A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic who was due to travel to disaster stricken Japan next week has instead organised a Uniting Church service in Bathurst on Wednesday 23 March for victims and survivors. Professor Sharynne McLeod, from CSU’s Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, was to accompany a tour by Bathurst High School students to Bathurst’s sister city, Okuma, the site of the Fukushima Dai-ichi (No.1) nuclear power plant. “I am organising this service in response to my connection with the children of the world through my professional role with Charles Sturt University and my Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship,” Professor McLeod said. “Bathurst students visit the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant each year on their visit to Okuma, and this year’s group were scheduled to visit it in the coming weeks. As well as sending students to visit Okuma annually, Bathurst High School was to have 11 students from Okuma visit Bathurst this week, arriving 20 March. Of the 11 students to visit, seven have fathers who work at the power plant. It is a very tragic situation.” Ms Joyce Voerman, a staff member at the School of Teacher Education who recently returned from teaching English in Okuma for two years, will speak at the service with other people who have had a close association with Japan.