Issue 1 - 31 January 2001

Multimedia venture links students to industry

A new Monash multimedia enterprise, Mondostudios, has attracted business worth more than $150,000.

Located in a converted warehouse near the Berwick campus, the venture aims to provide Monash multimedia students with work at commercial rates.

Mondostudios chief executive officer Mr Chris Waddell (pictured) said about 15 students were already producing work, mainly websites and CD productions, for clients including Monash, 26 Bit Security, Knox College, Mordy Surf Shop and Janus Consulting.

"We are not intending to recruit students and keep them ... we are intending to keep them while they complete their studies and assist them in getting better jobs in industry. Here they will get exposure to high-quality corporate partners," he said.

"We are also aggressively marketing within Monash, and we aim to become the preferred supplier of multimedia services to the university."

As a strictly commercial enterprise, he said, Mondostudios paid the university to use its facilities.

According to Mr Waddell, a related venture involves establishing a business incubator for start-up multimedia businesses, many of which are expected to come from Monash research groups.

"We intend to support start-up businesses and not only fund them but also provide them with accommodation, equipment, legal services, business and accounting services, and telecommunications capability," he said.

The incubator, which will be funded with seed capital from various investment partners, already has two applications for start-up businesses - one in mobile networks and the other in web technology.

Information Technology faculty dean Professor John Rosenberg, who spearheaded the enterprise, said the Mondostudios concept had sprung from the need to provide a secure environment in which students could undertake paid work.

"I talked to some of our multimedia students and found that the majority of them were doing some paid work, but by and large not being paid that well," he said.

He said at least two companies had been set up by students to do paid work, but they lacked the knowledge and skills to run the businesses effectively.

"For example, none of them had professional indemnity insurance to cover themselves if they were sued for innocently using something on a web page which was copyrighted to someone else," he said.

"There's a lot of work out there, and the students have the creative skills to do that work, so I came up with the idea of creating a company that would have a small permanent staff and a proper business structure to employ the students."

For more information, visit www.mondostudios.com or contact Mr Waddell on 9707 0411.

Exploring cultural perspectives

Another Landscape: History/Life/Language is a collaboration of works by female artists from Australia, Japan and India on show at the University Gallery, Clayton campus.

Australian artist Judith Wright (pictured) said the concept behind the exhibition was to bring together different cultural ideas through artworks originating from artists of varied cultural backgrounds.

She said each artist contributed two sets of words to the collaboration - she selected the phrases 'Skin of memory' and 'Severed breath'.

Japanese artist Kaoru Hirabayashi contributed 'Evolution of soul' and 'Consciousness of the earth', and Indian artist Nalini Malani chose 'Human development' and 'Failure and greed'.

Each artist then reconfigured the phrases into ideas and images for their works, which included still video images of body parts, an exploration of Japanese characters on paper, and a video which uses images from a widow's memory.

Another Landscape: History/Life/Language will run at the University Gallery until 10 February. For further information, contact extn 54217.

Obituaries Emeritus Professor Noel Murray (1928-2001) Emeritus Professor Noel Murray, one of Monash's foundation professors and the first head of the Department of Civil Engineering, died on 2 January, aged 72. Invited by Monash's first vice-chancellor, Sir Louis Matheson, to join the new university in 1961, Professor Murray served as Civil Engineering department head for the next 20 years. He was also appointed professor of structural engineering (1964-1993) and became emeritus professor in 1994. He received an honorary Doctor of Engineering from the University of Essen in Germany in 1989. His interest turned to thin-walled structures with the collapse of the West Gate Bridge in October 1970, when Monash researchers studied pieces of the failed bridge. He also highlighted poor design and construction in vehicles and engaged major vehicle manufacturers in vigorous debate, leading to safer vehicles. An outdoors man, he enjoyed swimming, rugby, bushwalking, mountain climbing, running, sailing, tennis, bike riding and skiing. Emeritus Professor Barry Firkin (1930-2001) Emeritus Professor Barry Firkin, dubbed the father of modern Australian haematology, died aged 70 on 12 January 2001 from leukaemia, the disease he spent his life treating in other people. After studying medicine at Sydney University, his interest in clinical haematology and bleeding disorders was first awakened when he trained at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital under the newly appointed professor of medicine, Ruthven Blackburn. He spent three years at Washington University, where he was inspired by the excellence and dedication of American medical researchers, before returning to Sydney to become director of the Clinical Research Unit. In 1967, he made headlines when he performed the first bone marrow transplant in Australia, becoming one of the first in the world to successfully complete the operation. His association with Monash began when he became the Alfred Hospital's professor of medicine from 1969 to 1995, where he continued his research into thrombotic and bleeding disorders, teaching, and treating patients with haemotological problems.

Robotic lions dance in Malaysia

Monash Malaysia School of Engineering and Science head Professor Robin Alfredson helps four-year-old visitor Sophia Soh to give away a red packet filled with money to the robotic lions in true Chinese tradition. The robotic lions, hosted by the school, performed a Chinese New Year lion dance as part of the activities at the recent Monash Malaysia Information Day, attended by almost 2000 people.

New customer service project begins

The SSS Taskforce, set up to oversee the change to a customer service culture in student and staff services at Monash, recently held its first steering committee meeting.

The aim of the SSS Taskforce is to provide student and staff at Monash with seamless services, as outlined in the strategic objectives of the university's Support Services Plan.

The project purpose is to deliver customer-focused student and staff services through the development of customer-friendly process, staff commitment to customer services and optimising the use of technology to ensure efficiency, quality and global capabilities.

The project brief and a broad plan of action for 2001 were approved at the meeting, which was chaired by deputy vice-chancellor (Resources) Ms Alison Crook.

The steering committee includes representatives from several faculties, administration and student and staff services division.

For more information, access the SSS Taskforce website at www.adm.monash.edu.au/sss/taskforce

Steering committee members at the meeting include: Faculty of Medicine representative, Ms Janet Kemp; director, Strategy Ms Jane Symington; Monash Services Organisation CEO designate, Mr Andrew O¹Brien; Faculty of Information Technology representative, Mr Ken Hobbs; and SSS Taskforce project manager, Ms Lisa Pawlicka.

Kickstarting careers for Gippsland's best

An innovative program to strengthen career paths for regional students has been announced by Monash University Gippsland campus.

The Gippsland Internship Program aims to encourage high-achieving VCE students to remain in Gippsland for both their tertiary study and entry into full-time work.

Gippsland campus pro vice-chancellor Professor Brian Mackenzie said tremendous rewards would be available for high-achieving students who chose to study locally.

"This program links students with a specific local employer in their field of study to provide fully paid part-time employment during study, vacation employment and then a minimum of 12 months full-time employment after successful completion of the student's degree," he said.

"In addition, each successful applicant receives a $500 textbook allowance every semester for up to three years. That's a total of $3000 during their degree."

Professor Mackenzie said the internship program was only possible due to the involvement of local employers, including the City of Latrobe, accounting firms Armitage Downie and Stockfords, Sage Computer Support, Latrobe Personnel and Loy Yang Power.

Mr Len Pullin, faculty head of Business and Economics at Gippsland campus, said an overwhelming employer response meant 19 places were available in 2001.

"Students do not need to pay the extra costs of relocating to Melbourne for study. They can obtain a Monash degree offering excellent professional education and a kick-start to their career right here in Gippsland," he said.

The program is being offered to first-year students in the Faculty of Business and Economics who begin a Bachelor of Business and Commerce degree in 2001.

For further details, contact Mrs Wendy Farrell on (03) 5122 6713 or Mrs Fiona Bertoli on (03) 5122 6709.

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