Federal Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Julie Bishop will officially launch the new high-tech network linking Charles Sturt University and its regional communities to one of the world’s largest research platforms, this Thursday 14 September in Canberra.

A keynote address to mental health professionals in British Columbia on the risks facing children whose parents have a mental illness has marked the arrival of new Charles Sturt University staff to its teacher education program in Burlington, Ontario.

"I am not saying they are not safe. None of the professional bodies ever say ultrasound is unsafe, but I would say, if there’s a medical reason to have an ultrasound, have it, but if it’s purely for curiosity, don’t." Ms Karen Pollard, lecturer with the School of Clinical Sciences at CSU's Wagga Wagga Campus, talking about the issues surrounding the use of routine or screening scans in pregnancy.

In a bid to help overcome the critical lack of scientists and science teachers, especially in inland Australia, Charles Sturt University will offer lucrative targeted scholarships to encourage high-quality on-campus applicants to science-based fields.

"South America has been neglected at large by Australia," says Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter. Australia and Chile in particular will build closer ties this week when the Chilean Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Jose Luis Balmaceda, visits the Wagga Wagga Campus of CSU (Tuesday 26 September).

Professor Don Thomson from Charles Sturt University’s School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies is a Registered Psychologist and a Barrister-at-law. He was recently awarded the Australian Psychological Society (APS) College of Forensic Psychologists inaugural distinguished contributions award. He says the legal system is not loaded against the victim as often claimed. In fact, in trials where there are mulitple defendants, “research shows you are more likely to be convicted with other co-defenders than if you are tried by yourself”.

"I believe it is a worse health problem than tobacco," says Professor Patrick Ball, from Charles Sturt University’s School of Biomedical Sciences, "for the first time in human history, Type 2 Diabetes is more common than Type 1."

Earlier this month, the OECD released a report which shows that Australia spends less on early childhood education than any other nation in the industrialised world. It prompted calls from both sides of federal politics for a national approach to early childhood education. Fran Press, Charles Sturt University senior lecturer in early childhood education, says “What we have at the moment is a dog’s breakfast".

Would a human baby brought up in space look a lot like ET? “Possibly,” says Dr Graeme Wren Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Science & Technology, Charles Sturt University (CSU), Wagga Wagga. Dr Wren will present the public lecture Space Medicine: Physiological Adaptation to Microgravity on Wednesday 25 October 2006 at 6.00pm at the Dubbo Campus of CSU.