Ten Indonesian national sports coaches are undertaking intensive training for an Advanced Certificate in Sport Conditioning at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst this week following the success of the Indonesian team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Dr Stephen Bird from the CSU School of Human Movement Studies said, “The Olympics success has led to CSU signing a contract for the University to provide expertise to the Indonesian national team in the lead-up to the South-East Asian Games in 2009. CSU will provide coaching and technical support, particularly for strength and conditioning, for all athletes across 25 sports that include fencing, boxing, taekwondo, canoeing, track and field and badminton.” The Indonesian coaches conclude their CSU training on Friday 19 December, and then in January 2009 Dr Bird and colleague Mr Benjamin Barrington-Higgs will travel to Indonesia to launch the Physical Preparation Unit for 227 athletes in the Indonesian National Elite Athlete Program.

Two senior Russian academics from Vladivostok will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November. Mr Errol Chopping, Courses Manager at the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics at Bathurst, said the visit by Professor Valeriya Gribova, Professor of Computer Science at the Far East Russian Academy of Sciences, and Professor Evgeni Nurminskiy, Professor of Mathematics at the Far East National University, follows visits in January and September this year by himself and CSU’s Dr David Tien, the first-ever visits by Australians to the Academy in Vladivostok. “This landmark visit by Professor Gribova and Professor Nurminskiy is the second part of our outreach initiative into Russia, and is designed to cement a sound working relationship between Charles Sturt University and Russia,” Mr Chopping said. “During our visits to Vladivostok we met the Austrade ambassador, the Australian Ambassador to Russia and the embassy’s First Secretary, and also scheduled meetings with the Russian Minister for Tourism and Trade in Moscow. Subsequently, we were able to invite the two Russian academics to visit Australia, and we have worked on sharing and collaborating on research, holding English-speaking summer schools in Russia, two-way student and staff exchanges, and joint computer science conferences.”

The preparatory work is under way for the start of construction of two projects at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst worth more than $9 million. The extensive refurbishment of the University’s corporate headquarters, The Grange, has commenced, along with development of the new Dental and Oral Health Clinic which is a feature of the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences. The Director of Planning, Design and Construction at the CSU Division of Facilities Management, Mr Richard Barraclough, said these projects are part of the University’s extensive multi-million dollar 2007-2011 capital works program. “Work at The Grange is valued at $3.2 million, including furniture and equipment, and is expected to be completed by April 2010. The Dental and Oral Health Clinic is valued at $6.16 million including furniture, fittings, dental chairs and instrumentation, and is due for completion by May 2010. Both projects are being undertaken by Joss Constructions,” Mr Barraclough said.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) academics have a new opportunity to bring their education research to the forefront of international efforts in Indigenous, rural and remote, and environmental education. Professor Jo-Anne Reid, Associate Dean of the CSU Faculty of Education at Bathurst, and President of the Australian Association for Research in Education, said the newly established World Education Research Association (WERA) is a worldwide network of education researchers which will bring together the very best of education research. “We live in a global world and education in Australia can only benefit from being a part of this international body,” Professor Reid said. “These collaborations extend and enrich our own knowledge across all fields of education.” One study currently underway which has the potential for global application is TERRAnova, an Australian Research Council-funded project run in collaboration with researchers from four Australian universities looking at the factors which appear to make a difference in attracting and retaining teachers in rural communities. “Our nationwide study is focusing on schools in communities that have been nominated as successful in attracting and retaining good teachers. This is truly a global issue that, through research, can impact positively on our future as a nation, as well as internationally,” she said.

TAFE students who have enrolled in or recently completed Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses at TAFE Western, the Canberra Institute of Technology and TAFE NSW Riverina Institute can now win scholarships to further their education at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at CSU, Professor Ross Chambers, says applications for the 12 scholarships, each worth $2 500, are available for 2010, with four scholarships available at each institution. “The CSU University Pathway Scholarship Program is part of the University’s ongoing commitment to create strong education pathways and collaboration from TAFE to University in our regional cities and regions,” Professor Chambers said. Acting Institute Director at TAFE Western, Ms Kate Baxter, says each year a number of TAFE Western graduates seek higher qualifications by studying at universities. “These scholarships will provide welcome support and encouragement and expand the opportunities for people in Western NSW to achieve their aspirations,” Ms Baxter said. Applications will close on Friday 27 November, with offers due to be made to successful TAFE students on Friday 11 December.

Aboriginal students considering a tertiary degree are encouraged to apply for Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Koori Admissions Program (KAP) within the next week to ensure they are considered for study in 2010. The annual KAP is an alternative entry program designed specifically for Indigenous students. The KAP provides potential students with a supportive and caring environment to assess whether or not they are likely to be suited to university life. It is free of charge to eligible participants, with travel, meal and accommodation costs funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. Students who successfully complete the KAP will be offered a place in their chosen course at any CSU campus or via distance education. Koori students interested in being part of the program should register their interest with the University’s Indigenous Student Services (ph 6338 4236) in the coming weeks or visit here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host the 2009 Education for Sustainability Conference at the Bathurst Campus on Friday 30 October, with a second optional day on Saturday 31 October. Conference co-organiser, Ms Jan Page, from the CSU School of Teacher Education at Bathurst, said the event will focus on how individuals and families can live more sustainably by growing food in kitchen gardens at schools and in the wider community, and is intended for educators from pre-school to tertiary level and members of the Bathurst regional community. “Food is the largest component of many individuals’ ecological footprints, so growing your own food not only helps to address health issues but also develops knowledge and skills to reduce our environmental footprint and foster sustainable living,” Ms Page said. The conference is being staged in conjunction with the Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN), and will include a keynote address by Ms Ange Barry, CEO of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. There will be a number of presentations, including one by Ms Rachel Conolan, a parent with children at South Bathurst Public School, speaking about the school’s community garden.

Sports science lecturers at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Human Movement Studies will return to Indonesia on Wednesday 28 October to continue providing intensive assistance to that nation’s elite athletes in the lead-up to the South-East Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos, in December 2009. Lecturers Dr Stephen Bird, Dr Rob Duffield and Mr Benjamin Barrington-Higgs have three tasks to manage on this visit as part of the Sports Science Division for the Indonesian Elite Athlete High Performance Program (Program Atlet Andalan – PAL). “Firstly, we will be very involved in the final preparation training for Indonesian elite athletes, the performance optimisation phase, before the start of the South-East Asian Games,” Dr Bird said. “We will also deliver an intensive four-day elite sports coaching short course for Indonesian coaches and academics. Our third task is to conduct the first applied sports research with elite boxers in Indonesia.”

Early-career researchers will receive advice from more experienced academics and meet other researchers at a similar stage in their careers at the biennial Environmental and Resource Economics Early-Career Researcher Workshop (E-CReW 2009) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on the Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November. The head of the E-CReW management committee, Professor Mark Morrison, from the CSU School of Business at Bathurst, said E-CReW 2009 also provides a forum for employers to meet young researchers who will shape the future of environmental research, and for research agencies to discuss current research needs. “The workshop will involve mentors with a strong reputation and experience in environmental and resource economics, and developing researchers looking at vital issues involving climate change, sustainable development, and natural resource management,” said Professor Mark Morrison. E-CReW 2009 is hosted by the CSU Institute for Land, Water and Society.