pre-colonial African societies, such as kidnappings, ritual killings, and the ostracism of osu (albino) children, that survive to the detriment of African societies today.

Catherine Hallett is conducting research on the music that accompanies traditional rakugo storytelling performances in Japan. “Rakugo is a form of comic storytelling that developed from Buddhist teaching stories,” she explained. “The music ensemble includes the three-stringed shamisen (pictured here), flute, and percussion.” Among other things she’ll be talking about the gender of the performers – the role of women being usually confined to the shamisen. The rakugo storyteller is, traditionally, male.

Later this year Catherine will be spending three months at the Research Centre for Traditional Japanese Music within Kyoto City University of the Arts in Japan, working with an authority on such music.

The one-day conference, in this new experimental format, has been organised by Dr Anne Pender and Dr Tom Bristow. As Dr Pender said, it’s “very demanding to have to speak for only 10 minutes”. And those presenters who will also be participating in the UNE School of Arts round of the international “Three Minute Thesis” competition, to be staged at noon as part of the “Speed Research Day”, will have to focus their thoughts even more sharply in order to interest the audience – and the judges – in their research project in a talk of no more than three minutes.

“The conference program includes papers from all over the School,” Dr Pender said. The subjects include a comparative study of The Divine Comedy and The Chronicles of Narnia, cultural elements in the bilateral relationship of Australia and China, and “connectivity and the unconscious ends of the Internet”.

Several of the presenters – including John Adeleke – are preparing doctoral theses in the recently-introduced “creative research practice” format, which comprises a book-length piece of creative writing as well as a critical analysis of the creative writing project and issues arising from it.

The “Speed Research Day” will be held at UNE’s Oorala Centre, beginning at 9 am and continuing till 4 pm. Everyone is welcome.

The multicultural fabric of the University of New England’s student community was on full display last Friday when international students staged their annual Multicultural Fair.

Students from more than a dozen countries, dressed in colourful national costumes and serving exotic foods, filled the University’s Northern Courtyard with the colours and sounds – as well as the tastes – of nations including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pacific Islands, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Kezang Lhamo and Tshering Nidup – both second-year undergraduate science students from Bhutan – were dispensing Bhutanese dumplings (momo) and sweet yellow rice, Harbin Du (pictured here) – an undergraduate business student from Nanjing – and several of his compatriots were offering Chinese fare including spring rolls, and there was much more besides. Visitors to the fair could sample Middle Eastern sweets reclining in the surroundings of a Bedouin tent, and there was even an Australian stall with Anzac biscuits, Tim Tams, lamingtons and pumpkin scones. There were also displays of national arts, crafts, and dance.

Hundreds of students and staff members from around the UNE campus – as well as people from the wider Armidale community – enjoyed the multicultural atmosphere of the fair. “Because we’ve been welcomed to Armidale, we like to show what we have to offer in return,” said Wae-Jae Tan, a UNE Bachelor of Commerce graduate who was on duty at the Malaysian stall. “The Multicultural Fair brings the world to Armidale.”

For Hawlader Mamum, a newly-arrived postgraduate student from Bangladesh – as for other participants in the fair – an important aspect of the event was meeting fellow students from different countries, and getting an insight into the range of nationalities represented on campus.

“The fair shows staff members and students just how multicultural their campus really is,” said Mark Cooper, Deputy Director of Studies at UNE’s English Language Centre. “It helps to break down cultural barriers and to make our international students feel included in the campus.”

Lesley Nies, Events & Community Engagement Officer for English Language & International Services at UNE, said international students had been “very keen” to participate in the event, which had taken about two months for her to organise in collaboration with students from all the countries represented and staff members from Student Assist. “It’s gone exceptionally well,” Mrs Nies said.

An exhibition of the work of 65 school students, which opened at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale last Friday evening, celebrates the artistic talents of young people throughout northern and north-western NSW.

“It’s very inspiring to see such active and interested young minds at work,” said the Director of NERAM, Caroline Downer, at the opening of the “Let’s Hang It!” exhibition, which includes works by students from as far afield as Tenterfield, Grafton and Camden Haven.

The 65 artists featured in “Let’s Hang It!” are the finalists in the University of New England Schools Acquisitive Art Prize (UNESAP) competition, which is now in its eighth year. This year’s competition attracted 660 entries from students of all ages – from kindergarten to Year 12 – at about 40 schools.

UNE is the major sponsor of the competition, which is also sponsored by NERAM and the art supply company S&S Creativity Unlimited. “This is a really important event in the calendar of the University,” said the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of UNE’s Faculty of The Professions, Professor Victor Minichiello, in officially opening the exhibition. While celebrating the collaborative efforts of UNE, NERAM, and school principals, teachers, parents and students, Professor Minichiello told the young artists that they were “the stars of the show”.

Ms Downer paid tribute to the work of UNE’s Dr Frances Alter, who has coordinated UNESAP from its foundation in 2004 until this year, when UNE handed over the management of the competition to NERAM. This year’s coordinator was Jennifer Butler, who said she had been impressed by the “fantastic range and quality” of the art works submitted.

The guest judge this year was Michelle Schouten, an artist working in the medium of glass who has had 22 years’ experience as a classroom teacher. Speaking to the competition finalists, she recommended the fulfilling life of an artist, saying: “If ever you have an opportunity to become an artist, grab it!”

Ms Schouten presented cash prizes ranging from $50 to $300 to the winners and runners-up in the four Divisions, and Suzanne Edwards from S&S Creativity Unlimited presented each of the four winners with a collection of art supplies.

The winner of the Infants Division of the competition was Jessica Deleiuen from Woodford Dale Public School (Grade 1) with a magical painting of a frog. The runner-up in the Infants Division was Piper Burke from South Grafton Public School (Kindergarten), with a whimsical work titled Pirate Dog. Sam Watson (Grade 4), who attends NERAM Art Classes, was the winner of the Primary School Division and Lily Keft-Gill from Tamworth Public School (Grade 6) was runner-up.

Junior Secondary Division: Keleni Grant (Year 8, Glen Innes High School) winner;  Faith Eadie (Armidale High School, Year 7) runner-up. Senior Secondary Division: Daniel Watts (Tenterfield High School, Year 12) winner; Sorcha Harrop (Armidale High School, Year 11/12) runner-up. Director’s Choice Award: Samuel Cooper (Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, Year 8). People’s Choice Award: Jones Yue (The Armidale School, Year 11).

The “Let’s Hang It!” exhibition will continue at NERAM until the 14th of August.

THE PICTURE displayed here, titled Ashley, is Keleni Grant’s winning entry in the Junior Secondary Division.

The Hon. Joe Hockey MP, Shadow Treasurer in the Australian Parliament and Federal Member for North Sydney, will give a public lecture at the University of New England’s Earle Page College on Wednesday 27 July.

The public lecture, at 8.30 pm in the Earle Page College Dining Hall, will be the 28^th in the College’s Annual Politics Lecture series. Titled “In Defence of Youth”, it will follow a formal dinner for College members and invited guests at which Mr Hockey will be guest of honour.

Each year, the College invites a prominent political figure to speak at its Annual Politics Lecture. Previous speakers have included Philip Ruddock, Julia Gillard, Bob Brown and Tony Abbott. “The Annual Politics Lecture is a very special event for Earle Page College, UNE, and the city of Armidale,” said Andrea Gledhill, Head of Earle Page College. “Over the past 28 years the lectures have provided an opportunity for thousands of people to hear and meet the nation’s leaders.”

Joe Hockey (pictured here) was first elected to the Australian Parliament in 1996 and, after his re-election in 1998, was made Minister for Financial Services and Regulation – one of the youngest Ministers in the history of the Commonwealth.  He has since held a number of Ministerial portfolios, including Small Business and Tourism, Human Services, and Employment and Workplace Relations.

Since the 2007 Federal Election, he has held a number of shadow portfolios.

Mr Hockey attended the University of Sydney, where he completed degrees in Arts and Law. Before entering politics he was a banking and finance lawyer with a major Australian law firm, and was also Director of Policy to the Premier of NSW.

Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, after whom the College and lecture series are named, was chairman of the advisory council for The University of New England College from 1938 until 1954, and then the University’s first Chancellor from 1954 to 1960. He was also Prime Minister for a brief period in 1939.

People seeking more information about the event, or wishing to register their intention to attend, may contact the Earle Page College office on 6773 5300, or e-mail epc@une.edu.au.

Students preparing for tertiary study travelled to the University of New England last Friday (15 July) to share their enthusiasm for science and how it relates to agricultural industries. They travelled to UNE from throughout the New England North West region: from Armidale, Gunnedah, Tamworth, Guyra, Glen Innes, Inverell and Walcha.

For many, it was a reunion with fellow scholarship recipients who spent their holidays last summer touring award-winning agricultural science enterprises, working with agricultural scientists, and finding out about the variety of science-based careers available in agricultural industries. For others – applicants for the next scholarship phase – it was a chance to meet the former participants and get insights into what they will experience in December 2011.

The annual Science-to-Industry Camp, and the five-day Industry Placement (working alongside scientists), are the components of Industry Placement Scholarships administered by the national Primary Industries Centre for Science Education (PICSE), which has one of its NSW activity centres at UNE. Susanna Greig, who coordinates activities for the UNE activity centre, said: “This reunion event allows us to provide students who have been selected for – and have completed – an Industry Placement Scholarship with a further insight into the broad range of science-based careers supporting primary industries. It also provides new applicants for UNE PICSE Scholarships with an opportunity to have a taste of the PICSE program.”

Ms Greig said that the students at last Friday’s reunion event had been challenged to find “buried treasure” with tools used by scientists in UNE’s Precision Agriculture Research Group – including GPS and electromagnetic sensors. They had also identified parasites in sheep, she said, and had met former PICSE Scholarship recipients who were now students at UNE to find out about courses and opportunities for study at UNE.

“Today’s secondary students have to realise that farming for the future needs to be smart,” said UNE’s Professor David Lamb, leader of the Precision Agriculture Research Group. “We need people with scientific skills in agriculture.”

Morgan Murtagh, a Year 11 student from O’Connor Catholic College who has applied for a PICSE Industry Placement Scholarship, said that the event on Friday had given him a great insight into advances in farming – including the use of advanced technologies such as GPS.

“Having lived on a property all my life, I wanted to find out about employment opportunities in agricultural industries, and available courses and scholarships for tertiary study in agricultural science,” Morgan said.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Morgan Murtagh (right) and UNE’s Derek Schneider. It was taken at the reunion event during an activity related to precision agriculture.

A new book launched at the University of New England earlier this month is likely to become a “must have” for students considering postgraduate research.

UNE’s Professor Ray Cooksey wrote Surviving and Thriving in Postgraduate Research together with Professor Gael McDonald from Deakin University. The book is published by Tilde University Press.

Designed specifically for Australian and New Zealand students, as well as for international students studying in Australasia, Surviving and Thriving in Postgraduate Research contains practical advice and a guide to resources in an accessible, plain-language style.

It helps the reader through the postgraduate research process and the planning and production of a thesis, and assists in addressing the challenges along the way. “The book focuses on the effective design and management of a postgraduate research project – from its inception and the commencement of a relationship with supervisors through to the submission and examination of the dissertation,” the publishers say.

“We wrote the book to answer all those questions that emerge for students during their postgraduate research journey,” Professor Cooksey said.

Ray Cooksey (pictured here), from UNE’s School of Business, Economics and Public Policy, is also the author of Illustrating Statistical Procedures: For business, behavioural and social science research (Tilde University Press, 2007) and Judgment Analysis: Theory, methods, and applications (Academic Press, 1996).

Professor Annabelle Duncan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at UNE, launched Surviving and Thriving in Postgraduate Research during the sixth annual Postgraduate Conference of UNE’s Faculty of The Professions.

Professor Alison Sheridan, Head of the School of Business, Economics and Public Policy, said at the book launch that Professors Cooksey and McDonald had been presenters at the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management’s doctoral workshops for many years. She said that they had brought to the writing of their book “a breadth of experience, and the ability to connect with students, that makes Surviving and Thriving in Postgraduate Research a particularly valuable resource for all students embarking on their research careers”.

Kate Lumber, a Year 12 student at McCarthy Catholic College, Tamworth, was selected as one of 10 young people from across the nation to attend an influential government and industry forum in Canberra. The 10 students had all gained fresh insights into the science behind primary industries as recipients of Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) Industry Placement Scholarships.

Representing the University of New England’s PICSE program, Kate (pictured here) made a presentation to the Canberra Think Tank, informed by her PICSE Scholarship experience, about careers in the science that supports food security in Australia.

The Think Tank saw students, politicians and representatives of industry discuss Australia’s shortage of trained scientists in the areas of food and water. The new PICSE Advisory Board Chairman, Professor Alan Robson, opened the program and told the audience that as a nation we needed “a steady stream of passionate young people moving into a range of science-based careers”. Tony Windsor, Federal Member for New England, also addressed the Think Tank and highlighted the need to support many aspects of Australia’s primary industries.

During a reception at Parliament House, the Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, said it was vital that students were given opportunities to learn more about science because they would be the researchers of the future. “PICSE has a highly innovative approach to science education that not only inspires future scientists but links to important global issues like future food supply and changing climates,” Senator Carr said.

“The PICSE Scholarship has been a wonderful experience – one that I am truly grateful for,” Kate said. “It has given me an in-depth insight into the large variety of careers available in primary industries. I now feel confident that I wish not only to pursue a career in agricultural industry, but also to study for a Bachelor of Rural Science degree at the University of New England.”

The Primary Industry Centre for Science Education is a national education program encompassing professional development for teachers, class resources, learning activities, and student camps and industry placements – all aimed at making the study of science and its role in primary industry vital and relevant to Australian teachers and students. Susanna Greig, the Science Education Officer for UNE PICSE, accompanied Kate Lumber at the Canberra forum, which ran from the 20^th to the 22^nd of June.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Kate Lumber displayed here was taken during her presentation to the Canberra Think Tank.

Australia’s first Graduate Certificate in Precision Agriculture  program will be offered by the University of New England, commencing in January 2012.

“This study program is the fruit of more than 20 years’ experience within the University’s Precision Agriculture Research Group, which has worked in the development and application of precision agriculture technologies in a variety of industries – including broadacre cropping, horticulture, viticulture, and livestock systems,” said UNE’s Dr Mark Trotter, the coordinator of the new Graduate Certificate (Grad Cert Precision Ag) program.

The industry-informed course involves the completion of four semester-long units. The two core units, “Precision Agriculture” and “Introduction to Geographical Information Systems”, cover  global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and their application; handling spatial data and the practical use of geographic information systems (GIS); the application of remote sensing to agricultural landscapes; soil, vegetation and yield variability and the sensors used to measure it; livestock tracking and pasture management systems; the economics of precision agriculture; issues associated with the adoption of new technologies.

“Students will get the opportunity to apply their skills through hands-on experience with current and emerging precision agriculture technologies such as EM38 soil sensors, GNSS survey equipment, ground-based active optical sensors, airborne optical sensors, livestock tracking technologies, the ‘Pastures from Space’ program, and both farm-specific and generic geographical information systems,” Dr Trotter said.

A pool of elective units (from which students will select and complete two) includes: “Business Skills for the Agricultural Consultant”, “Remote Sensing and Image Analysis”, “Spatial Analysis and Modelling”, “Remote Sensing and Surveying”, and a research project unit with a precision agriculture focus.

“Precision agriculture is a rapidly developing field of research and commercial activity both in the more traditional plant industries and also increasingly in the livestock sector,” Dr Trotter said. “Producers are seeking to increase their production efficiency, and new technologies offer the potential to take advantage of the spatial and temporal variability that occurs across their landscapes and amongst their livestock. This Graduate Certificate program meets a significant need to develop experts in this field; the industry is crying out for people who can assist in the implementation of precision agriculture technologies.”

The Grad Cert Precision Ag course is available for study both on and off campus, and can be completed part-time over one or two years.

For inquiries about the new course phone 1800 818 865 or go to http://www.une.edu.au/future

THE IMAGE displayed here is a biomass map produced by the recently-developed “Raptor” airborne crop sensor during trials of the sensor by UNE’s Precision Agriculture Research Group.

More support is needed to prevent children from suffering the loss of access to their grandparents because of family disputes, according to a researcher at the University of New England.

UNE’s Professor of Early Childhood Studies, Margaret Sims (pictured here), says that while the importance to children of relationships with their grandparents is clear, the legal system could create barriers in cases where the relationship between the child’s parents and grandparents has broken down.

In her recent study with Dr Maged Rofail, Professor Sims said that the rights of both grandchildren and grandparents needed to be given higher priority, and that arguments between a child’s parents and grandparents could be dealt with by better support for counselling and mediation.

“As many of these arise from feelings of hurt, pain and anger, counselling and mediation have a high likelihood of creating families where relationships can be managed in a more positive manner,” the study concludes. “This is to the advantage of all parties, but particularly the grandchildren themselves. Acting in the best interests of the child requires the legal system to put more effort into supporting the grandparent-grandchild relationship rather than allowing the relationship to fracture on the understanding that attempting resolution will stress parents.”

The study suggests that this could include “court-ordered (i.e. compulsory) mediation or counselling so that underlying problems exacerbating grandparent-grandchild contact problems (such as disagreements between grandparents and their adult children, and breakdown of in-law relationships) are dealt with in a manner that enables children to maintain relationships with their grandparents”.

“While people do feel hurt – sometimes very hurt – in family disputes, the real point is the welfare of growing children,” Professor Sims said. “We need to provide support that enables difficulties between parents and their children to heal so grandchildren don’t suffer.

“One of the big problems we now see is that children are tending to lose out by being isolated in nuclear families instead of being nourished by an extended family.”

At the same time, Professor Sims added, grandparents themselves often go through enormous suffering when denied access to their grandchildren, and this itself could lead to large social as well as personal costs.

Professor Sims has published a number of books in this area, including Social Inclusion and the Early Years Learning Framework, and is the Editor of the Australian Journal of Early Childhood. She says it is important that parents be receptive to dealing with difficulties with their own parents, and to make an effort to ensure that they are involved in the lives of their grandchildren. “Generally speaking, the more people in children’s lives the better,” she said. “Parents need to make time for the relationships with grandparents; they have to see that they’re important.”