Water scarcity, climate change and population growth are just some of the complex factors combining to pose a threat to food security in developing countries such as Pakistan. Professor Iqrar A. Khan, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan will speak at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga on Friday, 5 June about precision agriculture, a way of preserving land and conserving water while enhancing food security. “Poverty and malnutrition are on the rise in water scarce areas,” Professor Khan said. “High dependence on agriculture and extremely low production forces smallholders to overuse limited land and water resources, causing degradation of these assets.” He says precision agriculture will require investment in new technology, capacity building and knowledge sharing. The International Centre of Water for Food Security at CSU holds monthly seminars with national and international water experts invited to discuss the emerging issues and policies dealing with sustainable management of water resources for food security.  

A catalogue for an art exhibition at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in 2008 has been named a joint winner in the national Museums Australia Multimedia and Publication Design Award 2009. The catalogue for the exhibition, ELEMENTS: Dianne Fogwell was produced by the CSU Art Collection and designed by Eunice Song, the Creative Director of E-Com Consulting & Design. The judges comments included “‘being a book about a book’, it has a sensibility to the artist’s medium – the designer really understands typography”.The catalogue was produced to coincide with the exhibition held during graduation ceremonies at CSU at Wagga Wagga in April 2008. A total of 406 entries were received for the awards from over 100 Australian and international organisations. The CSU Art Collection is one of 17 collections short-listed in its group, Level A Exhibition Catalogue – Small (Under 64 pages). The entries were judged on their relevance, communication clarity and degree of usability. The winners were announced on Monday 19 May as part of Museums Australia’s National Conference in Newcastle.

Two new wines will be released this week to add to the multi-award winning range of premium sparkling, table and fortified wines produced at the commercially run Charles Sturt University (CSU) Winery. A 2009 Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir Rosé made from premium pinot noir grapes from the cool-climate Tumbarumba region is the first Rosé made at the winery in 10 years. Mr Richard Lawson from CSU Winery described the wine as an elegant rosé with a beautiful rose petal colour with classic cherry and forest berry characters on the nose and a clean dry finish. “The second release is the 2009 Alfresco Bianco following in the footsteps of last year’s popular vintage, but the alcohol content has been dropped to six per cent which is similar to the many moscato-style wines from Italy,” he said. CSU’s Winery at Wagga Wagga is an integral part of the School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences and at the forefront of viticultural practices and winemaking techniques in Australia.

Existing and future energy and water conservation and an organics recycling pilot program will all be on show at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga on Thursday 4 June to celebrate World Environment Day on Friday 5 June. In conjunction with the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisations of Councils (REROC), the CSU Division of Facilities Management (DFM) and CSU Green  will host an information session on environmental initiatives at the University from 10am to 11.30am. The 2008 CSU Environmental Scorecard was released in April 2009 by the University. Read more here. CSU Green was established in 2008 as part of the University’s commitment to sustainability. In addition to these activities for World Environment Day, a student and staff organisation known as Eco Active will hold activities throughout the week until Friday 5 June. Further information about the Eco Active events is available here.  

Coinciding with World Environment Day on Friday 5 June, a survey has been launched at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga this week to gauge support for new cycling routes around the campus. Launched by the CSU Division of Facilities Management and a staff and student group, Eco Active, the survey aims to develop a better understanding of cyclists at CSU, as well as plan and implement appropriate facilities for cyclists. “CSU is striving for fewer cars on campus, safer cycling, signage, better facilities and more bicycle parking,” said Eco Active vice-president, Ms Katie Hannan. The CSU Cyclists survey can be found here.  

Exploring the relationships between past and present, the hunt for academic recognition and respect of one another's colleagues, Arcadia has been described as the perfect play for a University town. Set in two time periods, 1809 and 1993, in the same room of a grand country estate house in Derbyshire, England, Arcadia is the latest offering by Charles Sturt University's (CSU) third year theatre-media students. Ms Annabel Scholes, lecturer at the School of Communication at CSU at Bathurst  says playwright Tom Stoppard has interlaced the themes of love, art, science, literature, sex, mathematics, academic writing and music between the two time periods. "The play is very witty and funny - it appeals to us in contemporary society as so many of the concerns our characters face in 1809 are still the same issues we face today," Ms Scholes said.

Residential students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst have raised over $250 for the Cancer Council while taking part in the annual fundraising event, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. The morning tea was held on Thursday 28 May in the John Oxley Village on Bathurst Campus, with students donating their time, baking skills and funds to make the event a success. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia with more than 42 000 people expected to die from cancer this year.

Animal science students from Iowa State University (ISU) in the United States will meet their counterparts from Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga from Monday 1 June to Wednesday 3 June to share their educational experiences. Twenty students from Iowa University will be accompanied by two lecturers during their visit to CSU. Hosted by the CSU School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences,  the ISU students will tour the University at Wagga Wagga on Monday 1 June and visit Cargill Beef and a property at Holbrook on Tuesday 2 June before returning to CSU on Wednesday 3 June. Animal science students from CSU will host a barbecue dinner for their international guests from 6pm on Tuesday 2 June.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic aims to draw attention to the impacts of climate change on low paid Australian workers. Sociology lecturer and co-author of the book Living Low Paid, Dr Helen Masterman-Smith will present a seminar in Sydney on Monday 1 June to discuss the barriers to social and workplace citizenship that low paid workers experience. These barriers are highly relevant to whether the Australian labour market and economy can actually deliver a ‘just transition’ to a low-carbon economy or whether such a transition will simply reproduce current labour market inequalities. “If employee engagement is seen as critical to greening Australian workplaces, what does the lack of voice and dignity that many low paid workers experience in their jobs mean for the feasibility of a just transition to a low-carbon economy?” asks Dr Masterman-Smith. “For all its shortcomings, delaying the emissions trading scheme to 2011 not only delays the necessary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, it also delays the labour market transition to sustainable workplaces and work practices, which has health and other social implications.”