A political philosophy forum hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Canberra on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 July will examine a range of issues about political rights and responsibilities when it asks, 'What's so special about having a democracy?'. The convener of the ‘Democratic Rights – Democratic Duties’ academic forum is Dr Piero Moraro, lecturer in justice studies at the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Bathurst and a research fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. "The forum will see academics from Australia and overseas debate a range of issues," Dr Moraro said. “Some will argue that a genuinely democratic society shouldn't grant the right to vote to everyone. Others will claim that truly democratic citizens, under some circumstances, should disobey the law. But could the duty to obey the law, and the duty to vote, be the wrong duties to focus on, as they might also undermine democracy?” The ‘Democratic Rights – Democratic Duties’ academic roundtable in political philosophy is at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture 15 Blackall Street, Barton, Canberra, and is funded through a Compact Grant from the CSU Faculty of Arts and by CAPPE.

Local artist and photographer Mr James Farley explores the landscape of the mind in his debut photographic exhibition at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery from Friday 9 August. A Bachelor of Arts (Visual and Performing Arts) (Honours) student, Mr Farley aims to take people on a journey into the unknown in Trepidation: VOID. Fellow photographer and lecturer in the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga Mr Chris Orchard will open the exhibition from 6pm to 8pm on Friday 9 August at the Gallery’s E3 art space. The exhibition of new works combines the traditions of English Romantic artist, Joseph M. W Turner and German Romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich with modern photography to create a provoking exploration into the contemporary psyche. “I have produced a collection of brooding atmospheric photographs. They are exhibited with a series of large-scale Romantic landscapes,” Mr Farley said. The photos form part of his CSU research project into the aesthetics of the contemporary Sublime, with a particular interest in the ambiguous concept of the Void.

A community development project lead by Charles Sturt University (CSU) students aims to improve the life skills of selected senior high school students in Bathurst so they have better opportunities to succeed in life. In an initiative of the Faculty of Business, CSU undergraduate students working with the Enactus program will assist selected Year-10, 11 and 12 Kelso High School students in the ‘Fulfilling Individuals’ Talent’ (FIT) project. Associate Professor PK Basu at the CSU School of Accounting and Finance, said, “FIT targets about 10 underprivileged students who are struggling but are engaged and have potential. The program will complement the school curriculum by allowing students to focus on the key areas of education, employability and life skills. Activities will be targeted to meet the needs of the group, but may involve guest speakers from the community, goal setting, and resumé preparation.” The first session of the project began on Friday 19 July and will continue for the rest of this year with the group meeting fortnightly for sessions of about 60-minutes at the Kelso High Campus of Denison College.

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.

It might be ugliness, not beauty, that is in the eye of the beholder, according to a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic. Associate Professor Rocco Crino will address the topic in a School of Psychology seminar at CSU in Bathurst on Wednesday 7 August, in which he will explain research which found people who scrutinised a part of their body they disliked were more likely to feel unattractive. “Preoccupation with mirror checking, gazing, and reflective surface checking are noteworthy features in conditions where body image disturbance is severely affected, such as in Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Eating Disorders,” Professor Crino said. “These mirror behaviours are believed to be significant maintaining factors in these difficult to treat conditions.”  Professor Crino’s research on the topic tested volunteers asked to stand either before a mirror and describe themselves generally, or to stand before a mirror and describe their disliked body part in detail. “Results indicated that those who scrutinised their disliked body part were significantly more concerned and dissatisfied with their appearance, felt significantly more unattractive, and bothered by their appearance related thoughts,” he said.

The successful rescue of a large animal from a road accident, mud or a deep hole carries a fresh set of skills for all those involved in an emergency, including veterinarians. Veterinary science students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will be able to learn the latest in rescue techniques through a Large Animal Emergency Rescue course to be offered to CSU students by Equine Veterinarians Australia. The course, part of EVA’s continuing education program, is the first EVA has offered to veterinary science students in Australia. The course will involve lectures and simulated large animal rescues with a life size horse mannequin and a trailer at the University on Thursday 8 August. Dr Sarah Pollard-Williams from CSU’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences said, “The Large Animal Emergency Rescue course is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn key techniques that will help them assist in emergency situations and keep the injury risk to themselves and other handlers as low as possible. There are vital techniques that can greatly improve the animal survival rate as well in these often very challenging situations.” The 52 veterinary science students are about to embark on their final few months of clinical practice before graduation from CSU at the end of next year.

An astronomer and Aboriginal researcher will highlight thousands of years of serious star gazing when he discusses the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal Australians next week at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga. Dr Duane Hamacher from the University of NSW in Sydney will explore the relationship between astronomy and calendars, navigation, food economics and social structure in the lives of the first Australians. The free public lecture will be the first event in Albury as part of National Science Week for 2013, which is being coordinated by the Astronomical Society of Albury-Wodonga in conjunction with CSU. The event starts at 7pm on Tuesday 13 August in the CD Blake Lecture Theatre, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.

A filmmaker celebrated for his contribution to Australian cinema will deliver the biennial 2013 Theo Barker Memorial Public Lecture co-hosted by the Bathurst District Historical Society and Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 16 August. The Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, will welcome and introduce Mr Andrew Pike, OAM, the principal of Canberra-based Ronin Films, who will discuss ‘Men and Women of the Bush in Early Australian Cinema’, including the place of bushrangers, the popularity of which led to a ban on bushranger films by the NSW Police in 1912. Dr Rob McLachlan, adjunct senior lecturer in history at the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Bathurst and coordinator of the public lecture, said, “Of the first twenty feature films made in Australia, at least twelve had a bushranger theme, with five of them featuring a Bathurst-area bushranger, including A Bushranger's Ransom, or A Ride for a Life, which was filmed locally in 1911. The main focus of the lecture, however, will be the films featuring the stories of bush women, which took the place of the banned bushranger films. The Bathurst region has a significant place in the making of such films with A Girl of the Bush, filmed locally in 1921. Mr Pike’s lecture will discuss the importance of this film today, for film and social historians.”

One way mirrored glass, software to record computer key strokes and eye tracking technology might sound dark and mysterious but it’s all part of a new laboratory set to improve computing research at Charles Sturt University (CSU). An upgrade to the so-called Digital Library Usability Lab at CSU in Wagga Wagga will be officially opened on Wednesday 7 August. The Lab will be used to examine the way that people interact with computers, media devices and the Internet. Lecturer with the University’s School of Information Studies Dr Asim Qayyum said eye tracking - where eye movements are recorded on many types of screens including computer monitors, tablets or mobile phones - is a well established research technique. “It can help researchers find out exactly where people are looking, how their gaze moves around a website or media device and which presentation techniques are most effective,” said Dr Qayyum. “This will add a new dimension to our research evaluating existing computer applications and may lead to the development of new and more user-friendly systems.” The Lab is joint project between CSU’s School of Information Studies and Division of Library Services.