International trends for grains, oilseeds and pulses will be discussed at the annual Asia Today Forum 2009 on Thursday 13 August in Parkes. Following the successful forums on beef in 2007 and lamb in 2008, the Asia Today Forum 2009 will focus on cereals, oilseeds and pulses and their outlook for Asian markets. “While the focus of the forum will be on Asia, it will also broaden the view towards the relevant underlying developments and driving forces of today's agricultural and grain markets,” says Director of the Asian Agribusiness Research Centre at CSU, Dr Claus Deblitz. Speakers will include Professor John Chudleigh from Analysing Agriculture and representatives from Emerald Group, the Bread Research Institute, Buckwheat Enterprises, Lachlan Commodities and MSM Milling - Manildra.  

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is giving young people the opportunity to have an input into the challenging issues such as homelessness, teen suicide, drugs, poverty and crime. The Making a Difference (MaD) competition is now open and submissions close on Monday 5 October. “By writing a story, poem or script that addresses any issue of social justice, entrants are in the running to receive one of four $250 cash prizes,” explains CSU coordinator Mr Bill Anscombe. “In addition, Charles Sturt University will donate $250 to the charity of the winners’ choice.”  The School of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Social Justice Innovation Award is eligible to anyone aged between 15 and 21 and are in Years 10, 11 and 12 at high school or studying at TAFE. Judging will take place in October, with the winners announced early November.

Reflecting Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) continued support for students who wish to study and gain their professional qualifications in regional Australia, a new application process for entry into the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree will commence in 2010. In addition to lodging an application with the University Admissions Centre (UAC) by Wednesday 30 September 2009, a ‘Supplementary Application Form’ and interview process has been introduced. These changes will allow applicants to demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to, rural Australia, a career in pharmacy and the overall health of the rural population. “By showing an understanding of the unique issues that confront pharmacists and other health workers in rural and remote Australia, Charles Sturt University is ensuring students are prepared for an education and possibly a career in regional Australia,” said Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Professor Lyndall Angel.

Vital financial support of almost $30 000 has been awarded to veterinary science students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga. The 2009 Professional Experience Scholarships and Prizes were presented on Tuesday 4 August to help the students while they attend their practical work placements across Australia. The awards included fifth year students who are about to embark on the third phase of the veterinary science program, which involves ten clinical rotations over the next 12 months. “The scholarships to assist the students with their field experience come at an exciting time for the first intake of students into the veterinary science program,” said Head of the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Professor Kym Abbott. “The students have been very well prepared for the final phase of their training but now need to apply their full focus to this final development of their clinical skills before they graduate next year. The financial support from donors will help them at this critical stage of their studies.”

A visiting academic will deliver a public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Thursday 23 July which examines how, in his view, the political system, the medical profession, and the university sector in the United Kingdom (UK) have colluded with the pharmaceutical industry to promote shareholder profits at the expense of public health. Dr Paul Duckett, a visiting community critical psychologist at CSU’s School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies at Bathurst, suggests that efforts in the UK to secure social justice and social support for people allegedly harmed by the psycho-pharmaceutical industry has implications for thousands of Australian children, and questions why the drug Paxil is prescribed by doctors rather than being proscribed by politicians. According to Dr Duckett, in Australia during 2008, 4000 children under 10 years of age were prescribed Paxil and other Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) medications. This is despite findings in 2003 that the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), withheld clinical trial data for at least five years that showed the drug was clinically ineffective and increased the risk of suicide in children and adolescents.

As part of the continuing celebration of the 20th anniversary of Charles Sturt University (CSU), 11 individuals who have contributed to the University will have student residences named after them at a ceremony at the Bathurst Campus on Sunday 19 July. The Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, will confer this honour on behalf of the Charles Sturt University Council on Mr Peter Andren, AM, Dr Ian Barnard, Professor Michael Birt, AO, CBE, Mr Bruce Cameron, Dr Ron Camplin, OAM, Dr John Collins, Mrs Jennifer Hector, Dr Peter Hodgson, Mr Ian Macintosh, AM, Dr Melvin McMichael, and Mr Bernard O'Donnell. The honourees will be joined by family members and friends, members of the University Council, invited guests and members of staff. A special guest on the day will be the artist Mr Jiawei Shen who will officially unveil his portrait of the Chancellor. The host of the ceremony, Head of Bathurst Campus, Mr Col Sharp, said, “This is an especially pleasing occasion. These people have conceived and put in place so many of the wonderful developments at Charles Sturt University during its 20 years - it’s great to see their names carried forward to become a part of every day student life on campus.”

Veterinary science student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, Mr Richard Sanders, has received a coaching award at a university meat judging competition held in Armidale in July. He was named the winner of the Tom Carr Award for Coaching Excellence at the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) competition. For a number of years, Mr Sanders has lent his carcass evaluation skills to fellow students and coached the CSU team for the annual ICMJ competitions. Mr Sanders, from Moruya on the NSW South Coast, also represented Australia at ICMJ in the USA in 2005. Agricultural science student, Ms Kylie Dunn won the overall individual award at the ICMJ competition, scoring 439 out of a potential 450. Ms Louise Lawrence, also enrolled in agricultural science, was the winner of the individual award in the competition’s pork judging category. A four member CSU team was also named runner-up in the overall team award. Three CSU students now have the chance to be included in the Australian meat judging team as they were named among the nine finalists for an elite industry training workshop in Brisbane. “The participation of the successful CSU team is largely due to the generous sponsorship of Cargill Beef Australia, who has willingly provided access for students to beef carcasses and primal cuts in addition to their financial support,” said Professor of Animal Production Peter Wynn. “Access to sheep carcasses through the Junee Abattoir and pork carcases through Knights Meats has also contributed greatly to the success of the team.”

The wide variety of science research being undertaken by Charles Sturt University (CSU) research students will be on show at Wagga Wagga this week. A research symposium on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 July is a chance for 79 internal and distance education students to gather in one place and present their individual research to peers and colleagues. Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp said some of the brightest and sharpest minds in Australia are accepted into research programs and CSU expects them to operate at a high level right from the start. “This is intimidating for first year students, but a complete immersion into the research culture of the University is part of the training needed to produce accomplished graduates.” He said a second important aspect of the symposium is the opportunity to meet other students who are likely to become colleagues for the duration of their career. CSU’s commemoration of the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin will continue at a dinner for the research students. Professor Klomp and Professor Tom Frame, from the School of Theology at CSU in Canberra, will speak about Darwin’s Legacy – how Charles Darwin has influenced science and society in the 21st Century.  

A final-year Charles Sturt University (CSU) student has beaten a field of top applicants from around Australia to gain the position of sole journalist at The Blayney Chronicle newspaper in the NSW Central West. Ms Clare Colley, a fourth generation Bathurst resident, has trumped her fellow students by being appointed a graded journalist with the Rural Press media organisation while completing the last semester of a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) at the School of Communication  at CSU at Bathurst. “This is a fantastic position,” Ms Colley said. “On the one hand, I was surprised to get the job, but on the other hand, I feel completely prepared for it because the journalism course is brilliant, broad, practical, and not just theory. My role at The Blayney Chronicle satisfies the course’s work-experience criteria, so, happily, I’m being paid as a journalist before I even graduate. You can’t beat that for job-ready training.”