Professor Lenore Manderson is the driving force behind research exploring the impact of complementary and alternative medicines on type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
23 April 2008
23 April 2008
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Professor Lenore Manderson is the driving force behind research exploring the impact of complementary and alternative medicines on type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. |
Professor Lenore Manderson from the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine has received $660,000 funding from the National Health, Medical and Research Council for research into the effects of alternative and complementary medicines on type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing Senator Jan McLucas announced the funding at the third International Congress on Complementary Medicine Research at Darling Harbour in Sydney.
"Complementary medicine usage represents a substantial proportion of activity in the Australian health care sector," Senator McLucas said.
"More than $2 billion is spent nationally, with up to two-thirds of the Australian adult population using at least one product and one in four using complementary medicine services."
Professor Manderson agrees: "Seventy percent of all Australians make use of some complementary or alternative therapy almost always in addition to conventional medicine.
"We are interested in how people use these therapies when they have been prescribed medication for chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus," Professor Manderson said.
"We assume people combine medication with other therapies and products although they may not consult their doctor and there may be no communication between the doctor and the alternative therapist."
Professor Manderson said with improved treatment and life expectancy many people were living longer with chronic conditions.
"Failure to adhere to medical advice, including regular medication and other aspects of self-care, results in the development of complications and greater demands on the health system," she said.
"We will examine whether patients who see alternative therapists or take complementary medicines are more or less likely to adhere to doctors' medical, diet and exercise advice and whether this heavier use of services reflects greater concern with their health status.
"We also want to determine whether people inform their doctors of alternative therapy treatment during their consultations and, if not, whether this derives from a possible misconception that they would be discouraged."
Professor Manderson said this type of communication may be of vital importance if a person is taking herbs as well as prescribed medicine.
"Our findings will help determine what impact the burgeoning complementary health sector is having on the treatment, costs and management of chronic diseases in our society," Professor Manderson said.
Professor Manderson will collaborate with colleagues from the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine as well as a researcher from La Trobe University.
23 April 2008
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my.monash portal is accessed by more than 35,000 students and 3500 staff every day. |
For the second consecutive year Monash University's portal my.monash has won the Hitwise Online Performance Award in recognition of outstanding online business achievement.
This category includes the websites of all educational institutions and places people go to learn, such as universities, schools and TAFE colleges. It also encompasses the websites of any organisation dealing with official education administration.
The my.monash portal was launched in July 2000 and is accessed by more than 35,000 students and 3500 staff every day. On the first day of Semester One this year 47,191 Monash staff and students logged onto my.monash.
Executive Director Information Technology Services Division Alan McMeekin said the award highlighted the value my.monash provides to Monash students and staff.
"The guiding philosophy of my.monash is to provide each member of the Monash community with the relevant information, resources and services they need for their specific role within the University," Mr McMeekin said.
Monash University Library Director of Central Services and chair of the my.monash steering committee Janette Burke said: "The my.monash portal is the place to have your information if you want to communicate with students and staff at Monash."
"Thanks to its popularity, the portal provides an ongoing opportunity for all areas of the University to think creatively about how they can connect and communicate directly with students and staff."
Via the my.monash portal students and staff can:
If you have a service, information or suggestion for my.monash, please let the portal team know via the "feedback" link located top right on each my.monash page.
23 April 2008
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Journalism student Ylana Burton said her experience as an intern at UNESCO was priceless. |
Journalism student Ylana Burton spent an anxious couple of months waiting to see if her application for an internship at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) media unit in Paris was successful.
After many emails to France enquiring about the position, she felt she had missed out, but then received an email 'out of the blue' saying she could start in less than three weeks.
UNESCO is a specialised agency of the United Nations, established in 1945 to promote international collaboration through education, science and culture.
Ms Burton learnt about the internship program following a group study excursion in July 2007 to the UK, France and Brussels for her Applied Journalism Research Project unit where she visited media organisations such as the BBC, Reuters, The Guardian and UNESCO.
During her internship Ylana was based in the Bureau of Public Information's press relations section which is responsible for the development of UNESCO's online magazine and liaising with media about program launches, delegations, meetings and reports.
"My main tasks were monitoring media coverage and editing the UNESCO Courier," Ms Burton said.
"Towards the end of my internship I started to write media advisories which was challenging because I had to convey a lot of technical information in a way that was informative but media friendly."
Ms Burton said the experience she gained at UNESCO was priceless.
"My eyes were opened to the variety of work available in the media industry," she said.
"After this experience I feel I will be more confident to enter an environment where I don't really know the specifics but will be able to apply past knowledge and pick the rest up as I go."
Applied Journalism Research Project subject adviser Andrea Baker, who supervised last year's excursion, said internships were an important aspect of a student's learning experience, giving them a head start in their career.
23 April 2008
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Untitled (2005) by Judith Scott, one of the many pieces to feature in Without Borders: Outsider Art in an Antipodean Context. |
A compelling exhibition of "outsider" artworks is on display at Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA).
Outsider art is the term commonly used to refer to creative works made by people with no formal art training who create work based on their inner experience, without reference to mainstream art practice.
Without Borders: Outsider Art in an Antipodean Context is curated by Glenn Barkley and Peter Fay.
The exhibition's title reflects their desire to extend definitions of outsider art and position the work of Australian and New Zealand artists within an international context.
It includes painting, sculpture, photography, books, film and animation.
"Without Borders focuses on the artists' ability to create rich visual worlds based on popular culture, mythology and lived experience," Mr Barkley said.
"It includes key works by seminal practitioners Alfred Wallis, Howard Finster and Morton Bartlett, together with works of lesser known international, Australian and New Zealand outsider artists.
"Works made in the 1930s are presented alongside works from the present day."
A panel discussion will be held at the Museum on Thursday 22 May at 4.30pm to consider the wider issues around outsider art, including its relationship to the mainstream and the contexts and complexities of collecting and exhibiting outsider artwork.
Without Borders: Outsider Art in an Antipodean Context runs until 21 June, 2008.
For further information contact MUMA on +61 3 9905 4217 or visit the MUMA website.
23 April 2008
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Associate Professor Michael Ackland will continue his research into diverse forms of cultural interaction between Australia and Japan during his year-long professorship at the University of Tokyo. |
Associate Professor Michael Ackland from the School of English, Communication and Performance Studies will head to Japan in October after he was selected for a Visiting Professorship at the University of Tokyo.
While in Japan Associate Professor Ackland will continue his research into diverse forms of cultural interaction between Australia and Japan, and on the responses of notable Australian authors to Japanese society.
Professor Ackland said he was very excited about the opportunity to return to Japan, having first visited as part of a research project in 1990.
"Japan is still a great mystery to me," Professor Ackland said.
"I expect it still will be at the end of my term, but I'm sure to learn a lot.
"The Japanese and their culture are just fascinating and it is a marvellous opportunity both to learn more about their country and to kindle their interest in Australia."
Chair of the selection panel Professor Kate Darian-Smith said the position would play a vital role in strengthening academic relations between Australia and Japan.
"This is an exciting and unique opportunity for an Australian academic to live and teach in Japan and to forge research links with international colleagues," Professor Darian-Smith said.
"The position also contributes more broadly to the exchange of ideas and understanding between our two cultures."
Professor Ackland has previously taught in the United States at Columbia University, New York University, Louisiana State University and the University of Delaware.
He is the author and editor of ten books, including his most recent books Henry Handel Richardson: A Life (2004) and Unexpected Encounters: Neglected Histories Behind the Australia-Japan Relationship (2007).
The University of Tokyo hosts the annual Visiting Professor in Australian Studies at their Komaba campus in Tokyo.
23 April 2008
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Monash student Charlotte Baines was elected to the Monash City Council in 2005 at the age of 23. She is encouraging fellow students to get involved in civic life. |
A Monash University PhD student and local government councillor believes that more young people need to be involved in civic life and in local decision-making processes.
Cr Charlotte Baines, a Monash Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws graduate, was elected to the Monash City Council in 2005 at the age of 23.
She is juggling her council responsibilities with a PhD at the School of Political and Social Inquiry.
Cr Baines is passionate about youth affairs and is encouraging students from the ages of 15-25 to apply for membership to the Monash Young Persons Reference Group.
Cr Baines said local government had a responsibility to ensure that young people are not just heard, but actively involved in key decision-making processes within their community.
"As the councillor representative on the City of Monash Young Persons Reference Group, I believe that young people can play a pivotal role in influencing local policy outcomes on issues from the environment to multiculturalism to service awareness," Cr Baines said.
"Too many people undervalue the significance of local solutions. There is a need to think globally and act locally.
"By getting involved, students can develop their leadership skills, improve their networking opportunities and offer a fresh perspective and innovative solutions to the development of public policy."
For more information about the group please contact Kerryn Jansons at the City of Monash on +61 3 9518 3214.
23 April 2008
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The "quike" in action. Monash students Megan Kerr and Roger Chao test their "world first" all-terrain cycle. |
Two Monash University postgraduate students will tackle some of the harshest terrain in central Asia next year using a world-first, all-terrain four-wheeled cycle or "quike".
The students are Roger Chao, who is completing his Honours degree in Philosophy, and Megan Kerr, who is in the final year of her PhD in Neuroscience.
Roger is an experienced extreme adventurer who was named the 2006 Australian Geographic Young Adventurer of the Year. Megan, a former president of the Monash Outdoors Club, enjoys off-track bushwalks and remote off-track cycle tours throughout Victoria and Tasmania in summer and in winter.
The students plan to commence their adventure holiday in April 2009, and spend 12 months travelling through areas including the Ural Mountains in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Western China, Mongolia and Siberia.
Their planned route will take them through untracked territory where no roads or towns exist and as a result they expect to endure week-long stints without access to water or food.
Their sole mode of transportation throughout the journey will be a quike -- which they describe as a "purpose-built, four-wheeled, tandem recumbent".
"This all-terrain vehicle is a one of a kind vehicle, the first time such a vehicle has ever been built, let alone used - a world first," the students said.
"It has been built to handle the most extreme terrain, from ice and snow, to sand and mud, from -50°C to 50°C, thus allowing us to venture into areas otherwise inaccessible by car, train, plane, boat or on foot.
"However, what makes this vehicle unique is it's truly all-terrain -- the attachment of inflatable pods and a pedal-powered propeller completes the transformation for use on water."
The students said the aim of their adventure would be to experience and document the lifestyle, traditions and culture of the various nomadic groups and endangered ethnic minorities they encounter.
"Whilst living with these diverse and fascinating peoples for extended periods of time, we will be fully immersed in their lifestyle and culture, recording our experiences on a variety of different media, including audio, video and stills," the students said.
"Our journey will be tracked live in real-time and transmitted to an audience via our fully interactive, multimedia website."
23 April 2008
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Monash South Africa Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Dina Burger. |
International charity the Ford Foundation recently awarded a grant of $14 million Rand (A$1.9 million) over seven years to Monash South Africa to provide seven full postgraduate scholarships for the University's Academics in Making program.
In its first year of operation the Academics in Making program aims to improve the educational and career prospects of black South African students.
"I am delighted and grateful that the Ford Foundation has supported Monash South Africa's rollout of our Higher Degree by Research program in such a generous way," Monash South Africa Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Dina Burger said.
Seven students will be selected to enter the program which includes a tutorship, Life Skills program and a stipend for full-time study towards a Masters or PhD in an Arts discipline. The program will begin in second semester this year.
Upon successful completion of their degree each participant will go on to a Diploma of Education and will be offered a lectureship position in the School of Arts at Monash South Africa.
"Academics in Making will provide the chance of a lifelong academic career to the successful participants in the program who may have otherwise fallen through the cracks," Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Burger said.
"Such a fantastic opportunity would not have become a reality without considerable support from the Vice-President of Advancement Ron Fairchild, the continual hard work of Professor Ian Edwards and strong leadership from Professor Tyrone Pretorius the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash South Africa."
Academics in Making is the first program of its kind to be offered at Monash University, under the strategic direction of the Research portfolio and support of the School of Arts at Monash South Africa.
23 April 2008
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Staff and students at the Gippsland campus hosted a fun run and walk to celebrate the opening of the new campus walking trails. The event coincided with World Health Day. |
Monash University Gippsland held a fun run and walk to celebrate the opening of the new campus walking trails earlier this month.
The event, which also marked World Health Day, aimed to raise awareness of the adverse effects of climate change and ways we can improve our health and lifestyle.
Around 100 staff, students and community members participated in the two kilometre event, some donning wild and wacky outfits. On the spot prizes were given away and a healthy lunch provided.
The walking trails, highlighting the picturesque environment of the campus, were unveiled by Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor Associate Professor Harry Ballis who cut the red ribbon to signal the start of the event.
"This is an opportunity to participate in something that not only benefits our health, but makes us more socially aware of climate change and how we can make a difference," Professor Ballis said.
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.
23 April 2008
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Name: Mary Aldred
Course studied: I completed a BA in Criminal Justice and Politics (Hons) in 2006.
What have you been up to since completing your studies at Monash?
Until 2007 I worked as an adviser to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Defence Minister. I'm currently working at the Energy Supply Association of Australia.
What do you remember about your time at Monash?
The lectures, looking forward to an array of different views put forward during tutes, having your interpretations challenged by others, forming study groups and encouraging one another, becoming involved in campus life, getting lost in the library and having access to an incredible bank of different texts and literature, making new friends, meeting old ones, and really loving uni life.
What is your current role and what does it involve?
I work as the Communications Officer for the Energy Supply Association of Australia. The Association publishes several industry newsletters a week as well as media releases and opinion pieces dealing with the stationary energy sector. It's still a new area for me so I'm really enjoying learning more about climate change, energy supply and security and some of the other challenges in the industry.
What challenges are ahead in your current role?
One of the great things I am discovering about the energy sector is its diversity and the range of opportunities available. Issues around energy supply and security are obviously very important and very contemporary when you look at the discussions around climate change and Australia's upcoming emissions trading scheme.
What is it about your job that holds your interest or is particularly satisfying?
Definitely the importance of energy supply and other issues such as climate change mitigation particularly from an economic and industry viewpoint. I'm also interested in learning about the emergence of different sources of energy.
Of all the places in the world you would like to visit/re-visit, where is your favourite destination and why?
I really loved my time in Washington DC. The history, culture and philanthropic and political institutions are incredible. From Arlington Cemetery to the Library of Congress … there are some amazing sites around Washington DC and Virginia areas.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
Stan Guilfoyle, the husband of Dame Margaret Guilfoyle Australia's first female cabinet minister, once said to me that "you have to put your hand up for things because you don't always get asked to become involved." So if there's an issue that you're passionate about or an opportunity that interests you, don't sit back and hope that someone asks you to become involved because they might not. If you have the commitment, ideas and energy to follow it through, have a bit of courage and put yourself forward.
23 April 2008
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More than 3.5 million visits were made to Monash libraries during 2007. Over 44,000 volumes were also added to the collection.
Monash has one of the best developed collections in Australia, providing access to almost 800 databases, almost 75,000 electronic journals and more than 245,000 electronic books.