As political and economic forces continue to impact upon and shape rural Australia it’s becoming increasingly important for people to develop the capacity to influence the direction of change in local businesses and communities. Recognising this, Charles Sturt University (CSU) has designed a new course, the Bachelor of Rural Studies, to fill a demand in rural communities where understanding of rural society leads to more effectively managed businesses and organisations. The course will be launched at the Australian National Field Days, Orange, by The Hon. Ian McDonald, NSW Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. Beginning at 10.40am, on Tuesday 18 October, the Minister will be joined by Federal Member for Calare, Mr Peter Andren at the CSU Exhibition Site (site 5), located on the corner of Central Avenue and J Streets, between the Information and Function Centres at the Australian National Field Days, Orange.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Communication (Theatre/Media) graduate, Brendan Cowell has won The 2005 Philip Parsons Young Playwright's Award. Announced in Sydney on Sunday 9 October, Mr Cowell, 28, received a $10,000 mentoring commission from Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre Company B. He won the award for his treatment for Ruben Guthrie, a tale of male depression, addiction and the pressures of success. In order to qualify for the award, playwrights under 35 must submit a play that has already been performed in Australia by a professional theatre company. But the award is unlike other Australian playwright awards as it is given on the basis of a treatment for a potential new work and to the playwright rather than for the play. This recent success for Mr Cowell follows other awards including the 2003 Griffin Award for Rabbit, the 2002 Patrick White Award for Bed and the Gloria Payten-Gloria Dawn Foundation Young Artist Award for his work as an individual.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has invested over $1 million in the research and development of commercial bio-pesticides at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. Heading the research team is Associate Professor Gavin Ash from the School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences  at CSU in Wagga Wagga and acting Director of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation  – an alliance between CSU and Industry & Investment NSW. “Integrated pest management programs that reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides are likely to provide better management strategies to ensure a sustainable future for the Australian grain industry,” said Professor Ash. The current project, which focuses on the management of aphids, has been funded for three years until middle 2013.

Twenty Charles Sturt University (CSU) students from Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga will receive scholarships worth more than $100 000 from the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Foundation during a ceremony on Thursday 18 July. The RAS Foundation awarded 49 Rural Scholarships in 2013 – a record number – with recipients coming from various educational institutions across NSW. The CSU students are studying a range of courses including agricultural science, agricultural business management, education, equine science, journalism, medical radiation science, physiotherapy and veterinary science. RAS Foundation Rural Scholarships support students who are undertaking post-high school study or training, show a passion for rural issues and who are committed to playing a part in shaping the future of rural and regional NSW. The ceremony will be held on Thursday 18 July from 6pm to 8.30pm at the National Wine and Grape Centre, building 412, McKeown Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga.

Horses at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be given special attention this Friday in preparation for the Horse’s Birthday on Sunday 1 August. Ms Cheryl Gander and the Equine Centre team at CSU in Orange are celebrating the Horse’s Birthday on Friday 30 July giving horses a thorough pampering. “Daily grooming is part of day-to-day maintenance, but Charles Sturt University horse Harvest Percussion will be getting a special treat in the form of a serious makeover for his birthday,” Ms Gander said. “Percussion is being prepared for sale so the Equine Centre team will make him feel special.”. Ms Gander explained why 1 August is the Horse’s Birthday. “All thoroughbreds have the same birthday so that their ages can be standardised for comparison because of the historical lack of records of actual birth days. Their birthdays are January 1 in the northern hemisphere and August 1 in the southern hemisphere.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Winery is still celebrating after being named one of the winners of a 2010 Inland Tourism Award. The winery took out the Wineries, Distilleries and Boutique Breweries Award during a ceremony held at the Temora Aviation Museum on Saturday 24 July. Established in 1977 at CSU in Wagga Wagga, the commercial winery produces premium varietal table wines. The Winery is tightly integrated with the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga and the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre.   “We are thrilled to be recognised for providing a great experience for visitors to Wagga Wagga and the Riverina,” winemaker Mr Andrew Drumm said. The CSU Winery has a number of awards to its name including 25 trophies and 95 gold medals.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is encouraging students to pack their bags to work, travel and study overseas as part of their university degree. Representatives of CSU Global, an initiative to help students to take up international study experiences, will meet with staff and students in Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga over the next week. Manager of CSU Global Dr Shevahn Telfser said students can undertake international exchanges, short term study programs and practical placements. “In 2012 more than 340 Charles Sturt University students included an international experience as part of their degree and so far more than 250 students have travelled overseas this year,” she said. “This expands their horizons, builds contacts and gives them a competitive edge in the job market.” CSU aims to have 18 per cent or more than 700 undergraduate students undertake international study experiences by 2016.

Pharmacy students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange and Wagga Wagga will meet with industry and employer groups over pizza at a state-wide videoconference on Wednesday 7 August. The annual evening “jobs hookup” will include representatives from the Society of Hospital Pharmacists Australia and Professional Pharmacists Australia, says Pharmacy program leader at CSU in Orange Dr Maree Simpson. “We run a jobs hookup with our third-year and fourth-year students each year, to help them get a sense of the options available to them after graduation, and to help establish the professional and industry connections that can kick-start their careers,” she said. “Not all pharmacists go on to work in a ‘high-street’ pharmacy. Many go into hospital pharmacist roles, or into associated careers, and rural and regional hospitals offer many opportunities in those fields. A hospital pharmacist could work in an outpatient dispensary, in intensive care, recovery, or in coronary care providing medications and conducting medication reviews. It’s a really varied and valuable job, and the jobs hookup is a great opportunity for students to ask questions of the people who are often the ones recruiting into these fields.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Professor of Applied Ecology Geoff Gurr will address one of the world’s most urgent challenges when he delivers the Poggendorff Lecture for 2013 as part of National Science Week. The biennial lecture is an initiative of the Royal Society of NSW in honour of Walter Hans George Poggendorff, the eminent Australian agriculturalist and member of the society, and covers agriculture in a broad sense. Professor Gurr, from CSU in Orange, will address the topic ‘Biodiversity and the future of agriculture’. “One of the greatest challenges the world is facing right now is how we plan to feed the estimated population of 9 billion by 2050,” he said. “Not only do we have to meet that challenge, we have to do it in the face of declining availability of good-quality land and water, and the need to preserve biodiversity to provide critical ecosystem services.” Professor Gurr will draw on his international research program to explain how biodiversity can be harnessed to provide effective pest suppression and illustrate how on-farm biodiversity can advantage growers and the wider community.