Chairman Australian National Fabrication Facility Dr Bob Frater, CEO Australian National Fabrication Facility Rosie Hicks and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish.
16 April 2008
16 April 2008
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Chairman Australian National Fabrication Facility Dr Bob Frater, CEO Australian National Fabrication Facility Rosie Hicks and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish. |
Monash has signed an agreement with the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) which will see a $45 million purpose-built facility known as the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) developed next to the Clayton campus.
The MCN is the Victorian node of the national network which aims to boost Australia's presence in the rapidly growing nano and bio-nanotechnological markets.
Monash University is the lead agency for the project, which is a collaborative initiative between state and federal governments, the CSIRO and several other Victorian universities.
Located close to the Australian Synchrotron and the CSIRO, the MCN will be one of Australia's flagship nanotech facilities.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish said the MCN would help create a research and innovation precinct adjacent to the Clayton campus.
"The effectiveness of the collaboration is a testament to the commitment and capabilities of all the parties involved and provides us with a fantastic opportunity to enhance our already strong capability in nanofabrication," Professor Cornish said.
"It will cement Victoria's position as a centre of excellence in nanotechnology."
The centre is unique in that it will offer a wide range of services for the development and manufacture of prototypes and products from a broad discipline base. These include:
The facility will be open to national and international research and industry users who will be able to collaborate with other scientific disciplines and institutions such as Monash. The goal is to maximise cross-disciplinary interaction on a national basis.
It will also act as a training ground for the next generation of researchers wanting to study advanced micro/nano manufacturing.
As part of the project, Monash and other MCN participant partners CSIRO, Deakin University, La Trobe University, Swinburne University, the University of Melbourne and RMIT University have agreed to make their own key nano-related facilities available to researchers.
The MCN will be developed at the corner of Blackburn and Wellington Road and is expected to be operational by the end of 2009.
Facilities at participant institutions will be made available over the coming months.
16 April 2008
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The Wolithiga Clan dancers performed at a public lecture on Indigenous education delivered recently by two Monash Education Faculty lecturers. |
Henry Atkinson and Dr Zane Ma Rhea from the Faculty of Education called for improvements to Indigenous education at a public lecture at Federation Square recently.
More than 180 people attended the lecture, held as part of a series of lectures to celebrate Monash's 50th Anniversary.
Mr Atkinson, an Aboriginal elder, reflected on his own experiences at school stressing the important role education had to play in creating long-term, positive changes to the lives of Indigenous Australians.
"I look forward to the day when all our prospective educators must go through the unit for Indigenous awareness, making for holistic classrooms for the betterment of all students, Australia-wide," Mr Atkinson said.
Dr Ma Rhea said education was the key to creating the Aboriginal leaders, teachers, professionals and self-sufficient individuals of the future.
"Education is capable of expanding opportunities for full social, political and economic participation," she said.
"I would like to see a partnership plan where Indigenous communities and families work with high-performing state and independent schools to find the right fit."
The event was capped off with a captivating performance by Wolithiga Clan dancers.
To view a videorecording of the lecture, email Education Faculty Marketing Manager Rosie Johnston at Rosie.Johnston@education.monash.edu.au.
16 April 2008
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SIFE Monash's first project for 2008 is called soy candle independence. It aims to teach out-of-work immigrant mothers how to make, market and sell soy candles. |
A group of Monash students is hoping to improve opportunities for disadvantaged women as well as develop their own business skills.
Students in Free Enterprise Monash (SIFE) have put the call out to students and faculty supervisors to join them in implementing innovative community development projects.
SIFE Monash is made up of 10 students from faculties including Arts, Law, IT and Commerce.
The team works together to develop and implement projects that create greater economic opportunity for disadvantaged individuals while learning valuable skills in social responsibility and leadership.
The projects are then presented to a panel of business representatives at a national SIFE competition with winners going on to compete with leading universities from around the world.
SIFE Monash's first project for 2008 is called soy candle independence. It aims to teach out-of-work immigrant mothers how to make, market and sell soy candles.
The first stage has been to expand an existing small business by improving methods of production, increasing profits and breaking into the commercial market after which time immigrant participants will work alongside the business owner.
Last year's Monash team developed a handbook to help disadvantaged individuals navigate the justice system, equipping them with essential life and financial skills along the way. The project proved successful with SIFE Monash taking home $2000 and a trip to the HSBC Financial Literacy Forum in New York at the National Championships.
SIFE Monash member Manoja Josyula said: "SIFE is about taking what you have learnt from university to the community and making a real, sustainable difference.
"It is an excellent avenue to improve professional and personal expertise in an international business context and is an invaluable opportunity to nurture a wide range of skills.
"We're looking for students with skills in design, IT and media as well as students from various faculties such as Commerce, Education, Law, Design, Technology and Arts."
This year's National Competition will be held in Brisbane from July 10-12. The winning team will represent Australia at the SIFE World Cup in Singapore in October.
If you are interested in becoming involved in SIFE or if you would like further information email sifemonash@hotmail.com or visit the SIFE Australia website.
16 April 2008
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Medicine student Justin Sherwin has been recognised for his management skills with a Future Leaders Scholarship. |
Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery student Justin Sherwin has been recognised for his outstanding academic and professional achievements by being awarded a $15,000 grant under the 2008 McDonald's Charlie Bell Scholarship for Future Leaders.
Created in memory of the company's late CEO, Australian Charlie Bell, the scholarship is designed to encourage people to realise their academic and professional goals.
Mr Sherwin was awarded one of two $15,000 grants.
"My ultimate goal is to assume a leadership position within medicine," Mr Sherwin said. Receiving this scholarship has meant I am one giant step closer to accomplishing my goals."
Apart from his final year studies, Mr Sherwin is an active volunteer who works extensively with third world countries. He is also involved in fundraising activities and seminars to share his overseas experiences.
"All of the research and volunteering I have undertaken to date in the developing world has been at my own cost, so financial assistance from the scholarship will assist me in continuing to make a difference," Mr Sherwin said.
16 April 2008
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From left: Corazon de la Paz-Bernardo from the International Social Security Association, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law Senator Nick Sherry, Hugh Moor from the Victorian Government, Ken Waller from the Melbourne APEC Finance Centre and Professor Michael Skully from the Faculty of Business and Economics. |
Representatives from superannuation funds and regulators in the Asia-Pacific region have sought guidance from the Melbourne APEC Finance Centre at Monash University.
The representatives visited the centre to learn about alternative superannuation structures and schemes that would help with the development and expansion of their existing systems.
APEC Finance Centre Director Ken Waller said superannuation in the Asia-Pacific region was a rapidly growing sector and the organisations there needed guidance on how best to improve super schemes.
"Research shows that pensions and funds under management are expected to grow on average by 15 percent over the next ten years with China, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Thailand well exceeding this," Mr Waller said.
"With growth so strong in the region, pressure is being placed on many governments to reform their pension arrangements and put systems in place that will meet the needs of their ageing workforces."
Monash University is able to share its experience and technical capacity with emerging economies as they grow and demand new regulatory frameworks to strengthen their superannuation and pension systems.
"Monash University's APEC Finance Centre has experienced people to assist with developing superannuation programs overseas and it also has the benefit of being able to draw on first-hand knowledge gained through the success of the Australian scheme," Mr Waller said.
"Superannuation funds in Australia have ballooned to over one trillion dollars under management."
Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law Senator Nick Sherry also spoke at the function on a range of superannuation issues.
For more information visit the Melbourne APEC Finance Centre website.
16 April 2008
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Post-doctoral research fellow Preetika Balanathan has won one of only nine Post Graduate Support Grants worth $24,000. |
Post-doctoral research fellow Preetika Balanathan has been awarded a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Post Graduate Support Grant of $24,000 to assist her research into the biological processes that cause prostate cancer as it progresses into different stages.
Mrs Balanathan is one of nine researchers selected for the grant from more than 300 applications.
The prostate is dependent on the male hormone testosterone in conjunction with a sequential system that allows for healthy development and maintenance.
Disruption of this system can induce the loss of regulatory controls and could be a cause of prostate cancer.
"We have discovered that when prostate cancer is still in the hormone-dependent stage there is a growth factor known as inhibin-alpha (INHA) which acts as a tumour suppressor," Ms Balanathan said.
"However when the cancer progresses it moves to a hormone-independent-stage and the role of INHA changes, losing its tumour suppressive role and/or gaining the ability to promote tumour growth and spread of the disease."
The funding will allow Dr Balanathan to expand the scope of this important work and determine the biological mechanisms involved in the different activities of INHA at different stages of the disease.
"We hope to develop a greater understanding of the roles of INHA and why these roles change in different stages of the disease. This will allow us to know when treatments would be most effective."
GSK Post Graduate Support Grants are designed to support promising research in the field of human health and are part of ongoing efforts to improve the outcomes and educational benefits of medical research.
16 April 2008
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According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and National Breast Cancer Centre one in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85. |
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and National Breast Cancer Centre one in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85.
In fact, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in females with more than 2640 women dying each year from the disease.
You can raise money to help find a cure and get fit in the process by joining TeamMONASH™ at the Mothers Day Classic, the biggest community fundraising event for breast cancer in Australia.
With over 22,000 people participating in Victoria alone last year, this national walk/run event gives people the chance to make a real difference to the lives of those diagnosed with breast cancer.
Starting in the Melbourne CBD, the route takes walkers and runners through the beautiful Botanic Gardens.
Participants who are entering as part of TeamMONASH™
All proceeds from the event are donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation
Project team leader Andreia Marques said TeamMONASH™ hoped to build on its team of 623 from the 2007 event.
"We're aiming to have more than 1000 TeamMONASH™ participants this year," Ms Marques said.
"We encourage those who have previously attended to take part again and this year, bring their family and friends.
"Staff, students and community members wanting to train up for the event can join Monash Sport fitness centres at Clayton, Caulfield and Peninsula campuses."
The Mothers Day Classic will be held on Sunday 11 May, 2008 from 7.45am. You can register online at the Monash Sport website.
A pre-event function will be held on Tuesday 29 April to distribute participant uniforms and event information.
16 April 2008
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Monash's Earth Hour results show that we can play an important role in energy reduction every day by simply switching off lights and equipment when not needed or not in use. |
Well done to all staff and students who participated in Monash Earth Hour.
Offices, laboratories, libraries, Monash Sport and campus centres switched off at noon on March 31 in support of the global campaign to increase awareness of climate change and demonstrate that individual action can make a difference.
More than 1000 people registered their pledge to switch off all non-essential lighting and equipment via the Monash website.
And the effort was worth it with a 23% decrease in energy demand for the hour. Peninsula campus achieved the most significant decrease of 29%.
The results are very encouraging when viewed next to the University's commitment to reduce energy use by 20% by 2010.
Earth Hour shows that all staff and students can play an important role in energy reduction every day by simply switching off lights and equipment when not needed or not in use.
To view the results for your campus visit the Monash green website or you can learn about reducing your energy use on campus by reading the Monash Energy Guide.
Thank you to all staff and students for their support and participation in the first Monash Earth Hour.
16 April 2008
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Dr Burke's research will examine the notion of the lone artistic genius and how art is produced within creative partnerships. |
Renowned novelist, curator and scholar Dr Janine Burke has taken up a five-year research fellowship with the Faculty of Arts.
Dr Burke said her research would examine the notion of the lone artistic genius, exploring the dynamic creative partnerships between poet Rainer Maria Rilke and sculptor Auguste Rodin, artist Hannah Höch and sculptor and writer Raoul Hausmann, Australian artists Thea Proctor and Margaret Preston, and musician John Lennon and artist Yoko Ono.
"My research will challenge the idea that making art is a solitary occupation, instead focusing on productive relationships that have resulted in key artworks," Dr Burke said.
During Dr Burke's fellowship she will curate exhibitions at Monash and in Toronto, Canada and convene a conference at the Prato Centre.
Dr Burke has had an outstanding career in the creative arts. She has written sixteen books of art history, biography and fiction including the groundbreaking Australian Women Artists, Australian Gothic: A Life of Albert Tucker and The gods of Freud: Sigmund Freud's Art Collection.
She won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award in 1987 and has been short listed for the Miles Franklin award, The Age Book of the Year award and many other key Australian writing prizes.
Dean of Arts, Professor Rae Frances said the Faculty of Arts was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a wonderful scholar and to foster the Faculty's already strong relationship with the arts.
Dr Burke holds the fellowship jointly in the Centre for Women's Studies and Gender Research, School of Political and Social Inquiry
Listen to the POD cast of Dr Burke's welcome.
2 April 2008
The Senior Management Summit and the Council Summit were held in February. These meetings concentrated on identifying the priorities for Monash University over the next five years. This month's report will summarise these priorities.
The ten values listed in the Strategic Framework 2004-2008 will continue to underpin the activities of Monash University for the next five years. Thus, although the University has made great progress towards achieving excellence in education, research and management, much remains to be done. The University will continue to have a strong international focus. It will continue to value fairness, innovation and creativity, diversity and integrity and to strive for increased engagement with governments, industry and the community and for a greater degree of financial self-reliance.
The recruitment, retention and development of the best possible staff and students will therefore remain absolute priorities because ultimately the University will only be as good as its human capital. Similarly, equity objectives and, particularly, strategies to increase the number and educational outcomes of Indigenous students will continue.
But within this framework a number of specific priorities can be identified for the next five years which if realised will help us to become one of the world's great universities.
The Priorities:
1. Develop and badge an innovative approach to learning and teaching
A lot of time and effort has been invested in reviewing our coursework structure. We must now put this together to develop an innovative educational program built around the principles agreed during the review. We must be able to describe the principles on which our programs are based in terms which are simple and persuasive so that Monash degrees become synonymous with innovation and educational excellence. New educational technologies will be incorporated into all programs and will facilitate intercampus educational programs and a virtual international experience for all students.
2. Engage more effectively with business and industry
In both education and research, it is essential that Monash University enhances its relations with business and industry. In education, periods of work experience in relevant business and industry environments enable students to become more focused on their studies and to recognise the relevance of what they are learning. In research, Monash must become the most successful university at developing partnerships with industry that lead to substantial industry-funded research.
3. Develop the Clayton precinct around Monash, CSIRO and the Australian Synchrotron as a key centre for innovation
The Clayton campus of Monash University is strategically located adjacent to the largest division of CSIRO and the Australian Synchrotron in the heart of the light-manufacturing sector of Victoria. A nanofabrication facility is to be constructed adjoining the Synchrotron. This precinct should gradually be transformed by research and innovation emanating from Monash University and CSIRO and by investment by government and industry into an innovation precinct driving the economy of Victoria and Australia.
4. Consolidate the biomedical and health research being undertaken in Monash University, affiliated institutes and hospitals
Monash University now has the top-ranking biomedical research departments in the country and also houses the world-ranking Monash Institute of Medical Research, the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, clinical departments with diverse research interests and one of the leading public health and epidemiology departments in the country. Extensive research relevant to health also takes place in the faculties of Pharmacy, Science, Engineering, Arts, Law, IT and Business and Economics. There are a number of medical research institutes and teaching hospitals affiliated with Monash University. We must develop a governance structure that encourages sharing of research platforms, optimal research collaboration and effective translation of basic research into new approaches to disease prevention and treatment.
5. Develop research themes for all campuses
Monash University has a complex multi-campus structure. This provides opportunities to engage with local industries and communities taking advantage of the geographic location, while also being able to tap the research expertise of all of Monash University. We should not try to create eight campuses with identical research strengths. Each campus must conduct excellent research, taking advantage of its particular opportunities. A similar differentiation is occurring or has occurred in educational programs, responding to local needs.
6. Achieve university status for Monash South Africa with student numbers greater than 5000, a better than break-even budget and a strong research focus
Monash South Africa has made stunning progress over the last four years with the number of students quadrupling to over 2100 and the budget deficit halving. New academic programs have been developed although emphasis has been placed on strengthening the existing disciplines rather than developing extensive new programs. The next five years are crucial for the campus. The growth in student numbers must be maintained, with a larger proportion of students from South Africa. Corporate support for student bursaries must be increased to ensure that able students from disadvantaged backgrounds continue to increase in number and the academic programs should diversify to include aspects of health sciences, education and science at undergraduate and graduate levels. The campus must develop a strong research program, relevant to the needs of Africa and building on the strengths at Monash in Australia.
7. Increase student numbers at Monash University Sunway to greater than 6000, complete stage 2 of campus development and create strong research and research training programs
The new campus of Monash University at Sunway provides a wonderful underpinning for the next phase of this exciting university. The campus must become a real flagship for Monash University, located strategically in South East Asia. The growth in student numbers must continue and the research program should be expanded so that Monash University at Sunway will be recognised as one of the research power houses of South East Asia with extensive collaborations with the leading research universities in Malaysia and Singapore and substantial support for research from industry and the Malaysian government.
8. Further develop our international strategy in India, China, Europe and North America
The proposed research academy with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) must be successful in recruiting high quality PhD students and attracting sufficient industry support for research and PhD scholarships.
Over the next five years we must take advantage of our opportunities in China by developing extensive student exchange and research collaborations with Sichuan University and other Chinese partner universities as well as developing industry-funded research with China.
Monash University's Prato Centre has raised the profile of Monash University in Europe. We must continue to develop our academic programs at Prato so that it truly becomes a venue for international education and an avenue for research collaboration in Europe. We must also take advantage of Australia's associate membership of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory to develop the major node of an EMBL partner laboratory at Monash.
We must leverage our international partnerships in North America and Europe to obtain more international research funding and international experience for our students.
9. Continue our capital development program and renewal of our facilities
Although the last decade has seen a major renewal of physical facilities at our campuses, much remains to be done. Priorities in our capital program for the next five years will be completion of the Menzies refurbishment, the Caulfield Western Precinct redevelopment including a new Law faculty building, refurbishment and remodelling of the Matheson and Caulfield libraries and a major redevelopment of the science and engineering precincts at Clayton. There will also need to be further capital development to cope with increasing student numbers at Monash University Sunway and Monash South Africa. We have also made a commitment to reduce energy use and to work towards carbon neutrality for our campuses. This will require a major program of retrofitting existing buildings and of course ensuring that new buildings are built to the most demanding environmental standards.
These developments will require major additional income and in some cases external funding schemes. They emphasise the need to increase the degree of philanthropic support, and the need to be successful in acquiring funds through the Higher Education Endowment Fund and other government sources.
10. Increase operating dollars per student in real terms
There has been a decrease in the funding available per Commonwealth Supported Place of about $1200 per student in 2008 terms since the early 1990s. To be internationally competitive in terms of the quality of our education and research we must increase the funding per student. We must continue to attract international students, increase the number of Australian postgraduate students and ensure that our fees represent the true cost of delivering world quality degrees. We must also ensure we are successful in the new funding environment of the "Education Revolution" of the Rudd Labor Government.
Conclusion:
Monash University has been very successful in its first fifty years. It is well-placed to become one of the world's great universities. This is not an end in its own right. Its importance lies in the benefits that will come to the Australian and international community from having the outcomes of principled, quality education and outstanding research addressing problems of national and global significance.
16 April 2008
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Name: Dr Stuart Batten
Dept: School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
How long have you been with Monash University?
Since 1996 -- 12 years. It doesn't seem that long.
Prior to working at Monash, where were you located and what was your role?
I completed my degrees at the University of Melbourne, then a Post Doc at the University of Bristol, followed by a year of short-term Post Doc positions bouncing between Melbourne and Monash. Then I got a fellowship at Monash, and have been here ever since.
What challenges are ahead in your current role?
In addition to all my other research and teaching, I'm trying to finish a book. I am also co-chairing the first Australasian school on crystallography. Both feel like they're in complete chaos, and by the end of July I'll be in a dark corner gently rocking back and forth and mumbling to myself. But nonetheless they're both exciting challenges and I'm looking forward to making a success of them both.
In a nutshell, what is crystal engineering and why is it at the cutting edge of scientific research?
Crystal engineering tries to understand the way that molecules pack together to give a solid, and to use that understanding to design new solids. This is important because the properties of a solid are often governed by the way its molecules pack. For example, both diamond and graphite (the lead in your pencil) are made up of carbon atoms, just arranged in different ways. As a result, one is the hardest known substance to man, the other is soft enough to rub off on a page. We try to control the arrangement of molecules not atoms, and the properties we're interested in include magnetic properties, porosity (including storage of gases such as hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide) and catalysis. But our main interest is the basic fundamental science.
What is it about crystal engineering research that holds your interest or is particularly satisfying?
The best part is seeing a new crystal structure for the first time. How do the molecules arrange themselves? Do they do it in a way we might have expected, or is it completely different to what we thought might happen? That moment of anticipation when you first bring up a new structure on the computer is very exciting. And the most enjoyable results are usually when the structure has done something completely and utterly unexpected!
Earlier this month you were recognised in the Thomson Scientific Research Day and Citation Awards -- and I believe you have an average of 44 citations per paper! What advice do you have for up and coming researchers?
I still like to regard myself as 'up and coming', but I guess that avoids the question. For the wannabe academic I would say be persistent (even stubborn) -- from personal experience I know that getting a tenured position can be very difficult, so keep at it (and always think about what you need to do to get to the next step). For the research itself, I would say always stop to think about what your results are telling you. Also, read the literature in your field continuously and voraciously -- it helps you understand the context of your own work, and I find it a great source of new ideas. And finally, your research is not finished until it is published. All that time spent doing the research is pointless if you don't tell anyone what you've found.
Of all the places in the world you would like to visit/re-visit, where is your favourite destination and why?
I always enjoy going 'home' -- North East Victoria, where I grew up. Internationally, I've fallen in love with both Florence and New Zealand. I couldn't say for sure why -- something intangible (and different) about both places. And having lived there for a year, I love the UK, where even the tiniest village can have a church that's stood there for a 1000 years!
What is something about yourself that most of your colleagues wouldn't know?
My music collection is full of heavy metal and bogan music -- Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Guns 'n' Roses, Led Zeppelin, etc..
16 April 2008
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The Clayton campus in Melbourne is one of the only University campuses in Australia with its own postcode - 3800. The campus covers an area of 1.1 km (sq).