Last week the UK government announced that all 306 British World War One soldiers executed for desertion or cowardice are to be pardoned, saying the decision was taken on moral grounds. Charles Sturt University (CSU) historian Dr Rob McLachlan, an adjunct senior lecturer in the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies, says it was the court martial and execution of Australian soldiers “Breaker” Morant and Peter Handcock from Bathurst during the earlier Boer War that prevented Australian soldiers suffering the same fate as their British counterparts. He says the public outcry over the deaths of Morant and Handcock ensured Australian soldiers would never again face a British court martial. “Also, the Australian Infantry Force (AIF) was a fully volunteer force, and was not the sort of military that would take easily to this extreme form of discipline. However, I see nothing in the human condition to say it won't happen again.”

A five year extension to a Memorandum of Understanding between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Ontario Principals' Council provides school administrators with a global perspective on education. The two organisations have worked together since 2007, resulting in the Master of International Education (School Leadership), a program offered by distance education through CSU in Ontario.  “The extension of this partnership is significant as it encourages aspiring and practising school administrators in Ontario to further their education in a program that focuses on school leadership in a global context,” said Program Director Dr Zeffie Nicholas. “This focus allows candidates to bring a global theoretical and practical lens to their local contexts.” More than 40 graduates have been awarded a Master of International Education (School Leadership) with another 20 due to complete the program by the end of 2013. CSU President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann and the Executive Director of the Ontario Principals' Council Mr Ian MacFarlane signed the MOU at a ceremony at CSU in Ontario in June.

Student meat judges from Charles Sturt University (CSU) have claimed the title of the highest scoring Australian team at the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) competition held in Wagga Wagga last week. During the competition, 130 university students from Australia, Japan, the USA, Pakistan, Indonesia and South Korea judged lamb, pork and beef carcases along with cuts of meat.  The team of 12 students from CSU’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences was beaten by just one point by a team from Kansas State University in the USA.  “This magnificent result is due to the commitment and hard work of the students and their coaches who have spent many early mornings training at the abattoir,” said CSU Professor of Animal Production Peter Wynn. Four members of the CSU team, Ms Ebony Mull, Ms Laura Kemmis, Ms Tamara Heir and Ms Mikhalla Middleton have also been selected in the 10-member national training squad that can earn a place in the Australian team to tour the USA in 2014. Read the full ICMJ competition results for 2013 here.

A Bachelor of Agricultural Science graduate from Charles Sturt University (CSU) has competed in an international competition that tests the agribusiness skills of students. Mr Will Porter who studied through CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, was part of a team of five Australian university students which competed at the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) conference in the United States in June. The team was given a case study and had four hours to prepare and present a business plan to a panel of judges. The Australian team came a close second in the heat but Mr Porter said the real value was attending the conference itself. “It was a wonderful opportunity to meet people involved in the global agribusiness sector, to talk about the challenges and the opportunities for career development.”  Mr Porter graduated from CSU in 2012 and now works as an agronomist for Auscott Limited in Narrabri in northern NSW.

Twenty Charles Sturt University (CSU) students from Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga will receive scholarships worth more than $100 000 from the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Foundation during a ceremony on Thursday 18 July. The RAS Foundation awarded 49 Rural Scholarships in 2013 – a record number – with recipients coming from various educational institutions across NSW. The CSU students are studying a range of courses including agricultural science, agricultural business management, education, equine science, journalism, medical radiation science, physiotherapy and veterinary science. RAS Foundation Rural Scholarships support students who are undertaking post-high school study or training, show a passion for rural issues and who are committed to playing a part in shaping the future of rural and regional NSW. The ceremony will be held on Thursday 18 July from 6pm to 8.30pm at the National Wine and Grape Centre, building 412, McKeown Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will host 60 Year 9 students from Blayney Public School, Portland Central School, and Denison College for a 'Future Directions Day' on Friday 19 July. The day is part of CSU’s Future Moves Program, which works at building aspiration for higher education amongst school students in regional NSW and Victoria. Ms Tonya Graham, Future Moves coordinator said, “The Future Directions Day will be the first of its kind to target Year 9 students. By introducing young people to a university campus and enabling them to interact with university students and staff we’re hoping to encourage them to consider tertiary education as a realistic and accessible option. We want to trigger conversations about post-school options early so that students see university as a realistic pathway and feel confident with the career choices they make.” Students will participate in interactive workshops from 10am-2.30pm assisted by CSU staff in various areas, including robotics, paramedics and political science. Students will also tour the campus and have lunch in the University dining hall like university students. Read more about Future Moves here.

The traditional office rubbish bin is a thing of the past at Charles Sturt University (CSU) after the roll-out of a new waste recycling program. An initiative of CSU Green to help the University cut its landfill waste by 70 per cent by 2014, colour-coded bins have been delivered to central locations in buildings across CSU. Small desktop waste cubes have also been delivered to every office as well as paper recycling boxes for under desks. Cleaners are now only responsible for emptying the colour coded bins located in a central location rather than emptying bins in individual offices and common areas. CSU Green Energy Manager Mr Chris O’Connor said, “This waste recycling system puts the onus on staff to take responsibility for their own waste. We have tailored the new system so the office waste is sorted by the person who makes it.” The office waste recycling system has just been rolled out at CSU in Wagga Wagga, It is already in use at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange. Read more on CSU News here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will celebrate its connection with the Dubbo community on Thursday 18 July with a series of flags that will be unfurled along Macquarie Street in the town centre. The flags will encourage the Western Plains residents of NSW to ‘Discover your true potential’ and revolve around the theme it’s time to live, learn and grow with CSU. Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo, Dr Beverley Moriarty said the University had established a strong relationship with the Dubbo community over the past 20 years. “Charles Sturt University has been pleased to be a part of such a strong and vibrant community for almost two decades now, and the flags are our way of saying ‘we look forward to continuing that journey together’,” she said. Dr Moriarty and Dubbo Mayor Mr Mathew Dickerson will attend an official launch of the flags 11am on Thursday 18 July at the Rotunda, Macquarie Street, Dubbo.

Members of the Port Macquarie community will gather for an Iftar dinner, hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Affinity Intercultural Foundation, to mark the Islamic month of Ramadhan on Friday 12 July. ‘Iftar’ refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the holy month, and is traditionally shared with friends, neighbours and relatives. Foundation executive director Mr Ahmet Keskin said Ramadhan was a significant time of the year for the Muslim community. “It's a time for reflection and sharing. Each year we see the Muslim community open their hearts and their homes to the general public, as they invite friends from all walks of their life to be around the dinner table. We look forward to breaking bread with our friends from the north coast of NSW," he said. CSU in Port Macquarie campus director Dr Muyesser Durur said the University was very happy to have the opportunity, in conjunction with the foundation, to host the dinner. “Part of the University’s role on the Mid North Coast is to encourage and support the sharing of ideas and ideals within and among the community,” she said.