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The Former High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr Ian Porter, has been appointed to oversee the university's growing international activities.
Mr Porter began work at Monash this month as executive director (International), in the office of the deputy vice-chancellor (International and Public Affairs), Professor John Maloney.
His brief is to support and promote international activities across the university and to provide advice to Monash International, the faculties and administrative divisions.
As High Commissioner to South Africa from 1995 until April this year, Mr Porter witnessed the dramatic emergence of that country from isolation to full engagement with the international community.
Prior to his appointment as High Commissioner, he was the Deputy Ambassador at the Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, for three years. His other notable roles have included senior adviser to the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and diplomatic postings in Manila, Hong Kong and Teheran.
With his extensive experience in Asia and South Africa, Mr Porter is well suited to drive the current phase of development at Monash. He believes that despite the current Asian economic crisis, Australia needs to increase its involvement with the rest of the world.
"Our future depends on our skill in engaging with the rest of the world. And that skill will depend to a large extent on the quality, breadth of vision and wide experience of our university graduates," Mr Porter said.
"Because of Australia's geographical position and relatively small economy, Australian universities can play an important role in the country's international positioning. The political, economic, social and cultural benefits for Australia in having its largest university fully and actively engaged with the rest of the world are enormous."
Mr Porter said he was excited by Monash's international agenda, especially the opening of the Sunway Campus in Malaysia.
"The university's international operations will provide a wide range of options and opportunities for staff and students, while positioning Monash as one of Australia's major windows to the rest of the world."
The Expanded Field, an installation of large-scale works, opens at the Monash University Gallery, Clayton campus, on 3 June. The exhibition officially begins at 1 pm with presentations by the four Australian artists - Aleks Danko, Neil Emmerson, Peter Cripps and Kate Beynon. Using a range of materials, techniques and ideas, The Expanded Field explores the boundaries of media in visual arts in the 20th century. Pictured is 'Li Ji' by Kate Beynon.
A new high-performance and fully integrated computer-based administration system is expected to be operating on-line at Monash before the end of next year.
The university's finance, human resource/payroll and student administration functions will be integrated into the powerful new system, which aims to provide staff, particularly managers, across the university, with more efficient and cost-effective processes for data and administrative management.
Mr John Julian, director of Monash's Integrated Administration System Evaluation Project, said that after the CASMAC/UniPower project failed to go ahead, and in light of the potential impact of the Year 2000 compliance problem on existing systems, the university had set out to find an appropriate replacement.
"An extensive specification and evaluation has been carried out by the IAS project team during the past eight months to identify a solution that will not only replace the existing systems but also deliver new standards of performance in terms of administrative, business and information management functions," Mr Julian said.
"Modern, powerful and flexible administration tools are essential to achieving greater efficiencies in the way we work and in delivering new levels of quality and service which will ultimately help contribute to Monash's overall competitive advantage."
"To deliver the vision in 'Leading the Way: The Monash Plan 1998-2002', the university needs the best administrative tools available," he said.
Among its key features, the new system will provide:
As well, the easily expandable system has the capacity to adapt rapidly to ongoing changes within the higher education environment.
Mr Julian said the university was now selecting a partner from a shortlist of three of the world's leading software suppliers to implement the system. An announcement about the supplier is expected to be made shortly.
The next stage of the project is planning the implementation, which will eventually involve in-house training sessions for general and academic staff undertaking various levels of administrative and management functions across the university.
Under the project, a client liaison manager is now being sought, on the basis of an 18-month secondment, to liaise with users, provide necessary client support services and oversee the training requirements during the implementation.
The position is an HEW level 8 or 9, and, in addition to the salary, a substantial loading and performance bonus will be payable. A position description is available from Mr Julian on extn 55143.
Applicants are also being sought for a second position, detailed in the 'Employment' column of this issue of Monash Memo.
The vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, Professor Alan Gilbert, will be guest speaker at a Performance Development and Training Branch breakfast session at Monash on 23 June.
As a guest of Monash vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson, Professor Gilbert will speak on the topic, 'In a competitive world, why collaborate?'.
All staff are invited to attend the session, which is being held between 7.30 am and 8.45 am in the Banquet Room (West), Union building, Clayton campus. The cost is $20.
For further details and to book, see the PD&TB home page at http://www.monash.edu.au/personnel/pdt/seminars/index.htm Bookings and payment must be finalised by 17 June. For further information, contact Ms Karen Pedrotti on extn 56825.
The inaugural Singapore Monash Alumni International Forum meeting will be held on Monday 8 June.
Guest speaker at the meeting His Excellency The Honourable Sir James Gobbo AC, Governor of Victoria, will talk about 'Civic engagement and a healthy democracy'.
Monash staff who will be in Singapore at that time are welcome to attend.
For full details, contact the director of International Alumni and Development, Ms Jennifer Beck, at jennifer.beck@adm. monash.edu.au
Nominations are invited from Monash faculties and departments
for the 1998 Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Qualities sought are outstanding professional achievement,
inspirational leadership and exceptional human qualities.
The closing date for nominations is 30 June 1998.
Guidelines and a nomination form can be found at http://www.monash.edu.au/alumni/awards.html,
or email jennifer.beck@adm.monash.edu.au
A three-day music/dance festival and conference celebrating the music of the great Indian composer, Tyagaraja, will be held at Monash over the Queen's Birthday weekend (6 to 8 June).
The festival is an annual event, organised by Dr Ravi Ravichandhira of Monash's Music department in partnership with the Academy of Indian Music, Australia.
Admission to all performances, recitals and lectures is free, except the Grand Finale Concert (session two) on Monday 8 June. Tickets to the Grand Finale cost $15 general, $12 concession and $30 family (two adults, two children).
The artists and participants are contributing their services free as a tribute to Tyagaraja, who was the foremost of India's celebrated trinity of Karnatic music composers.
For futher information, contact the Academy of Indian Music on 9887 6241, or email ravi@netspace.net.au
The Facilities and Services Division and the Animal Welfare Committee are holding a farewell for the director of Animal Services, Dr Susan Maastricht, at 4 pm on 10 June at the Monash University Staff Club, Wellington Road, Clayton.
To RSVP, contact Ms Angela Penney on extn 55121.
Six gifted Year 10 students from the Gippsland region are participating in a mentor program at Monash's Gippsland campus over the next six months.
Under the program, the students are matched according to their academic interests with academics at the Gippsland campus and linked by email.
The students' mentors introduce them to the services of the university library in order to develop research skills which will assist them with their secondary school projects over the next six months.
The project is a joint initiative of Monash and the Regional Office of Education.
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