The moving documentary Kapyong, about one of most significant and least acknowledged battles fought by Australian soldiers, will be screened at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 10 August. Fought during the Korean War in the Kapyong Valley north of Seoul in April 1951, mainly Australian and Canadian soldiers in the United Nations forces faced the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. The fierce battle was for a valley, the ancient and traditional invasion route to the capital, Seoul. If Kapyong fell, Seoul and the war would have been lost. Kapyong was written and directed by Australian filmmaker Dennis K Smith and produced by John Lewis of Arcimedia. The documentary, launched by the Prime Minister in Canberra on 29 April, features many shots produced by visual effects lecturer at CSU, Mr Andrew Hagan as the film’s Visual Effects Supervisor. Hosted by the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga, the special screening of Kaypong will include an exclusive insight into the making of the film by Mr Hagan. “The film required photorealistic visual effects, with the documentary demonstrating a new wave of digital SLR cinematography and production for independent filmmakers,” said Mr Hagan. Kapyong is rated M for Mature audiences.

According to Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Dr Igor Novak, science is essentially Man’s attempt at understanding nature and the world around him driven, in part, by necessity. Dr Novak’s book ‘Science a Many-splendored Thing’, to be launched on Thursday 11 August, will acquaint non-scientists with science as a wide-ranging human activity. “In the 1955 film Love is a Many-splendored Thing, the director H King explored problems which cultural barriers, driven by irrational adherence to tradition, pose for human emotional relationships,” Dr Novak said. “And yet these many-facetted relationships are the source of endless variety and enrichment for human existence. A similar situation exists in modern science. Advances in science and technology have terrified or alienated many people who are afraid to explore the richness and diversity of nature and of us humans. I hope that this book can allay some of those fears.” Dr Novak is a lecturer in CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences.

2005 Australian of the Year, leading medical researcher and renowned plastic surgeon Dr Fiona Wood will headline events being held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga as part of the 2011 National Science Week. A hero of the first Bali bombing, helping 28 burns victims survive their wounds using groundbreaking ‘spray on skin’ technology, Dr Wood will present a public lecture on The quest for scarless healing to highlight the role of science in modern Australia. Two free lectures will be presented on Tuesday 16 August in the CD Blake Lecture Theatre on CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona; the first especially for school children, commencing at 10.30am, and an evening event starting at 6.30pm. Visitors can also view a number of other science activities between Tuesday 16 and Thursday 18 August, being hosted or assisted by CSU student and teachers with the Murray School of Education, as well as activities presented by the Astronomical Society of Albury Wodonga.

The campaign to support the Charles Sturt University (CSU) proposal for more medical training in regional Australia will hit the road this Friday 12 August in the 23rd Kidney Kar Rally.  CSU Advancement Officer, Mr Justin Williams is part of the support crew for the annual rally which raises money for children with kidney disease. As the convoy of colourful cars drives through regional NSW, Mr Williams will also be promoting the CSU Doctors 4 the Bush campaign.  CSU has submitted a proposal to the federal government for an Integrated Health and Medical Education Precinct in Orange, and a Medical and Health Services Precinct in Bathurst. It aims to provide medical and health training for students to help address the shortage of doctors in the bush. "When the opportunity arose to join in the rally I thought why not take this worthy cause on the road,” Mr Williams said. ”Evidence shows that if people are educated regionally they tend to stay here and with the regional health shortage, Charles Sturt University’s plan makes sense.”  The public can show its support for the Doctors 4 the Bush campaign by signing a petition when the Kidney Kar Rally rolls into town or by visiting the Doctors 4 the Bush website here.

How each private landholder can conserve Australia’s flora and fauna will be presented to Orange residents in a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Friday 12 August. Chief Executive Officer of the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW, Mr Paul Toni, says NSW is home to an incredible array of plant and animal species. “However, more than 70 of the State's flora and fauna species are presumed extinct in recent decades and over 1 000 native species, populations and ecological communities are threatened with extinction. Many others are also in decline. Just under eight percent of this rich natural heritage is held in protected areas such as national parks and reserves, while the vast majority of the State's land is under private ownership. As a result, networks of landholders who protect our unique native animals and plants for future generations are crucial. This lecture will discuss the importance of private landholders for conserving habitat on their land, and ways in which they can do so.”

Students from high schools across western NSW will be at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Tuesday 16 August as they consider studying education, nursing, social work and business at CSU. The Years 10 and 11 students will take part in the University’s MyDay, an initiative where high school students can experience a day in the life of a university student. Focusing on the courses offered at the Dubbo campus, high school students will participate in a hands-on business simulation, teaching and learning ability assessments and those interested in a career in nursing will get a head start with some skills and techniques. The University will also host general information sessions on accommodation and financial support, and staff from CSU Global will discuss overseas study opportunities.

An educational program designed to assist local communities in dealing with confronting issues for young people will be presented at a public event on 10 August at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga. The Putting Youth in the Picture program, which is being rolled out across CSU’s regions after it secured the first NSW licence, “is about empowering local communities through their local councils, school or sporting groups to use the program’s resources to hopefully prevent their young people from getting into difficulties,” said Manager of Residential Operations at CSU, Mr Peter Bell. “Using confronting, authentic scenarios, the program shows the consequences of certain behaviour, without moralising. No issue is regarded as too tough to tackle: sexual assault, binge and underage drinking, and alcohol-fuelled violence are all addressed in the program.” The free program will be presented to school students and their parents and teachers by two senior residential advisers from the University’s Thurgoona student residences, Mr Douglas Canning and Ms Emily Green. The Putting Youth in the Picture program will be held in CSU’s Blake Lecture Theatre, located off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, starting with refreshments at 6pm before the program commences at 6.30pm.

A free public event at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will demonstrate how science is part of every day life during National Science Week. It will be an evening of film and fruit when scientist Dr Yann Guisard pairs up with fellow CSU science lecturer Dr Scott Andrew to present a ‘Scinema’ event on the evening of Wednesday 17 August from 6pm. Academics from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences will guide visitors to a lab where they will be working with strawberry DNA. The half hour workshop will be followed by a 45 minute movie chosen by Dr Guisard and Dr Andrew from the travelling science film festival. “The evening is an introduction to practical science, demonstrating that science isn’t out of people’s reach,” said Dr Guisard. “People do science every day when they cook - and even when they fill their car with petrol.”

A free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Wednesday 10 August will explore the growing awareness that many of the procedures routinely used to manage water resources can be inappropriate for Australian landscapes. Head of Campus, Dr Bev Moriarty, said the public lecture, titled Water, Drought and Climate Change, will be presented by renowned wetland scientist Professor David Mitchell from the CSU School of Environmental Sciences in Albury-Wodonga. “It’s a privilege to have Professor Mitchell address environmental topics of such importance to people in this region,” Dr Moriarty said. “Professor Mitchell will examine the growing concern that profound climatic changes can potentially undermine many of the strategies used to sustain agricultural output for domestic consumption and for export. Australia, he says, has the benefit of a relatively low population density, which will assist us to make the necessary adjustments for changes in a climate that is already characterised by significant variability.” The public lecture starts at 6pm Wednesday 10 August at the Lecture Theatre (Room 422) at CSU in Dubbo.