As part of NAIDOC activities at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga this week, a free public lecture will be held from 12.30pm to 1.30pm on Wednesday 27 August by Wiradjuri Elder and artist Aunty Fay Clayton and Warrant Officer Class 2, Shane Swan.  Aunty Fay's father Private Cecil Robert Clayton served in World War II in the 2/13th Infantry Battalion, also known as The Devil's Own.  Aunty Fay was taken from her family and sent to the Cootamundra Aboriginal Girls Home in the 1950s. WO Swan has been in the Army for 24 years. He is Regional Indigenous Liaison Officer at the Army Base at Kapooka. He is also on the Army's Indigenous Cultural Advisory Board which provides advice to the Chief of Army. In line with the national theme for NAIDOC, Serving Country: Centenary and Beyond , WO Swan will talk about Indigenous military service from the Boer War up to Australia's current involvement in Afghanistan. The lecture is in room 201, School of Communication and Creative Industries, building 21, near car park 2, Darnell Smith Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga. Read more about NAIDOC at CSU in Wagga Wagga here.

Are you curious about the study opportunities available at Charles Sturt University (CSU)? A special information night will be held in Griffith on Wednesday 3 September to satisfy that curiousity."This event is being held for anyone who has ever wondered about studying at Charles Sturt University," CSU Prospective Student Adviser Mr Andrew Connell said."There will be the chance to get first-hand information about courses, on campus accommodation, how to apply for study and the higher education costs and scholarships available at Charles Sturt University."There are different ways to study including on campus or by distance education."Also on hand during the information evening, will be details about the various pathways into study at CSU, including from TAFE NSW."Whether you are a Year 12 student or a parent or a member of the public thinking about study, please come along to this event," Mr Connell said.The CSU information night will be held from 5.30pm to 7pm on Wednesday 3 September in Room MG12, in the Nursing and Child Studies Building at TAFE NSW Riverina Institute's Griffith Campus, Neville Place in Griffith.Further information is available on telephone (02) 6933 2381, mobile 0488 261 740 or send an email aconnell@csu.edu.au

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) student is a finalist in the 2014 NSW International Student Awards for the second successive year. Ms Saba Nabi from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga is a finalist in the Higher Education category. The winners will be named at a ceremony at the Opera House in Sydney on Monday 15 September. Ms Nabi moved with her young family from New Delhi, India, to Wagga Wagga in regional Australia in 2011 to undertake a PhD at CSU in the pharmaceutical sector. She was the first international student to be elected to the University's governing body, the CSU Council, in 2012. She was also the postgraduate student representative on CSU's Faculty of Science Board. Ms Nabi is currently President of the University's International Student Club. Earlier this year, the PhD student was nominated as a finalist in the Wagga Wagga Business Chamber's annual Crow Awards. The NSW International Student Awards are organised by StudyNSW and the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet 'to celebrate the outstanding contribution international students make to communities in NSW'.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will welcome the Labor Senator for NSW Senator Deborah O'Neill on Friday 15 August as part of a national tour of regional universities. The Head of Campus at CSU in Wagga Wagga Ms Miriam Dayhew will accompany Senator O'Neill on a tour of the University from 9.10am. At 10am, Senator O'Neill will meet with students from the Rivcoll Student Representative Committee to discuss proposed changes to the higher education sector. The meeting will take place at The Hub (eat @ 20), building 20, near car park 2 off Darnell Smith Drive at CSU in Wagga Wagga. A lecturer at the University of Newcastle before replacing Bob Carr in 2013, Senator O'Neill is Secretary of Labor's education committee. She will also visit CSU in Albury-Wodonga on Friday afternoon.

Two leading academics and theologians representing the Christian and Muslim faiths will come together at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Saturday 16 August for the public seminar, The Role of Faith in Trust Building. The speakers are the Right Reverend Professor Stephen Pickard, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture and an Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and Associate Professor Mehmet Ozalp, Executive Director of the University's Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilization. They will each deliver an address before holding an open question and answer session. Head of CSU in Wagga Wagga, Ms Miriam Dayhew will chair the free, public seminar from 11am to 1pm on Saturday 16 August in Room 103, Swan Theatre building 12, near car park 7, Nathan Cobb Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga. A sausage sizzle will be held after the event. A seminar organiser and CSU academic Dr Asim Qayyum, said, "I strongly feel that a dialogue between these two faiths is required during these times of confusion and crises to guide the youth. The common platform of belief and faith that binds us all together should lead to mutual trust building so that our upcoming generations are able to confront ethical and moral issues."

To kick off National Science Week people can take a closer look at the microscopic world with help from Charles Sturt University (CSU) Senior Lecturer in Plant Science, Dr John Harper and his students. The free family science event, Closer, is being held from 10:30am on Saturday 16 August in the children's area at the Wagga Wagga City Library. People are being encouraged to bring along something to look at and a mobile phone to capture the image in the microscope. "This is something for parents and children," said Dr Harper. "During National Science Week we want to inform and inspire people about the beauty and importance of science in all our lives." The event has been organised by the Riverina Science Hub, an initiative of CSU, Wagga Wagga City Library and Eastern Riverina Science Teachers Association with support from the Australian Government's Inspiring Australia and NSW Trade and Investment. CSU will also host the annual Science Investigation Awards for primary and high school students on Tuesday 19 August. Read more about the CSU events planned for National Science Week here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will host 25 Kooringal High School students on Thursday 14 August as they explore ideas for their future and get a taste of university life. The Future Directions event is part of CSU's Future Moves program, which was developed to encourage aspiration for higher education among students in rural and remote NSW.  The Year 9 students will take part in a range of activities as an introduction to higher education; exploring their interests and strengths and how these could link to future study and career opportunities. Wagga Future Moves program coordinator, Ms Ravnita Sharma said, "By introducing young people to the world of university study we hope to encourage them to become more engaged in school studies and more confident in considering tertiary study as a realistic option." As part of the day, current CSU students who volunteer as Future Moves Leaders will share a first-hand perspective on the transition from school to university. Future Moves is a federally funded initiative, run through CSU and aligned with the Australian Blue Print for Career Development.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bachelor of Pharmacy  students have raised more than $8 000 to support people with acquired brain injuries. The Pharmers student club from CSU in Wagga Wagga raised the money for the  James Macready-Bryan (JMB) Foundationas part of an annual fundraising drive by the National Australian Pharmacy Student Association (NAPSA). The students sold chocolates and raffle tickets, fired up the barbeque and held trivia, bowling and paintball events. "The Pharmers Club has participated in the Charity Cup event for a number of years and being able to help those who are less fortunate gives us so much satisfaction," said Club President Ms Eleanna Ballis. "Through the JMB Foundation the money will help support people with acquired brain injuries and their families, helping to meet their financial, rehabilitation and accommodation needs." The CSU club was awarded the coveted NAPSA Charity Cup for raising the most money per member during the event from Tuesday 1 April to Friday 16 May 2014.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) students can learn about travel scholarships and overseas study opportunities at the second biannual CSU Global Showcase in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 6 August. Dr Shevahn Telfser, manager of CSU Global, said, "The CSU Global Showcase celebrates the many varied experiences that students have when studying at the University. It will be held on several campuses, including online, over the coming weeks, and is a wonderful event that lets many students showcase the opportunities they have had to study overseas and the benefits they gained. It will be a great opportunity to meet returned exchange students, past short-term program participants, incoming exchange students from partner universities, and CSU Global staff to share stories and details about the various programs on offer." CSU Global administers scholarships worth $3 000 to $5 000 to study in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Korea. The CSU Global Showcase will be on-campus in Wagga Wagga from 12 noon to 2 pm on 6 August at 'eat@20', building 20 near car park 2, off Darnell Smith Drive at CSU in Wagga Wagga.