Increasing awareness of the social development needs of the Asia-Pacific region is one of the aims of an international conference being co-organised by Associate Professor Manohar Pawar from Charles Sturt University (CSU). The conference, which will be held in Nepal from Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 November, is held biennially by the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD). Professor Pawar, from the CSU Institute for Land, Water and Society, is president of the ICSD Asia-Pacific branch. “This conference, with its themes of social development, transition and local partnerships, is being held at a time of international financial uncertainty,” said Professor Pawar. “Some world leaders have responded by pleading for global partnership and cooperation to deal with the financial crisis, though the whole world may not be responsible for such a crisis. Similar to the financial crisis, the world is experiencing severe and intensive crises such as poverty and hunger, climate change, disasters and drought, war and violence, and mass displacement of people. It is also timely to call for global partnership and cooperation to attack these crises.”

The Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, presented over $1 300 to representatives of the Central West Women’s Health Centre in Bathurst for its Emergency Fund on Thursday 6 November. The money was raised by CSU staff and community members at the ‘Reclaim the Night’ march in Bathurst on Thursday 30 October. Speaking at the presentation, Professor Goulter, thanked the community for its support of this event and underlined the importance of the ‘town and gown’ co-operation that was mentioned by Sister Pat Linnane in her speech to the gathering at the march. “Violence against women and children has an enormous impact on the ability of victims to learn, work and live to their full capacity. I am proud that this event was so well supported by the wider community and by staff and students from CSU who affirmed the right of women and children to walk freely and safely in any community.”

An information session will be held in Griffith on Thursday 20 November by TAFE NSW Riverina Institute, Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Griffith City Council for those interested in studying the integrated Diploma to Degree program. The three year program is currently offered through Riverina Institute’s Griffith Campus. Combining university and TAFE studies, the program enables students to gain a Bachelor of Business Studies through CSU as well as three further nationally recognised qualifications including a Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Management and a Certificate IV in Frontline Management through Riverina Institute. “Students benefit from expert tuition from both TAFE and university lecturers and have access to the resources and facilities of both institutions,” explained Riverina Institute’s Head of Griffith Campus, Mr Tony McBride. “The integrated program is proving an excellent model for delivering high quality education and student support,” said CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Ross Chambers.

Ms Vicki Anderson, a career development advisor in the Division of Student Services at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst, has received one of only seven Commonwealth government ‘Study Scholarships’ awarded to university careers advisors. The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Ms Julia Gillard, MP, Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion, announced a total of 76 scholarships to careers advisors working at schools, TAFEs or universities on Wednesday 12 November. ‘Study Scholarships’ are worth $5 000 each and provide support for people to undertake postgraduate studies and upgrade their career advisor skills and qualifications. Ms Anderson said, “I am delighted this scholarship will enable me to complete my current studies in career education and development, and this will enhance my ability to assist Charles Sturt University students in their exploration of life-long learning and work.”

A final year advertising student at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Communication will complete her studies and start her career with a 10-week internship in New York working for BBDO Worldwide, one the largest advertising agencies in the world. The scholarship recipient, Ms Mary-Jane Barca, praised the calibre and support of her CSU lecturers in the Bachelor of Arts (Communication-Advertising) and the many opportunities presented by the course. “They have always encouraged me to reach beyond the stars, including applying for this scholarship. I’m so glad I did,” she said. Ms Barca was the team leader of the School’s in-house Kajulu Communication advertising agency whose ‘Lynx’ campaign for the 2007/2008 Inter-Ad competition came second in the world and first in the Asia-Pacific region. She has also won a 2009 Media Federation of Australia (MFA) Trainee Program position. “When I get back from New York I will go straight to work with OMD (part of BBDO Worldwide), the biggest media agency in Sydney, so getting a position there is a massive thing,” she said.

Construction of the new 200-bed residential development for Charles Sturt University (CSU) students is nearly complete on the University’s Thurgoona site, and CSU students and staff will be able to inspect some of the new facilities on Thursday 20 November. On completion, ten modular concrete and corrugated iron buildings will each house 20 students in self-catering accommodation. The development will include ‘open plan’ kitchens and living areas in each block, with two buildings enclosing an open courtyard. The corrugated iron, which is light, strong, adaptable and durable, shields the internal concrete walls from the summer heat, enabling the buildings to maintain a more constant temperature without the use of expensive air conditioning. Rainwater collected from roofs will be used to flush toilets, while wastewater, or ‘grey water’, from kitchens and bathrooms will be pumped into the existing grey water treatment ponds on the Thurgoona site. Three buildings totalling 120 beds will be completed by the start of the academic year in February 2009, with a further 80 beds to be ready by April.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) 2007 Shiraz was one of only four wines to be awarded a Gold Medal in the 2007 Shiraz class at the 2008 Royal Melbourne Wine Show on Thursday 13 November and has now been released through the Cellar Door. The CSU 2007 Shiraz was produced with grapes from the University’s vineyard in Orange and was the only NSW wine to be nominated for this year’s Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show. The wine had already been awarded bronze medals at the Orange Wine Show in October and the Riverina Wine Show in September. “The University is delighted with the gold medal in recognition of the quality of our 2007 Shiraz,” said winemaker, Mr Andrew Drumm. “It was also a great achievement to be among the small number of red wines nominated from 660 other Australian one year old red wines for the Jimmy Watson Trophy.”

Two Australian artists have donated almost 50 prints to the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Art Collection. The artists, Dr Guy Warren from Sydney, and Ms Chayni Henry from Milner near Darwin, donated the prints to the University through the Commonwealth's Committee on Taxation Incentives for the Arts. The works will hang in the 2009 exhibitions, Mono Uno: Monotype mark making within the CSU Art Collection and More Beasties, helping to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of CSU in 2009. Dr Warren donated two traditional 1958 oil monotypes and 14 watercolour monotypes from the early 1980s and seven related prints. Ms Henry has donated the entire Rona Green-curated print portfolio Beasties 2005/6. The portfolio includes the work of printmakers Rosalind Atkins, Milan Milojevic, Rew Hanks, Rebecca Mayo, Stephen Spurrier and Murray Walker. “The gifts, valued at almost $60 000, are a timely contemporary injection to the University’s Art Collection which already holds the minutea print exchange portfolio curated by Ms Green in 2000,” said CSU Art Curator Mr Thomas Middlemost.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has contributed in the creation of a new resource to help farmers in the battle against one of Australia’s most noxious weeds, serrated tussock. The Serrated Tussock Best Practice Management Manual and a supporting resource CD was launched today, Tuesday 25 November. “Up-to-date information on the best practices to control and manage the spread of serrated tussock is a key to successful management,” said Mr Scott Chirnside, Chair of the National Serrated Tussock Management Group. The new manual collates information on control and management options. CSU School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences research fellow, Dr Aaron Simmons said, ”Lower wool prices mean people work off farm and have less time to control serrated tussock. This manual will provide farmers with most of the information they need but they do need to consider how the information reflects their individual circumstance.”