Charles Sturt University (CSU) and international computing giant IBM have announced a scholarship and internship program that will see CSU information technology (IT) students gain invaluable industry experience with IBM in Bathurst while completing their degrees. Initially six students will receive scholarships from IBM while they work for 40 weeks part time with the global information technology provider, developing skills in application development and maintenance and IT helpdesk support. “This program provides an exciting opportunity for the University’s students to engage with one of the world’s leading corporations in providing quality courses and graduates for the information technology industry,” said Professor John Hicks, Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Business.

An analysis of 14 existing studies on Echinacea, published last week in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, shows that the herbal remedy can cut the risk of catching a cold, and reduce the severity of a cold by up to a day-and-a-half. This comes as no surprise to Dr Philip Kerr, lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry at Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga Campus. “I’m a tincture rather than tablet man myself,” says Dr Kerr. Echinacea supplements are available as tablets, extracts, tincture, tea and even in fresh juice. He adds it should be taken, “At the very first sign of feeling a bit off.” Dr Kerr says to watch for the “tingle on the tongue” as a sign of an effective Echinacea remedy. Echinacea effectiveness can be reduced by “the process by which the plant extract has been prepared, and which variety of the plant has been used,” Dr Kerr said.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) affiliation with the Ajisai Nursing College (ANC) in Minokamo in Japan will be further enhanced when Sally Ellis, a Bachelor of Nursing student at CSU Dubbo, visits Kizawa Memorial Hospital and the ANC this month. For ten years now, Japanese students who have completed ANC’s three-year nursing diploma have been able to undertake a conversion degree to a full Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) at CSU, which includes clinical placements at Dubbo Base and Lourdes Hospital. Ms Ellis says she wants to “develop an insight into transcultural nursing and Asian culture”, and will look at “health care delivery for the older person, and community care”. She has also been invited to observe at an open-heart operation. CSU has committed $2 000 to Ms Ellis’s trip. “It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the support of CSU,” she said. Heather Bell, Manager of Campus Services at CSU Dubbo, said, “This is a great example of the University providing support to students to internationalise their degree.”

What does religion have to do with farming – and vice versa? Quite a lot, according to Dr Judith Crockett, lecturer in social sustainability at the Orange Campus of Charles Sturt University. She identified three distinct groups of farming families: the non-religious, the religious – who make occasional trips to church, often for social reasons, and Christian, whose “whole lives are permeated by their Christian beliefs and values”. These families tend to exhibit quite distinct gender and family relationships, have fewer problems with “succession planning” - the transfer of the farm between generations – and, “many are very progressive sustainable managers of land, very involved in Landcare as well as broader community activities,” said Dr Crockett. “That is because they see themselves as caretakers of the land rather than the owners of it.”

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) has been awarded much sought after international quality accreditation. The NWGIC, located at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, implemented a quality management system for its research activities in 2006.  Following an external review and audit in June 2007, the Centre was awarded accreditation for its implementation of the ISO 9000 Quality Management System. This achievement, driven by Mrs Helen Pan (NWGIC), Mr Chris O'Connell (NSW DPI), Professor Geoff Scollary (CSU), and Mrs Cathy Campbell (NSW DPI), reinforces the NWGIC’s place at the forefront of Australian research facilities. Director of the NWGIC Professor Thomas Henick-Kling says the quality accreditation is a wonderful achievement and shows a commitment to quality. The NWGIC is the home of leading wine industry research activities including the Winegrowing Futures Program.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student has won a $15 000 scholarship to help improve the growth and management of summer pastures in high rainfall areas of south western Victoria. Margaret Raeside is evaluating the benefits of a summer-growing variety of tall fescue grass species called ‘Quantum’ for the EverGraze research project undertaken by CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The project aims to boost profits to wool and livestock producers while reducing groundwater levels and reducing soil salinity. CSU’s Dr Michael Friend is an EverGraze NSW site leader and Ms Raeside’s supervisor. He said the scholarship recognises the importance of Ms Raeside’s work to utilise perennial pastures in grazing systems to improve farm profitability and environmental outcomes. The three year scholarship is from the South Australian-based AW Howard Memorial Trust.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bluebottles water polo team promise to put some ‘sting’ into the Eastern Conference Challenge competition to be held in Sydney next week. The team comprises seven CSU students from Albury-Wodonga and two from Bathurst. Six of the Bluebottles are top grade players who have represented the Ovens & Murray Association, NSW and Australian Country Teams. The CSU Bluebottles will be competing against teams from Sydney, NSW, Canberra and Newcastle universities. Captain Matt Hogan has spent the last three years playing in England after stints with the Cronulla Sharks and Canberra Dolphins in the Australian National League. "We are going to Sydney to be competitive. We are aiming for a top three finish in Sydney so we can go to the Australian University Games on the Gold Coast in September,” Matt said.

Interested in the skill of wine and food matching? Charles Sturt University (CSU) is collaborating with one of Wagga Wagga’s top restaurants to educate the Riverina public’s tastebuds about wine and food matching skills. Dr Anthony Saliba, a sensory scientist at the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC), located at CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, will pass on his knowledge and understanding of why certain wine and foods complement each other. Dr Saliba will also discuss the key mistakes consumers often make when designing a dinner party menu with table wines to match. Held at The Three Chefs restaurant, the workshop will include a seven course dinner with wines that complement those dishes. Places are limited to 20 and bookings close on Thursday 28 June.

In a collaboration described as a “first”, NSW Ambulance Service will second two positions to the Charles Sturt University Bachelor of Clinical Practice (Paramedic) course. Described by Peter O'Meara, Associate Professor in CSU’s School of Biomedical Sciences, as “fantastic”, the one and two-year positions are being advertised, “Because the course has been growing at such a rate. This will provide more staff up-front for the growing demand. It will also give NSW Ambulance further knowledge of our course, and we will get the opportunity to pick their brains about what is going on in NSW Ambulance. They are always seeking graduates, and an extra 250 jobs on top of the 300 they already recruit annually was just announced in the NSW Budget,” said Professor O’Meara.