Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia will inspect the Wagga Wagga Campus of Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Thursday 12 October. He will be accompanied by a large delegation from Cambodia, a country in Southeast Asia with a population of more than 13 million. Head of the University’s Wagga Wagga Campus Professor David Green says the Prime Minister is visiting Wagga Wagga as part of his official visit to Australia. “The Cambodian Prime Minister expressed an interest in seeing Australian agricultural facilities, hence the visit to our Campus.” Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter said “it is very clear that our model of collaboration with government agencies and with industry, as demonstrated with the E H Graham Centre and the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, is a model for other countries to use.”  The Cambodian delegation will be briefed on current collaborations between the NSW Department of Primary Industry and Cambodian research institutions before a luncheon hosted by CSU. Professor Deirdre Lemerle, Director of the E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, a joint research venture between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, says the visit is a “tremendous opportunity to showcase our excellent research capacity in agriculture, and further develop our collaborative links with Cambodia to create profitable and sustainable agricultural systems.”

An expert in the study of paranormal events from Charles Sturt University (CSU) believes the only scary thing about Halloween is the risk of tooth decay from all the sweets that children have an excuse to guzzle on the day. Dr Krissy Wilson, Head of CSU’s Science of Anomalistic Phenomena research unit, said the celebration of Halloween most likely started as a pagan tradition that coincided with the new harvest. “It later became a Christian celebration of All Hallows or All Saints Day. Modern times have seen it evolve into ‘Halloween’ – which came literally from ‘hallowed’ or ‘holy’ – that typically involves trick or treating, dressing up in silly outfits and watching horror movies!”

The CSU Orange Campus has traditionally had a strong affiliation with the Australian National Field Days (ANFD) which this year will be held at the Borenore site in Orange from 17-19 October. CSU’s Equine business management course coordinator Amanda Warren-Smith said as well as their usual stand at the ANFD, the CSU Equine Unit will also coordinate a new Equine Expo. She said horses are an employment intensive industry: “A lot of people don’t realise that the horse industry contributes $8 billion a year to Australia’s GDP. Our Equine Business management course looks into aspects such as breeding, racing, competing, the pleasure horse industry and horse therapy. To have students working on the Equine Expo at ANFD also gives them added exposure to the event management side of the industry.” Charles Sturt University will also have a CSU course and enterprises information stand at Field Days called Educating tomorrow’s professionals.

Charles Sturt University Rural Management lecturer, Sue Johnson, has returned from the Camden Equestrian Centre where she worked as the NSW Elite Horse Coach during the week-long Polocrosse Australian National Championships. A lecturer in Livestock Production and a passionate horse enthusiast, Sue jumped at the chance to be involved in this prestigious event. Held every two years, the Polocrosse Australian National Championships is attended by 400 players and 700 horses from around Australia, as well as over 7 500 spectators. Ms Johnson’s responsibilities included pre-competition checking that the horses were fit and prepared for the games. Polocrosse claims is a “truly Australian made sport” (along with AFL and campdrafting) being developed in Australia in the 1930s from a mix of polo, lacrosse and netball.

Earlier this year Braidwood in the Southern Tablelands of NSW was listed on the State Heritage Register – the first town on the east coast of Australia to be recognised in this way. Now the residents will find out how Braidwood will be affected economically by the listing when the Western Research Institute (WRI) of Charles Sturt University begins its study to monitor the town’s future. Kathy Sloan, a senior research officer with the WRI says “the listing does restrict what can happen to buildings and what people can do on their properties. On the other hand, a heritage listing can be a good way to attract more tourists, and they already market themselves that way.” The study has commenced with an economic profile of Braidwood, including an analysis of the local economy. Once benchmarks are identified, a business survey will be conducted every year for five years. The WRI will then compare Braidwood’s economic trends with trends across regional NSW.

Ever wondered how the stunning effects in films such as Lord of the Rings are created? Lindsay Adams will reveal some trade secrets at a lecture in Wagga Wagga this week. Lindsay is a Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bachelor of Arts (Television Production) graduate, and now works as a 2d Technical Director at Animal Logic, a company at the forefront of the international visual effects industry. Lindsay’s recent work includes House of Flying Daggers, Stealth, and Oliver Stone's World Trade Center. He promises to thank CSU when he collects his first Oscar. “However, most of the work we do is in a dark room and we rarely get out, especially to something as glamorous as the Oscars. We start work when it’s dark and finish when it’s dark.” Lindsay says he can still enjoy himself at the cinema, despite knowing all the tricks of the trade. “The best effects are the ones you don’t notice. There’s a lot of work out there that is completely seamless and even I don’t spot it.”

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) decision to establish a campus in Port Macquarie has been welcomed by the Birpai Local Area Land Council, which praised the University’s commitment to the local Aboriginal community. Campus Director of CSU in Port Macquarie, Dr Muyesser Durur, said evidence suggests that Aboriginal people are more likely to attend a university if they can do so within country rather than having to move away from their home and family. “The University is committed to creating an environment that will create opportunities for all sectors of the community. One of our core gaols for the region is to build students’ capacity to contribute to their community and society,” she said. Uncle Bill O’Brien, Chairperson of the Birpai Land Council, has been heartened by how CSU has embraced the local Aboriginal community from the start. “Charles Sturt University has consulted with and listened to the local Aboriginal community on every step of its journey to establish a permanent tertiary education presence in Port Macquarie. I am excited that Charles Sturt University is also developing and constructing an Aboriginal study centre on the new campus, which will enhance the prospect of success of Aboriginal students,” he said.

The risks of the sexualisation of girls, and tips on how to help girls grow up with healthy attitudes towards body image and sexuality, will be discussed at a public lecture in Tumut on Wednesday 21 November. Lecturer in philosophy and ethics at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Dr Emma Rush, will give an overview of what researchers and experts have to say about the risks associated with the sexualisation of girls and explain the government’s response. “A generation ago we didn’t see fashion and gossip magazines, padded bras and cosmetics, pitched specifically at the primary school market,” she said. “While sex appeal has been used to sell products for a long time, in the last decade or so imagery directly inspired by pornography has also become much more prevalent in fashion and advertising. The increasing pressure on girls to meet very narrow appearance ‘ideals’ at younger and younger ages is of significant concern to experts in child health and welfare.” The free lecture, Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls, will also identify resources for parents and professionals who work with girls.

How native freshwater fish are affected by hydro-electric turbines for electricity on major rivers is a global concern. A fish researcher, who studies the ecology of migratory fish in the Lower Mekong River Basin in South-East Asia, is visiting southern NSW to investigate how Australian native fish can live with similar plants on major dams in the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Dr Phousavanh Phouvin, from the National University of Laos in Laos Peoples Democratic Republic, is currently on a three-month study tour in Australia, investigating aspects of hydro plant design that cause fish injuries and deaths. Dr Phouvin will present results from his findings at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury from 12noon on Thursday 15 November. He has worked mainly at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre as a Crawford Fund Fellow.