Monash Memo - articles- 12 December 2001

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A message to staff

Dearcolleagues,
A good deal of public attention has focused on Monash, itsmajor research areas and several groundbreaking projects this year.

Ofparticular note was the announcement that Monash would be the home ofAustralia's first synchrotron and the opening of our campus in SouthAfrica. Both were significant for Monash and the wider community andneither would have been possible without the endeavours of so many ofour academic and general staff.

It was also a year of environmentaluncertainty with a federal election at home, economic recessionworldwide and the impact of the events of September 11. Each will have aprofound impact on Monash and the way we conduct our working lives in2002.

I would like to thank everyone for their outstanding effortsthrough this year.

Let's all try to have a restful and enjoyable yearend break.
With best wishes,
Professor DavidRobinson
Vice-Chancellor and President

A year of many achievements

• The Victorian Government announces thatMonash's Clayton campus will be the site of the nationalsynchrotron.
• The Centre for X-ray Physics and Imaging opens aspart of the new School of Physics and MaterialsEngineering.
• Professor Andrew Markus takes the inaugural Chairof Jewish Civilisation at Monash.
• The first student intaketakes place at Monash South Africa.

• The first sod is turned onthe new $4.3 million Monash Science Centre at Clayton.
• MonashCollege is launched in China, with the Guangzhou Huamei InternationalSchool as China's first provider of Monash Collegeprograms.
• The Victorian Government announces that the Gippslandcampus is a key part of a new $12 million education precinct inChurchill.
• The concept of the $300 million Monash ScienceTechnology Research and Innovation Precinct at Clayton islaunched.
• Monash releases a statement on the issues facinghigher education in Australia - After Election 2001: Key HigherEducation Issues.
• A $1 million hockey facility at thePeninsula campus is launched by Victorian Minister for Sport andRecreation Mr Justin Madden.
• Scientists at The Alfred precinctgrow a genetically engineered plant containing a measlesvaccine.
• Monash and the St Kilda Football Club announce astrategic alliance, the first of its kind between an AFL club and auniversity.
• Building begins on the $14 million MonashUniversity International Centre at Clayton, the new home for four of theuniversity's international bodies.
• Monash's new InternationalInstitute of Forensic Studies is opened by High Court Justice MichaelKirby.
• Monash's Institute of Reproduction and Development makesthe US Government's elite register of institutions whose stem cell linesmay be used to gain access to $480 million in US federal researchfunds.
• The first intake of students at Monash UniversityMalaysia graduates.
• The Monash Centre in Prato, Italy, islaunched.
• Scientists from the Centre for Green Chemistrydevelop a form of non-addictive morphine to give pain relief to drugaddicts.
• The Monash Medical Foundation islaunched.
• Fifth-year Monash medical student Mr Nathan Grillsbecomes Victoria's 2002 Rhodes Scholar.

An artist's impression ofAustralia's first synchrotron, to be built at Monash University. TheMonash Centre in Prato (top) and Monash South Africa (middle).