Accessibility and human rights instead of rigid funding should be the priorities when planning health care services for rural and remote Australia, says Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Professor of Rural and Remote Pharmacy Patrick Ball. Professor Ball studied four communities in central west NSW as part of his examination of the provision of health services outside metropolitan Australia. “Governments have put forward centrally controlled, standardised solutions based on defined services and bricks and mortar,” he said. “We have evidence to show that rural and remote areas need more flexibility in allowing individual communities to meet their health needs and more emphasis on access to services rather than what hospital and which health facilities are located where.” Professor Patrick Ball will present a free public lecture on his research from 6pm in West Wyalong on Wednesday 3 August.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer in animation Damian Candusso is celebrating Oscar success for Australian director George Miller’s animated feature film Happy Feet. Damian, who is based at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, was already in Los Angeles for the 2007 Motion Picture Sound Editors’ (MPSE) annual Golden Reel Awards ceremony, which was held on Saturday 24 February. Happy Feet was nominated for Best Sound Editing at those awards, but lost to the animated movie Cars. However, last night Happy Feet went one better to pick up the Oscar for the Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Academy Awards. Speaking from Los Angeles Damian, who worked as a sound editor on the animated penguin flick said, “We’re all very excited,” adding , ”The sound award would have been awesome but the Academy Award is a higher honour”.

Ideas commonly held by education providers and other stakeholders are open to challenge by the findings of contemporary research into learning, knowledge, quantum theory and brain science, according to Mr Patrick Bradbery. Manager of the Professional Development Unit in the Faculty of Business on Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus, Mr Bradbery will discuss these issues and the implications for the design and delivery of learning interventions at a presentation titled ”What the bleep do we know about learning?” at the University between 12.30pm and 2pm on Wednesday 28 February. “This presentation questions whether we have lost sight of the purpose and function of tertiary education, and whether it has become purely vocational in its focus,” Mr Bradbery said. His presentation will contextualise the finding from brain research that the ions which carry messages throughout the brain travel along pathways that are only just a little larger than the ions, thus creating a “quantum environment”.

Scientists and administrators from India are visiting the Border this week to investigate how Australia is managing the often conflicting uses for limited water resources. Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Institute for Land, Water and Society is hosting the 14 person group, from Loktak in Manipur state and Chilika, Bhubaneswar, for their three-day visit to CSU in Albury-Wodonga and its surrounding natural and artificial wetlands. ILWS director, Professor Max Finlayson, said, “Indian wetland managers face competing interests for water resources, such as hydro-electricity, irrigation, domestic supply, and the environment, which we are also addressing in the Murray Darling Basin. This is a great opportunity for both countries to learn how we can more effectively manage our water resources for all our users.”

Former and current police officers and school teachers are sought to participate in Charles Sturt University (CSU) research about decision-making in their careers. The study by Ms Loene Howes, a psychology student and a teacher for 14 years, will focus on the career decision-making of police officers and teachers who stay in these professions or enter new careers. “In particular, I need former school teachers and police officers who have gone into other fields, as well as current police officers and school teachers, to complete an anonymous online survey,” said Ms Howes. "The survey usually takes 10 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on how many questions are relevant to the experience of the individual completing the survey. I hope my research will be of use to police officers and teachers considering career change, counsellors assisting police officers and teachers with career transitions, and police and education departments in addressing the needs of staff and keeping experienced staff in the professions.” The survey can be found here. 

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo will host special visitors and a public lecture in the weeks ahead. Head of Campus, Dr Bev Moriarty, said the Dubbo Men’s Probus club will visit the campus on Tuesday 2 August to inspect University facilities, including the new CSU Dental Clinic. “I’m also delighted that two representatives from Dubbo City Council’s sister-city, Minokamo, in Japan, Mr Ryohei Sago, a retired head master, and Ms Hiroe Yamauchi, an elementary school teacher, will tour the campus and the CSU Dental Clinic on Wednesday 3 August,” Dr Moriarty said. “And on Wednesday 10 August, the University will host a free public lecture, Water, Drought and Climate Change, by Professor David Mitchell from the CSU School of Environmental Sciences and Institute for Land, Water and Society. This very interesting and relevant topic is already attracting strong local interest from around Dubbo.”

Succession planning and the future of beef production will be discussed by guest speakers at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Orange Ag Club’s Rural Links dinner on Thursday 11 August. The annual dinner aims to link students and graduates from the Agricultural Business Management course, as well as CSU lecturers and industry representatives. This year’s dinner will feature Ms Lyn Sykes, a well-recognised speaker on succession planning, and local beef producer Mr Ross Wills. Orange Ag Club president Mr Richard Connell says the dinner is just part of what the club achieves each year. "The Orange Ag Club is the base of networking for students and professionals who are interested in the agricultural industry around Orange.” A three-course meal is included in the ticket price of $40 for Orange Ag Club members and $45 for non-members.

A mosaic wall mural thought to be the largest in Australia will be dedicated at a ceremony at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Canberra on Thursday 4 August. The Executive Director of centre, Reverend Professor James Haire, AM, said, “The ‘Mural wall of the Holy Spirit in our land’ is a ceramic mosaic derived from a painting by Mr Hector Jandany, a Christian and an elder, lawman and custodian of the Gija people of the East Kimberley region in Western Australia. The original painting is in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, and the mural, approved by Hector during his lifetime, was executed by Mosaics by Morrisey. In the painting and the mural, the Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of the white owl of the Gija people, whose lands extend from Warmun to Texas Downs in the East Kimberley. The Holy Spirit watches over us all.” The Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC, and Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue, AC, CBE, DSG, will dedicate the mural at 3pm, Thursday 4 August at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, 15 Blackall St, Barton, Canberra, ACT.

A student from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst has been selected to take part in the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain. Ms Makayla Bischof, a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) student from Cowra will attend the event from Tuesday 16 to Sunday 21 August. “I was selected based on my involvement in the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst,” said Ms Bischof. “I have been involved in the Cowra Youth group and youth festivals such as Manifest. I’m looking forward to a spiritual and a cultural experience. I loved World Youth Day held in Sydney in 2008 so much and am looking forward to the unity of different youth around the world coming together.” Ms Bischof will initially spend time in northern Spain exploring sacred sites and Spanish culture. “We will visit the provincial capital León and stand inside its famous cathedral with 182 stained-glass windows. We will stay in ancient Astorga, which is encircled by walls, and walk part of the Camino de Santiago, a Christian pilgrimage trail, before heading to Madrid for World Youth Day.” Ms Bischof’s trip is supported by CSU Global, the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, and the Parish of Cowra.