MARCH 2010 News on Campus @ Bond University
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CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA VISITS BOND
Earlier this month, the Tim Fischer Centre for Global Trade and Finance and The Faculty of Law hosted His Excellency ZHANG Junsai, the Ambassador of The People’s Republic of China to Australia as he presented a distinguished lecture on ‘China-Australia Economic and Investment Co-operation and Bilateral Relations’.
The lecture, attended by over 80 guests, provided great insight into the tremendous growth that China has experienced in recent times and demonstrated the complex and integrated approach that both countries take with respect to bilateral relations and investment.
His Excellency was joined by his wife, Madam YIN, Consul General REN Gongping and Consul PAN Yonglu who were all extremely impressed by Bond’s campus, staff and our interest in China. The Ambassador made the trip from Canberra to Bond specifically to deliver his lecture at the invitation of the Tim Fisher Centre for Global Trade and Finance, which was founded in 2000 to serve as an interdisciplinary research centre and think tank on global trade and finance issues.
STAGE II CONSTRUCTIONS BEGINS ON LEGAL SKILLS BUILDING
In January 2010, the University Council approved the Stage II extension to the Legal Skills Building that also includes Bond College/BUELI. Final plans of the extension will be posted to the internet as well as in the Central Library shortly.
Office of Facilities Management wishes to advise in order to achieve a completion date on or before the end of the year, preliminary works commenceD on Monday, 1st March 2010. ADCO Constructions have installed security fencing around the existing building and the proposed footprint for the extension, including the provision for site sheds and the delivery of materials.
BALNAVES FOUNDATION MULTIMEDIA LEARNING CENTRE OFFICIALLY OPENED
The Balnaves Foundation Multimedia Learning Centre, named in honour of our long-time, generous benefactor, Dr Neil Balnaves AO, was officially opened this month.
A former Bond University Council Member and now Member of the Board of Trustees, Mr Balnaves put forward his Foundation’s name, his expertise and a grant of $1.5milion to create the popular, technology-rich centre 18 months ago.
Breaking new ground in using multiple technologies and making innovative space for teaching, learning and research, the $3.4 million student facility incorporates a laptop bar, study booths, digital art displays and collaborative learning rooms with state-of-the-art equipment.
In a mark of his tremendous generosity and ongoing support for Bond University, Mr Balnaves used the launch to announce a further donation of $150,000, to be provided over three years and matched by the University, to ensure the maintenance and continued advancement of the Centre’s cutting-edge technology.
FUNDING SMART FUTURES SCHOLARSHIPS
In addition to the three scholarships announced in partnership with the Indigenous Land Corporation, Bond University has received notice of several significant scholarships and grants that will further strengthen the growing research portfolio of the University.
Queensland Treasurer the Hon. Andrew Fraser MP (pictured) recently visited campus to announce the Smart Futures PhD recipients for 2010. Bond received an impressive four out of the total 17 scholarships awarded to Queensland universities, representing a 100% success rate, with each application submitted being successful.
PhD students Elizabeth Scott, Christian Moro, Michael Kakanis and Brookes Folmli have all received the prestigious scholarships, each worth $24,000 over three years, to aid their research into health and social issues that impact society as a whole.
The Queensland Government’s Smart Futures Fund will also finance two additional Fellowships at Bond University, with Dr Scott Wearing and Dr Clarence Tan both successful in their applications. See stories below
QUESTIONING CLINICAL 'HABITS' THAT POSE POTENTIAL THREAT TO PATIENTS
Bond University’s Professor Chris Del Mar and Professor Mieke van Driel, and Oxford University’s Professor Paul Glasziou (who will join Bond in July) were among the internationally published academics who delivered an interactive Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) workshop to more than 30 Queensland medical practitioners on campus recently.
An EBM practitioner, Professor Del Mar says the interactive workshop was about helping clinicians understand ways to make better clinical decisions, or in short, how to ensure they’re getting the right treatment to the right people.
"Evidence-Based Medicine is about challenging the clinical habits we’re all in and checking the empirical evidence about whether we’re treating our patients in the best possible way," Professor Del Mar said.
He said that every area of clinical care stood to benefit from the adoption of EBM practice.
"If we did more of it our patients would get better quicker and harmed less. Many of our younger doctors and medical students are being taught this early in their training, but it poses more of a challenge for older clinicians who weren’t."
"We covered a lot of ground (in the workshop), and in the wrap-up there was an overwhelming demand for a second workshop to cover some areas we didn’t have time to touch on, such as meta-analysis, and to cover others, especially electronic searching, in more detail," he said.
QUICK NEWS
Dr Clarence Tan from the Faculty of Business, Technology and Sustainable Development has been successful with his application for the 2010 Smart Futures Commercialisation Fellowship round. Dr Tan will receive $25,000 over 12 months as part of his Entrepreneur-in-Residence fellowship
Indigenous Land Corporation has agreed to provide three scholarships for indigenous students worth over $100,000 each which include tuition fees for an undergraduate degree in the School of Hotel, Resort and Tourism Management, accommodation and meals. Indigenous Land Corporation will be donating 50% of the costs and the Bond University scholarship fund will cover the remaining 50%.
Congratulations to the team of law students who competed in the International Trial Competition in The Hague last week. Unfortunately the team did not make the final but were awarded the Best Defence Memorial and student Ashleigh Light was awarded Best Oralist.
Earlier this month the student team from the Faculty of Law also did very well at the Jessup Moot Competition Australian finals. The team reached the final four, being narrowly defeated in the semi finals. However the team won Best Applicant Memorial and Best Overall Memorial and student Katherine Mansted received the award for fourth best oralist in the competition.
The National Health and Medical Research Council has advised that a joint University of Sydney and Bond University grant application, with Paul Glasziou as Joint Chief Investigator, has also been successful. The grant is for $8.9 million with the Bond component estimated to be approximately $1.7 million over 5 years.
“Planning is an important part of my role as Councillor, and I sit on a number of Council Committees that concentrate on town planning and strategic planning. So, besides being a personal interest of mine, studying planning is of clear benefit to me, and to Gold Coast City, as it will help to add a level of informed decision making to the political side of Council,” Mr Betts said. “My study is giving me a greater understanding of the planning process and also why Council officers make the recommendations that they do. “All Councillors have skills that they bring to the table as a positive contribution and I would like to add planning to mine,” he said.
Mr Betts said Bond’s focus on urban design and sustainable development particularly grabbed his interest. “These are certainly areas that need more focus from a political perspective,” he said. “Planners get it, but the political decision makers are a little bit behind the times - well, let's just say that most don't place a priority on these aspects. I hope to redirect Council’s focus so that urban design and sustainability become a greater priority in planning matters,” Mr Betts said.
He said while he was enjoying learning about the background to the various planning methods that he sees in use at Council, the extra work load was proving a challenge. “My family is very understanding though, and Bond’s intensive delivery mode and three-semester year is helping to fast-track my studies so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel sooner,” he said.
Despite his demanding schedule, Mr Betts has managed to achieve highly in the subjects he has completed so far, recently awarded the First in Class prize for Economic and Social Foundations of Planning. It seems his goal of chairing a committee in the next Council term is well within reach. “In such a leadership role I will be able to have more influence in guiding the political will of the Council in a direction that embraces urban design and sustainability with a new vigor,” he said.
BOND & VETERANS (RSL) YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
On 6 & 7 March, 240 RSL Youth Development Program recipients along with their family and friends attended the annual RSL Youth Development Program Leadership Weekend at Bond University. The event included a formal cocktail reception and awards ceremony on Saturday evening and a leadership day on Sunday. The program is not only a great way to reward high achieving students but also provides a unique opportunity for potential students to experience the Bond facilities and campus first hand.
Business vs. Law Rugby
Gentlemen of Law and Bruisers of Business:
Business vs. Law Rugby is the perennial sporting event each semester at Bond. Students get to witness the boys from Business take on the lads from Law in the opening match of the series. Age-old battle lines of Faculty versus Faculty, mate against mate, and intellect against brawn have been drawn. Befitting of the pre-eminence of sport in the Australian culture is that a grudge match of rugby may decide who really is the best faculty – Business or Law? Come the final siren, tears will have rolled, blood will have been spilled, and bodies will have been battered in a celebration of tribalism. Business triumphed over Law last year – so who will take out the title for 2010?
Bond University Golf Club presents ‘Golf Clinic’
Want to learn how to play golf? Not sure of the difference between a putter and 9-iron? Want to impress your prospective boss with your golfing skills, but don’t know how? Come down to the Bond University Golf Club’s Golf Clinic at the Emerald Lakes Golf Club. Everything you need to both have fun and learn will be provided.
BOND UNI BASKETBALL CLUB
presents USA vs. R.O.W Basketball Try-Outs Think you have what it takes to show those Yanks how it is done (again)? Or are you an American that reckons a bunch of upstart Aussies can’t beat you at your own game? If so, sign up for USA vs. ROW Basketball. Try-outs are this week and next week to play in week 11. (ROW - Rest of World)
WATER POLO
Training and Weekly game 7PM - 8:15PM Monday & Thursday Bond pool
BOND UNIVERSITY AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL CLUB (AFL)
Present ‘Bondies in Brisvegas with the Brisbane Lions’
Do you want experience true Aussie culture? Watch Australia’s very own home-grown football code? Then come to Brisvegas with BUSA, the Bond University AFL Club and the Brisbane Lions to watch them take on the West Coast Eagles Week 10
ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOLADES
This month we congratulate Professor of Marketing Sudhir Kale on his appointment as external researcher for The China Centre for Lottery Studies at the University of Peking. We also recognise the efforts of our talented Jessup team members: James Graham, Tom Harrison, Katherine Mansted, Henry Norris and Kate Allan.
The China Centre for Lottery Studies at the University of Peking has honoured Professor Sudhir Kale (pictured above, centre), appointing him external researcher for a period of three years, in recognition of his contribution to gaming research over the last decade. Professor Kale has published over seventy gaming-related articles and was a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Gaming and Public Welfare held in Macau in December 2009. He is currently working on two large research grants from Gambling Research Australia and the Department of Justice, Government of Victoria. His contributions to the gaming industry by way of publications, seminars, and consulting have earned him a place among the very top gaming professionals in the world.
Well done also to our Jessup Team, who recently competed in the National Jessup mooting competition - regarded worldwide as the most prestigious mooting competition for law students. James, Tom, Katherine, Henry and Kate put in a tremendous performance, reaching the semi-finals where they were knocked out by the University of Western Australia, who went on to win. The team was awarded prizes for Best Applicant Memorials and Best Overall Memorials. Team member James Graham thanked the University for its support saying "It has driven us to make it as far as we did and for that we are grateful. The spirit of Jessup is still very alive at Bond and I am sure we will continue to shine for many years to come."
Two years later, he travelled to London and secured a job with the world’s largest law firm, Clifford Chance, where he ventured into the world of high finance, working with their major investment banking clients. This in turn led to a position as in-house legal counsel with Deutsche Bank’s Corporate Finance group before he returned home to Australia to launch his own boutique legal firm – Faes & Co Lawyers – on the Gold Coast.
Partnering with fellow Bond alumnus, John Ramsden, the pair merged their respective practices in 2005 to form Ramsden Faes. The new firm was officially opened by the then Commonwealth Attorney General, Philip Ruddock. Christian’s most recent move has been to return to London where he co-founded and is now Managing Director of Montello Capital Partners. A boutique investment bank, Montello specialises in arranging real estate bridging loans, funded by high net worth investors and syndicates, private equity and hedge funds.
SMART FUTURES PHD SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS FOR 2010 - CONGRATULATIONS TO:
VISITORS TO CAMPUS
His Excellency Mr ZHANG Junsai - Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Australia presented a distinguished lecture on China-Australia Economic and Investment Co-operation and Bilateral Relations.
The Hon Andrew Fraser MP, State Treasurer & Minister for Employment and Economic Development visited the campus to announce the Smart Futures PhD Recipients for 2010. Out of the 17 scholarships awarded to QLD universities, Bond received an impressive four scholarships. Bond had a 100% success rate with all four applications submitted being awarded a scholarship.
High School Formal Time - It is pleasing to see that our Food and Beverage Department has confirmed school formals and leadership days for key Gold Coast feeder schools including Emmanuel College, Marymount College, All Saints Anglican School, Varsity College, Coomera Anglican College, Elanora, Tweed River, Pacific Pines, Miami and Benowa High Schools. This certainly provides a great opportunity for potential students and their families to experience Bond’s facilities first hand.