The importance and value of multilingual children is the focus of an Explorations Series free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 20 August. Professor Sharynne McLeod, an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow and the Professor of Speech and Language Acquisition at the CSU School of Teacher Education and the Research Institute for Professional Practice Learning and Education (RIPPLE), will deliver a multimedia presentation about her 4-year ARC research around the world. Professor McLeod's research emphasises the right of everyone, particularly children, to participate fully in society. Her research has supported multilingual children in many countries including Vietnam, Jamaica, Fiji, Turkey, Zambia, Hong Kong, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the United States and Australia. "Children master most of their speech and language skills in their first five to six years of life," Professor McLeod said. "Additionally, many children around the world become competent communicators in more than one language. However, some children can have difficulty with speech and language, regardless of the number of languages they speak. In schools, we should encourage and support the use of 'home languages' (ie languages other than English spoken at home). As a nation, we should celebrate multilingualism and recognise it as a valuable resource to be used more effectively." Please RSVP to Ms Kate Esdaile on (02) 6338 4645 or kesdaile@csu.edu.au.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will welcome the Labor Senator for NSW Senator Deborah O'Neill on Friday 15 August as part of a national tour of regional universities. The Head of Campus at CSU in Wagga Wagga Ms Miriam Dayhew will accompany Senator O'Neill on a tour of the University from 9.10am. At 10am, Senator O'Neill will meet with students from the Rivcoll Student Representative Committee to discuss proposed changes to the higher education sector. The meeting will take place at The Hub (eat @ 20), building 20, near car park 2 off Darnell Smith Drive at CSU in Wagga Wagga. A lecturer at the University of Newcastle before replacing Bob Carr in 2013, Senator O'Neill is Secretary of Labor's education committee. She will also visit CSU in Albury-Wodonga on Friday afternoon.

Paramedic students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie will join medical students from University of NSW (UNSW) on Thursday, 14 August to treat patients during four separate simulated emergency exercises. The students will be treating several patients at emergency scenes at Rotary House on Wrights Road in Port Macquarie from 9:30am to 3pm. The students will then transport the patients in the CSU ambulance to the simulated emergency department at the UNSW Rural Clinical School. Senior Lecturer of Paramedicine at CSU in Port Macquarie Mr Joe Acker said, "The exercises aim to provide a realistic situation to challenge the paramedic and medical students to make difficult decisions in high pressure, complex environments. We also want to give them an opportunity to hone their inter professional and communications skills to enhance the ability to work in multi-disciplinary environments when they graduate." The UNSW's Simulation Educator Ms Donna Hughes said, "This joint simulation exercise with Charles Sturt University gives the medical students an opportunity to participate in and to better understand the pre-hospital phase of the patient journey. The simulations also give the paramedic students an authentic opportunity to practice the clinical handover of a patient in the emergency department - an important skill to master."

A free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Tuesday 19 August will explore the science of cultural heritage. The lecture is by Professor Tim Wess, the Executive Dean of the CSU Faculty of Science. Professor Wess has a background in biophysics and international research in historical and archaeological artefacts, including the change in molecular structure of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Domesday Book. He says the documents, objects, artwork and remnants of everyday life that have defined our society and culture are at risk of being lost due to the continual molecular changes that occur with ageing. "The study of these changes, and what we can and need to do to protect our future, form the basis of cultural heritage science," Professor Wess said. "This discipline also can tell us more about the provenance, history, and origin of artefacts that goes beyond the surface and visual information from objects such as paintings, sculptures and manuscripts. In the lecture I will describe the new and exciting techniques, projects and challenges of understanding the changes that pose a threat to keeping our history, and how information can be retrieved from documents which were thought to be lost to the ravages of time." The lecture is part of the Explorations Series. Read more here.

Two leading academics and theologians representing the Christian and Muslim faiths will come together at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Saturday 16 August for the public seminar, The Role of Faith in Trust Building. The speakers are the Right Reverend Professor Stephen Pickard, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture and an Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and Associate Professor Mehmet Ozalp, Executive Director of the University's Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilization. They will each deliver an address before holding an open question and answer session. Head of CSU in Wagga Wagga, Ms Miriam Dayhew will chair the free, public seminar from 11am to 1pm on Saturday 16 August in Room 103, Swan Theatre building 12, near car park 7, Nathan Cobb Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga. A sausage sizzle will be held after the event. A seminar organiser and CSU academic Dr Asim Qayyum, said, "I strongly feel that a dialogue between these two faiths is required during these times of confusion and crises to guide the youth. The common platform of belief and faith that binds us all together should lead to mutual trust building so that our upcoming generations are able to confront ethical and moral issues."

To kick off National Science Week people can take a closer look at the microscopic world with help from Charles Sturt University (CSU) Senior Lecturer in Plant Science, Dr John Harper and his students. The free family science event, Closer, is being held from 10:30am on Saturday 16 August in the children's area at the Wagga Wagga City Library. People are being encouraged to bring along something to look at and a mobile phone to capture the image in the microscope. "This is something for parents and children," said Dr Harper. "During National Science Week we want to inform and inspire people about the beauty and importance of science in all our lives." The event has been organised by the Riverina Science Hub, an initiative of CSU, Wagga Wagga City Library and Eastern Riverina Science Teachers Association with support from the Australian Government's Inspiring Australia and NSW Trade and Investment. CSU will also host the annual Science Investigation Awards for primary and high school students on Tuesday 19 August. Read more about the CSU events planned for National Science Week here.

People from all faiths will come together at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture at CSU in Canberra this week for a service of peace for those suffering in the Middle East. The service, For the sake of humanity, is being hosted by the Centre in conjunction with the Canberra Interfaith Forum and the ACT Council of Churches. Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture Executive Director the Right Reverend Professor Stephen Pickard said, "The service calls people of all faiths and good will to join together in an act of solidarity with those who are suffering and victims of violence in the Middle East, whether it is Iraq, Gaza, Southern Israel, Syria or elsewhere. This is a time for the bonds of our common humanity to be recognised. Lament and yearning for peace are the themes for the service. There will be songs by the Canberra based Chorus of Women, dance, symbol and reflections". The service will be held from 6pm to 6:45pm on Wednesday 13 August in The Chapel at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, 15 Blackall Street, Barton, ACT. For more information contact Ms Margaret Roberts from the ACC&C on (02) 6272 6203 or send an email acc-c@csu.edu.au.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) students can learn about travel scholarships and overseas study opportunities at the second biannual CSU Global Showcase in Orange on Thursday 14 August. Manager of CSU Global, Dr Shevahn Telfser said, "The CSU Global Showcase celebrates the many varied experiences that students have when studying at the University. It will be held on several campuses, including online, over the coming weeks, and is a wonderful event that lets many students showcase the opportunities they have had to study overseas and the benefits they gained. It will be a great opportunity to meet returned exchange students, past short-term program participants, incoming exchange students from partner universities, and CSU Global staff to share stories and details about the various programs on offer." CSU Global administers scholarships worth $3 000 to $5 000 to study in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Korea. The CSU Global Showcase will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday 14 August in room 120, building 1004, at CSU in Orange.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will host 25 Kooringal High School students on Thursday 14 August as they explore ideas for their future and get a taste of university life. The Future Directions event is part of CSU's Future Moves program, which was developed to encourage aspiration for higher education among students in rural and remote NSW.  The Year 9 students will take part in a range of activities as an introduction to higher education; exploring their interests and strengths and how these could link to future study and career opportunities. Wagga Future Moves program coordinator, Ms Ravnita Sharma said, "By introducing young people to the world of university study we hope to encourage them to become more engaged in school studies and more confident in considering tertiary study as a realistic option." As part of the day, current CSU students who volunteer as Future Moves Leaders will share a first-hand perspective on the transition from school to university. Future Moves is a federally funded initiative, run through CSU and aligned with the Australian Blue Print for Career Development.