The importance of strong knowledge networks in the development of communities was stressed by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic when he delivered the keynote address at an international conference in India earlier this month. “Knowledge naturally multiplies,” said Associate Professor Manohar Pawar from the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wagga Wagga. “It is inherent in knowledge that it keeps expanding, spreading and growing exponentially. The most interesting aspect of knowledge is that while the recipient of the knowledge gains, the person passing on the knowledge does not lose anything in terms of knowledge. Thus the element of ‘network’ is inbuilt into knowledge,” argued Associate Professor Pawar. “Given this innate nature of knowledge, it may be relatively easy to build knowledge networks for community development in Asia and the Pacific.” Associate Professor Pawar delivered the speech, ‘Toward Knowledge Networks for the Economy, Society, Culture, Environment and Health for the GMS and Asia-Pacific’, during the conference held in Mumbai from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 September. The conference was organised by the Inter University Cooperation Program and Thailand’s Chiangrai Rajabhat University.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) was well-represented at Charles Sturt University (CSU) during a high-level visit to the Wagga Wagga campus on Friday 25 September. Hosted by the Head of Campus, Mr Adrian Lindner, senior officers of the Army, Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Defence Reserves met with Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Lyn Gorman, and academic staff from the arts, business, education and science faculties. They inspected the campus, including the new dentistry and oral health facilities, the Veterinary Clinical Centre, and the University’s television studios. “The visit by the senior officers is part of one of my priorities to further develop the relationship between Charles Sturt University and the ADF to ensure the sustainability of both organisations as well as our regional communities,” said Mr Lindner. “We are educating the professions of the future and that includes meeting the needs of the ADF. Additionally, Charles Sturt University is always searching for skilled staff such as may be found in defence force families.”

As three years of study at Charles Sturt University (CSU) draws to a close, a group of agricultural science students from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga are reflecting on the international value of their course. Twenty-one Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) students travelled to southern Vietnam for a fortnight earlier this year. The group attended lectures at Can Tho University in the Mekong Delta region on fruit and pig production, as well as training and extension to local farmers. The students travelled into the field to look first-hand at farming systems on the Mekong Delta, and to observe the fishing industry and its sustainability challenges. They visited a range of dairy producers and looked at the extension program for small dairy producers, operated by the Dutch Lady Vietnam Milk Company. “I was surprised to learn that during the wet season from May to December, the Mekong River flows at 40 mega litres per second, flooding the delta region,” said Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) student, Mr David Gale. “However, during the dry season, the Mekong flows drop dramatically and salinity becomes a problem because salt water from the ocean comes back upstream. The visit to the Mekong Delta region was invaluable in exposing me to a different way of farming, but at the same time it showed me that similar problems, such as salinity and nutrient deficiencies, exist in both Australia and Vietnam.” The trip has prompted the CSU student to consider an Honours research project in an area related to farming systems in southern Vietnam.

There will be a rare opportunity to hear first-hand of the success of one man’s dedication to renewing the drought ravaged rural landscapes of Australia when grazier, horse-breeder, author and founder of Natural Sequence Farming (NSF), Mr Peter Andrews, addresses a public forum in Wagga Wagga from 6pm on Tuesday 29 September. During the event, co-hosted by the International Centre of Water for Food Security (IC WATER) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Wagga Wagga City Council, Mr Andrews will outline the workings of his Natural Sequence Farming. Read more here.

A new online journal edited by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic aims to provide an outlet for research into the rapidly growing field of e-learning in organisations and the workplace. Impact: Journal of Applied Research in Workplace E-learning is founded and edited by Mr Mark Lee, an adjunct senior lecturer with CSU’s School of Education. The online journal will focus on articles relating to the design, implementation, evaluation and management of workplace e-learning across a range of sectors and industries. “The paucity of avenues to publish research and a desire to promote dialogue and collaboration between the various disciplines with an interest in this field, such as business management, human resources, adult/vocational education and IT, led to the establishment of the journal,” said Mr Lee. “Up until now there have been very few vehicles in the workplace e-learning arena that have been successful in both promoting the use of academic research to guide and inform practice, and encouraging input from practitioners to help shape and drive the future research agenda.”

As part of a national research project involving Charles Sturt University (CSU), a workshop will be held at Corowa on Wednesday 7 October to seek community input about the challenges faced by local and regional governance bodies in the region. The workshop is one of three case studies conducted across Australia as part of the three year project, Towards Sustainable Regional Institutions: The Nature, Role and Governance Implications of Contemporary Australian Regionalism. CSU researcher Associate Professor Ian Gray is surveying public attitudes and opinions about how federalism is working. “Overall the project will work out what sort of direction regional governments in Australia might take. We’re not advocating that we get rid of the states, but we are looking at the performance of regional organisations with a view to strengthening them. This inevitably leads to rethinking the roles of each level of government,” he said. Associate Professor Gray believes the formation of catchment management authorities has, unintentionally, made regional governance more prominent, even though they have no legislative role. “The Commonwealth’s new Regional Development Australia network is also highlighting the significance of regions,” he said.

A final-year Charles Sturt University (CSU) student who lives on a farm near Wagga Wagga has taken out a national cropping competition aimed at fine-tuning the skills of university students. Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) student Mr Sandy Middleton from the School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga took out the inaugural Australian University Crops Competition held at Temora from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September. “This is an excellent achievement for Sandy with tough competition from seven universities,” said Associate Professor John Kent, Head of the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. He has also praised the level of coaching by agronomy lecturer Dr Sergio Moroni and technical officer Mr Richard Early. The competition aimed to increase the technical knowledge and skills development of university undergraduates studying in the field of agriculture, and to increase the awareness of the cropping industry as a career opportunity. . As one of the top five students in the inaugural competition, Mr Middleton has won a four day study tour to New Zealand.

The annual fundraising appeal for men’s health, particularly prostate cancer and depression, will have the support of students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, albeit a month earlier than usual. The Moctober Challenge – Grow or Design a Mo’ will be held on campus from Friday 9 October to Friday 6 November. The challenge for men to grow a moustache and for women to design one is being supported by the University’s Division of Student Services’ Health Promotion Service and the student rural health club known as CSU WARRIAHS. Registrations for the month-long challenge will be taken on Friday 9 October with all participants needing to be clean shaven.

Wagga Wagga is the first port of call for the annual Rural Awareness Tour organised by the Cattle Council of Australia. The 12 members, representing key government and industry groups will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga during the visit to the city on Monday 12 October. The tour will also take the group to Knight’s Meats and Cargill Beef Australia’s Wagga Wagga plant. The tour will continue in regional NSW until Thursday 15 October. While at CSU, the group representing agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry and Meat and Livestock Australia, and AUS-MEAT Limited will meet key academics and tour facilities such as the Veterinary Clinical Centre. CSU offers educational and research programs for graduates in the fields of agricultural, animal and veterinary sciences through the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. The Cattle Council is the peak body representing beef cattle producers in Australia.