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A new era of international education dawned as the first students at Monash's South Africa campus began their studies this week.
About 50 students arrived at the Roodepoort campus, 20 km from Johannesburg, for their first taste of undergraduate study in arts, business and commerce, business systems, computing and information technology.
South Africa pro vice-chancellor Professor John Anderson greeted the students, saying Monash's presence represented the start of a long-term commitment to South Africa's future.
"Monash University's major investment of funds and other resources in South Africa has been realised today with the opening of this campus," Professor Anderson said.
"The campus is a part of the new South Africa's continued integration into the global economy and will play a major role in educating the country's youth for tomorrow's challenges in the workplace."
Professor Anderson said the South Africa campus, along with the Malaysia campus, and the Monash Centres in London and Prato, was part of the broader aim of offering all Monash students and staff a gateway to the world.
"Monash strongly believes it should produce global citizens who will be able to contribute a great deal to their own countries, whether that be South Africa, Malaysia, Australia or anywhere else," he said.
Professor Anderson said the South Africa campus offered opportunities for all Monash students to broaden their horizons by providing a new and different working, learning, teaching, research and living environment.
After a hectic year of building, the two-storey campus boasts state-of-the-art teaching and study facilities, which will be soon complemented by accommodation and research facilities.
Monash is the first Australian university to be registered to operate as a private higher education institution in South Africa.
X-ray research receives a boost
The Centre for X-ray Physics and Imaging opened this year as part of the new School of Physics and Materials Engineering (SPME). The centre's interim director, Associate Professor Michael Morgan, said the centre would explore fundamental x-ray physics and its applications to medicine, industry and technology. "We'll be applying x-ray imaging in radiography, biomedicine and non-destructive testing, which allows us to inspect the internal structure of an object without cutting it open," he said. "Our x-ray facilities also allow us to identify technologically important materials such as semi-conductors and nanostructures. We are also exploring new x-ray imaging techniques relevant to clinical medicine that allow soft tissue to be imaged." Staff at the centre had previously been involved in projects such as radiographic imaging of Phar Lap for the Museum of Victoria and CT scanning to digitally reconstruct the skeleton of an extinct Australian bird. The centre is just one of the research strengths of SPME, which also comprises two cooperative research centres, the electron microscopy facility and the national Centre for Advanced Materials Technology (CAMT).
Head of School Professor Barry Muddle said the SPME was Monash's first fully fledged cross-faculty school, formed through the merger of the Materials Engineering department (Faculty of Engineering) and the Physics department (Faculty of Science). He said the school intended to appoint a new chair in x-ray and synchrotron physics, who would be director of the Centre for X-ray Physics and Imaging. Other appointments still to be made include the chair of science (nanotechnology) and up to five new positions at lecturer/senior lecturer level. Professor Muddle said academic staff from the former Physics department would focus research activities around condensed matter and solid state physics, x-ray physics and imaging, and materials science. Those from the former Materials Engineering department would pursue established research in engineering polymers and composites, light alloys, ceramics and advanced materials characterisation. "There are existing synergies within the two departments, and the formation of the new school will help them work together more collaboratively," he said. The school was also investigating offering a masters program in materials engineering as well as the undergraduate courses in physics, materials science and materials engineering. |
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Parents take some time to chat. |
A record 350 parents flocked to the Parents' Transition Information Evening held at Clayton campus during Orientation last week.
As students ended a day of tours and information sessions, parents of students from several campuses turned out for their own orientation into university life.
Monash Transition Program coordinator Ms Tanya Kantanis said it was standing room only in Central One lecture theatre at Clayton, as parents heard advice about helping their daughters and sons begin their tertiary education.
Ms Kantanis was delighted with the response, which has increased each year since the program began in 1999.
"In the first year we had about 60 parents attend, the following year we had about 150. So it's fantastic to get 350 this year," she said.
The evening included formal presentations on issues affecting students' transition from school to university and information on student support and services available at Monash. Parents were also given the opportunity to talk to staff and current students.
"Parents are concerned about how their sons and daughters are going to cope, particularly at Clayton because it is such a large campus," Ms Kantanis said.
"The styles and methods of learning and teaching are different from what they're used to, and parents want to know how they can help their children make the transition."
Parents should realise it was a time not only of moving from school to university, but also of many other changes taking place, she said.
"These issues are all part of moving away from adolescence and becoming an adult, and parents need to be aware that their children might not discuss in detail changes in their lives with them," Ms Kantanis said.
For more information about the Monash Transition Program, visit www.adm.monash.edu.au/transition/
Keeping nurses in the countryTwo specialised postgraduate training courses aimed at keeping nurses in the country are now available at the Gippsland campus. A group of 28 nurses began their postgraduate courses, designed in response to industry demand, this month. The Graduate Certificate of Nursing (High Dependency) is a new course on offer this year, while the Graduate Certificate of Nursing (Emergency) was available for the first time last year. Coordinator Ms Leone Watson said the programs were the outcome of exhaustive consultation with country and city hospitals. "The courses were designed to prepare specialist clinical nurses with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide comprehensive care for patients in either an emergency or high-dependency situation," she said. "Feedback from nurses in regional hospitals indicated that it was very difficult for staff in rural areas to access postgraduate courses. "Courses such as these help hospitals retain qualified staff, as they enable nurses to undertake ongoing professional development locally." |
In accordance with the provisions of Statutes 9.1 and 9.2, notice is hereby given of the election of one member of the Council by the academic staff (other than professors) of the university.
This casual vacancy arises from the resignation of Associate Professor Andrew Markus, who has accepted a Chair of Jewish Civilisation.
The member elected will hold office to 31 December 2002.
Candidates must be members of the academic staff (other than a professor) who hold either a full-time or fractional appointment of at least 0.4 and must have held that appointment for more than six months.
Nominations of candidates for the election are hereby called for and must be lodged with the returning officer/assistant returning officers no later than 12 noon on Monday, 12 March 2001.
Nominations must be on the approved nomination form and can be obtained from and returned to the returning officer or assistant returning officers.
Returning officer:
Assistant returning officers:
Candidates may supply with their nomination (or no later than 12 noon on Wednesday, 14 March 2001) a statement containing up to 250 words and figures giving any information they consider relevant to their candidacy. The returning officer may edit any such statement for publication so far as he thinks necessary.
Candidates may withdraw their nomination by notice in writing, signed by the candidate and each of the nominators and lodged with the returning officer/assistant returning officers no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, 14 March 2001.
In making nominations and voting, Monash staff are asked to consider Monash University's commitment to equal representation of women and men on committees.
If there is more than one nomination, a postal ballot will be held. Voting papers will be posted to each elector at his or her university address on or before Monday, 26 March 2001. Postal ballots must reach the returning officer by 5 pm on Thursday, 19 April 2001.
P. Siggins
Returning officer
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Two new Monash students test their boxing
skills during Orientation last week.
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