Adelaidean July 2002

AdelaideanNews from the University of Adelaide July 2002Volume 11 Number 6

100 years ofEconomics

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Weapons buying:what’s wrong?

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Islam in thespotlight

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I N S I D E

EXERCISING at particular times in themenstrual cycle could help women to losemore weight.That's one of the initial discoveries made byUniversity of Adelaide PhD student LeanneRedman, who is studying the little-knownimpact of the menstrual cycle on women'sexercise.

Her work has already yielded somesignificant results.

Ms Redman is currently seeking womenbetween the ages of 18-30 to volunteer forthe last phase of her study, which is beingconducted in the University's departments ofPhysiology and Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

The fluctuating hormones throughout themenstrual cycle are known to be associatedwith changes in women's energy metabolismand temperature regulation.

What isn't clear is how these hormonalchanges affect women during exercise.

While some studies had already beenconducted into the issue, the methods used inthe past had been inconsistent and producedresults that were difficult to interpret, MsRedman said.

Instead, Ms Redman is using strictinternational criteria for her research, whichhopes to produce a much clearer result.

Now in the third year of her PhD, the earlyresults of her work indicate that themenstrual cycle does have an impact onwomen's exercise performance.

"Results from our initial studies suggest thatexercise performance is improved during thelater part of the menstrual cycle—that is,when circulating concentrations of ovarianhormones (oestrogen and progesterone) arehigh," Ms Redman said.

"Improved performance under theseconditions was coupled with an increasedmetabolism of fat and decreased levels offatigue, which were found to be related toresting oestrogen levels."

In fact, at the later menstrual phase, thehormones promote the use of fats as an

energy source to support exercise.

The use of fat in aerobic activity provides amore efficient delivery of energy. It alsoresults in fewer waste products beingproduced which normally contribute tofatigue.

"The findings of my study have confirmedwhat many research groups havespeculated—that exercise performance isaffected by changing concentrations ofmenstrual cycle hormones in young women."

These findings are of international interest tosport scientists and physicians involved inprescribing exercise programs to women forsport, fitness or health.

"We have identified important informationon the interaction between exercise and themenstrual cycle which will be critical to thedesign of exercise training programs andmanaging performance in athletic youngwomen," said Ms Redman, who is also theproject manager of the Department'sExercise Physiology Laboratory.

"According to our research, there would beclear benefits to women if their weightmanagement programs, as well as providing asound diet and lifestyle, took into account thephysiological changes that occur during themenstrual cycle."

Ms Redman's study also has potentialimplications for future research in this area.

She recently presented some of her earlierwork at the Annual Congress for theAmerican College of Sport Medicine in StLouis, Missouri. Her research received muchattention, and she was invited to visit twointernationally renowned laboratories inCanada to discuss post-doctoral researchopportunities.

Later this month Ms Redman will attend theannual meeting of the European College ofSport Science in Athens, Greece, again topresent the results of two studies that formthe basis of her PhD thesis.

Weight loss alikely gain fromexercise study

Leanne Redman in the Exercise Physiology Laboratory. Photo: David Ellis.

WOMEN aged between 18-30 years are urged to volunteer for the next phase of Ms Redman's research.

This phase will look at the impact of synthetic hormones within the oral contraceptive pill on women'smetabolism and exercise capacity.

"We need women who are already taking an oral contraceptive pill, are non-smokers and are physically active. That is, they exercise at least once a week," MsRedman said.

"The project will involve changing to an oral contraceptive pill that will allowus to match each participant’s results, andmeasuring their fitness on an exercisebike."

Participants will be paid a $100honorarium on completion of the study.

If you would like to get involved (and if you meet the above criteria)contact Leanne Redman by calling(08) 8303 4569, or send an email:[email protected]

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C O M M E N TTHE UN AND INTERNATIONAL L AW AF TER SEPTEMBER 11

Deadline for next issue: July 25.

by Dr Anthony BurkeDepartment of Politics

t was an American, Beardsley Ruml, whosaid in 1945: "At the end of five years you willconsider the United Nations the greatestvision ever realised by man. At the end of 10years you will find doubts within yourself andall through the world. At the end of 50 yearsyou will believe the United Nations cannotsucceed. It will only be when the UnitedNations is 100 years old that we will knowthat the UN is the only alternative to thedemolition of the world."The United Nations is 57 years old this year,and we could be forgiven for thinking, asRuml predicted, that the UN cannot possiblysucceed. In the wake of September 11, thebasic fabric of international law andcooperation is unravelling. We now stand atthe abyss of a world in which internationallaw and universal principles are merefootnotes to power, footnotes to a violencewhich the Bin Ladens, the Bushes, theSharons and Howards insist is the only wayto struggle and order the globe.The US is in defiance of international law inits incarceration of Al Qaeda suspects inCuba, giving them neither the status ofprisoners of war or domestic criminalsuspects. As such, they can be detainedindefinitely without formal charge, in a kindof legal no-man’s-land which contravenesboth the Geneva Convention and theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights.Similarly the new US military doctrine ofpre-emptive strike, which may underpin awar on Iraq, directly contravenes the UNCharter.

Australia, the US and the ICCThe one ray of light on the horizon is theInternational Criminal Court (ICC), whichwill come into operation later this year. Forthe first time in human history there will be astanding international tribunal which caninvestigate and prosecute genocide, crimesagainst humanity, war crimes and aggression.The ICC statute includes unprecedented newlaw. It makes rape and attacks onpeacekeepers war crimes, along with militaryoperations which cause disproportionate lossof civilian life. It establishes that crimes

Dr Anthony Burke. Photo: David Ellis.

Sciences Faculty gets new deanLUMEN, the University of Adelaide’sfull-colour magazine, has a new look.The magazine is crammed with news andfeatures on the excellent research andeducation at the University of Adelaide, aswell as achievements of staff, students andgraduates. The cover story deals withAustralia’s handling of the refugee issue.

For the first time, an online version of Lumenhas also been produced. Readers can find itat: www.adelaide.edu.au/lumen

Lumen available now

against humanity can be planned and carriedout not only by states but organisations,meaning that future terrorist attacks oncivilians (such as those by Al Qaeda, Hamasor Islamic Jihad) could in theory beprosecuted. This is ironic given that bothIsrael and the US are opposed to the Courtand prefer to use violence against terrorismrather than the moral deterrent ofinternational law.

US pressure weakened many of the ICC’smechanisms during negotiations. Now theUS refuses to ratify it and has even threatenedto withdraw from international peacekeepingmissions if their troops are not exemptedfrom its jurisdiction.

As a result, the Court is far less independentthan it might have been. Its power to initiateprosecutions is largely dependent on thepermission of the UN Security Council(where the US, and notorious human rightsabusers like China and Russia, hold veto

power). If the Security Council withholdssupport, prosecutions can only be initiatedagainst the nationals of a ratifying state or ifthe offence occurred on the territory of aratifying state. The Court will also only beable to act when it can verify that a state hasfailed to effectively prosecute the crime underits own laws.

The vocal opposition to the Court in the USand in the Howard Government is ludicrous,given how dependent on the cooperation ofmember states the Court will in reality be.Last month the Australian governmentdecided to ratify the ICC, but has placed suchstrong caveats on our participation as to makeit virtually worthless.

Australia has reserved the right to withdrawfrom the Treaty with 12 months notice, forthe Commonwealth Attorney-General toveto the arrest or prosecution of suspectswanted by the Court, to exempt Australiandefence force personnel from its jurisdiction,

and to interpret the offences of crimes againsthumanity, genocide and war crimes inaccordance with Australian law (whichcontains few if any references to such crimes).This is, in effect, a massive vote of no-confidence in the ICC and its statute. It is aform of international vandalism that willembolden every other rights-abusing state tofollow our lead. The "understanding" offeredby the Prime Minister of the GuantanamoBay camps and the pre-emptive strikestrategy lends further credibility to actionsthat undermine international law anduniversal values.

UN success and failureThere is a hypocrisy to this that has been acommon feature of the UN’s history. The USsought a UN Security Council resolution insupport of its war on Afghanistan, and for aUN peacekeeping force to provide stability inKabul. Yet it has limited the SecurityCouncil’s response to the Israeli war inPalestine, and its adherence to the UNCharter is terribly selective.Too often in the past, geopolitical gameplaying has hampered effective UN responsesto crisis. When Vietnam invaded Cambodiain 1979, China, the US and Britain ensuredthat the UN seat remained with the Royalistcoalition controlled by the murderous KhmerRouge, which prevented the UN fromproviding humanitarian aid to a countryravaged by war and genocide.In Bosnia, US indifference meant that theUN response was weak and slow. TheSecurity Council set its peacekeeping forces avery difficult task, in the midst of ongoingconflict, with too few troops and a weakmandate. Too often they were forced to standby helplessly while thousands wereslaughtered.In Rwanda, French and American delayingtactics saw the international communityindirectly responsible for the deaths ofhundreds of thousands of people while a tiny,impotent UN mission watched—knowingthat had the Security Council responded toits requests for more troops quickly, much ofthe killing could have been prevented.The UN Human Rights Commission isanother notable failure.

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I

ONE of Australia’s most brilliant youngscientists, Professor Peter Rathjen, hasbeen appointed Executive Dean of theUniversity of Adelaide’s new Faculty ofSciences.Aged 38, he is the youngest Executive Deanin the University’s history.A University of Adelaide graduate andformer Rhodes Scholar, Professor Rathjen iscurrently the inaugural Head of theUniversity’s Department of MolecularBiosciences.He has an international reputation in themolecular genetics of mammaliandevelopment, and his research on the controlof stem cell differentiation has applicationsinvolving the development of new gene andcell therapies for human disease.Professor Rathjen also brings to the positionfirst-hand experience in the commercial-isation of research through his significantinvolvement with local biotech companyBresagen.In recognition of his scientific achievements,he was honoured with a Tall Poppy Award bythe Australian Institute of Political Science in2000.Professor Rathjen takes over as ExecutiveDean from Professor Edwina Cornish, theUniversity’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor(Research), who has held the position in anacting capacity since February.The Faculty of Sciences came into existence

on January 1, 2002 through the merger of theFaculty of Science and Faculty ofAgricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.Professor Rathjen will be responsible forscientific education and research across theNorth Terrace, Roseworthy, Thebarton andWaite campuses."The reorganised Faculty has a crucial role toplay in underpinning the economic revival ofSouth Australia," Professor Rathjen said.

Continued on Page 4

Professor Peter Rathjen.

THE community is being offered thechance to comment on proposed changesto the University of Adelaide Act.In a media statement released last month, theMinister for Employment, Training andFurther Education, Dr Jane Lomax-Smith,said:"The University of Adelaide is one of SouthAustralia’s foremost institutions, and for sometime the University Council has been callingfor a review of its management structures."I’m now releasing a discussion paper whichsets out the proposed changes to the Uni-versity of Adelaide Act and the community isinvited to comment on the proposals untilFriday the 19th of July, 2002."Proposed changes include:• bringing the Council membership intoline with those of the other two universities inthe State by making the chair of the AcademicBoard and the President of the StudentAssociation ex officio members;• better defining the University’s functionsand powers to reflect the current and emergingrole in teaching, scholarship and research, andalso its role in the social, cultural and economicwelfare of the community;• recognising the emerging role of theAlumni Association as the main graduateforum by abolishing the Senate;• introducing stronger accountabilitymeasures for Council members and the studentunion;• giving the University the power todispose of land it owns freehold other than thatvested by government gift or trust.The discussion paper includes a number ofother minor changes that will ensure the Actmore realistically reflects the University’s placein the contemporary community, Dr Lomax-Smith's statement said.The proposed changes are also intended toremove existing anomalies and would result ineach of the State’s universities having a similarregulatory framework.

ADELAIDEAN JULY 2002 PAGE 3

Senior appointments announcedProfessor Michael Innes will become thenew Executive Dean for the Faculty ofHumanities and Social Sciences on 29 July2002. He is currently Professor ofPsychology at Murdoch University, wherehe has also held the positions of Dean ofPsychology as well as Director, Researchand Development, and Director, SocialChange and Social Equity Research, withinthe Division of Social Science, Humanitiesand Education.Professor Derek Frewin will continue in hisrole of Executive Dean of the Faculty ofHealth Sciences to June 2005.The new Director of the InternationalOffice is Mr Peter Ball, who will take up hisappointment on July 15. He is currentlyManager, International Relations, at theUniversity of Wollongong, and previouslyworked with Australian EducationInternational, based at the Australian HighCommission in Kuala Lumpur.

Good Unis GuideThe University of Adelaide has again beennamed among Australia’s top universities inthe latest Good Universities Guide.Compared with the other two SouthAustralian universities, Adelaide comes outon top in almost every key category, withespecially high marks for prestige, studentdemand, research, student-staff ratios, staffqualifications, international enrolments andgender balance.Adelaide was listed among the seven mostprestigious universities in the nation.

Sciences Faculty has new lookFrom this month, the Faculty of Scienceswill be restructured into four Schools.The new schools, and the departments theyare comprised of, are:School of Agriculture and Wine (AnimalScience, Applied & Molecular Ecology,Plant Science, part of Agronomy &Farming Systems, and Horticulture,Viticulture & Oenology)School of Earth and EnvironmentalSciences (Environmental Biology, Soil &Water, part of Agronomy & FarmingSystems, Geology & Geophysics, and theNational Centre for Petroleum Geology &Geophysics)School of Chemistry and Physics(Chemistry, Physics & MathematicalPhysics, and the Special Research Centrefor the Subatomic Structure of Matter)School of Biomedical Sciences (MolecularBiosciences, Physiology, and the ARCSpecial Research Centre in the MolecularGenetics of Development)Although the changes take effect from July 1, it is expected that the transition tothe new structure will be gradual.

Chancellor to give public lecture

University of Adelaide Chancellor MrRobert Champion de Crespigny AC willdeliver a free public address at the AdelaideConvention Centre on Wednesday, July 3 at 8.30am.

The title of the address is: "Sustainability inthe Mining Industry".

The public lecture is part of the AustralianGeological Convention, Geoscience 2002.

NEWS IN BRIEF

GEOLOGICAL research and study inSouth Australia has received a majorboost with the siting of a key governmenteducation and training centre at theUniversity of Adelaide.The University’s successful bid for theCooperative Research Centre for LandscapeEnvironments and Mineral Exploration(LEME) and leadership of the Educationand Training program, will attract more than$12 million in Federal Government fundingover the next five years. The bid was made bythe Department of Geology and Geophysicsin partnership with Primary Industries SAand the CSIRO.

The Department’s deputy head, Dr PatJames, who has been appointed leader of theEducation and Training program, said thefunding would employ extra staff and supportnew research and training programs.

Four new lectureships have already beencreated, five additional postgraduateresearchers have been taken on, and two newHonours scholarships created. Short courses(on campus and online) are planned to helpupdate industry knowledge and skills,particularly in the area of geophysics.

Dr James said LEME would be workingclosely with the exploration industry and theOffice of Minerals and Energy Resources atPrimary Industries SA.

"The creation of a new School of Earth andEnvironmental Sciences at the University ofAdelaide is fortuitous timing from our pointof view," Dr James said. "There is a majorindustry focus now on the environmentalapplication of earth sciences, and the Facultyrestructure will create a much closer

$12m rock-solid investment ingeological research and training

Dr Pat James showing Level 1 students (from the introductory Earth Science course Planet Earth I) the finer points of the soil and regolith section from the Wheal Hughes Mine, near Moontaon the Yorke Peninsula.

Have your say on changes to University Act

relationship between the Department ofGeology and Geophysics and theDepartment of Soil and Water."

LEME’s principal research focus is on thetopmost layer at the Earth’s surface, theregolith, which masks valuable ore bodiesunderneath. By learning more about the regolith’s evolution, researchers hope to be able to develop better exploration tools as well as better strategies

for combating environmental problems such as dryland salinity.

LEME will be a major participant in theannual Australian Geological Convention,Geoscience 2002, which takes place inAdelaide from 1-5 July. The keynote speakeron July 3 will be University Chancellor MrRobert Champion de Crespigny AC,Chairman of the Economic DevelopmentBoard of South Australia.

A Special Meeting of the Senate• will be held at 5.30pm on Tuesday, July 9

• in Napier Lecture Theatre 102, NapierBuilding, North Terrace Campus

• to consider the Discussion Paper releasedby the Minister for Employment, Training andFurther Education containing proposals by theUniversity of Adelaide for amendment of theUniversity of Adelaide Act 1971, including:

i) proposals relating to the abolition of theSenate; and

ii) proposals relating to the election of graduatemembers of the Council.

A copy of the Minister’s discussion paper isavailable from: www.dete.sa.gov.au/new

The Senate comprises (i) all graduates of theUniversity; (ii) all postgraduate students; and (iii)all persons in the full-time employment of theUniversity who are graduates of otheruniversities recognised by the University or whohold qualifications recognised by the Universityas being of degree status.

The Notice Paper for this meeting will be sent toeach member of the Senate whose name islisted on the postal address list. Any othermember of the Senate who wishes to receivethe notice paper may apply in writing to theClerk of the Senate to have their name entered inthe postal address list.

WM ROGERSWarden of the Senate

Submissions will be considered before a requestis made to Cabinet to amend the Act.

It is expected the Bill to amend the Act will beintroduced during Parliament’s spring session.

The discussion paper is available from theDepartment of Education, Training andEmployment, phone (08) 8226 3398, or online:www.dete.sa.gov.au/new/


Law scholarship winner choosescareer path in science, technologyA RAPIDLY growing area of law that isof major importance to the scientificcommunity has been recognised in ascholarship from Norman Waterhouse,a leading Adelaide law firm.The company has provided a $5000scholarship to an outstanding student whoshows keen interest in intellectual propertyand technology law.The winner of the scholarship is DevitaPathi, a final-year student studying for adouble-degree in Science and Law at theUniversity of Adelaide.Devita has already graduated from aBachelor of Science ( Jurisprudence) and isnow completing her Law degree.Although originally thinking of both degreesas completely separate from each other, shesoon realised that both could help her careerin law."I really wanted to do law, and I reallywanted to do it at Adelaide University, andI've always been interested in science—Imainly did science subjects in Year 12,"Devita said."I decided that science would be a degree ofinterest, but law would be my career. I hadno plans to combine the two—it was onlywhen I studied intellectual property that Ifound I could combine the two fields ofinterest."Once I found out about intellectualproperty I decided I would major in geneticsbecause I could use my knowledge ofgenetics in intellectual property a lot morethan probably any other science area."Devita's studies have seen her tackling somemajor issues in both law and science,including the issue of human cloning,contract problems with surrogatepregnancies, and whether or not the humangenome should be patentable.Each of these areas has its own legal,scientific and ethical questions.Devita said she finds addressing theseproblems easier because of her interest inboth science and law."There's an absolute need for the two towork together, and I think having studiedboth I can understand both sides a littlebetter than someone who hadn't studied oneof them," she said."I understand the importance of scientificresearch and the developments that areoccurring, but I also understand the need tomaintain the laws and to make sure they'renot abrogated, because the changes inscience are going to change the definitions inthe current laws.

Devita Pathi, winner of the Norman Waterhouse Techlaw scholarship. Photo: David Ellis.

"Keeping all of that in balance, andaddressing the ethical issues, is going to behard, but that's one area that I would like tobe involved in."For now, Devita has her sights set on theUniversity of Oregon in the US, where she'llspend the last six months of her studies tofinish off her degree.Devita is able to do this through the LawSchool's exchange program with Oregon,and she will use the Norman Waterhousescholarship to help fund her trip in Januarynext year."I'm going to Oregon purely because theyhave a wider range of intellectual propertyand technology law-related subjects. So I'mhoping to study them and get more of aninsight into intellectual property in US law,because that is what is incorporatedthroughout the world, through the WIPOand TRIPS agreements, and other treatise."I'll finish here in November as per usual,and then I'll have about a month's break, andthen I'll fly over to Oregon and start straightaway."Having the opportunity to learn thosesubjects [available in Oregon] is too good topass up," she said.Devita said she was grateful to Norman

Waterhouse for the scholarship.

"I'm really honoured that they chose me, andI'm very pleased as well.

"I think it's a good idea that a firm likeNorman Waterhouse funds a scholarship,because it provides a link between potentialgraduates and the profession. If thescholarship was solely funded by theUniversity you wouldn't necessarily have thatlink.

"I also think it's good that they're looking toencourage an area of law that might not be sopopular at the moment but will be growing.The fact that they're encouraging people topursue those areas and giving them theincentive to do so is important."

Devita said when she completed her Lawdegree she would like to return to Australiaand practise as a solicitor in the field ofintellectual property and technology law.

"There are quite a few firms in Adelaide thatpractise intellectual property, and certainlymore in the eastern States, but because we'rea technology-dependent society it's going tobecome a growing field as more issues arise,"she said.

—David Ellis

Sciences Faculty gets new deanContinued from Page 2

"Fundamentally, I see its role as helping toreinvent the future. We must ensure that ourscientists are conducting research that isrelevant to the needs of the state, the nationand the international community to which webelong. We must also ensure that theeducation programs we offer meet the needsof students, industry and the widercommunity."The Faculty provides study opportunities ina range of new and emerging areas, includingthe space sciences and astrophysics, opticsand photonics, agricultural and medicalbiotechnology, as well as other areas of crucialimportance to Australia’s future, such asmedical biosciences, natural resource andenvironmental management, food productionand the wine industry."We aim to achieve critical mass in theseareas through a greater emphasis onpartnerships—partnerships between Uni-

versity departments as well as with hospitals,industry, and other research agencies andinstitutions both here and overseas. Thesepartnerships are critical to the creation of newindustries and businesses based on thecommercialisation of collaborative researchefforts. And with these partnerships, theUniversity is extremely well-placed tocontinue to play a leading role in the nationalresearch agenda."Professor Rathjen said the recentannouncement of the University of Adelaide’ssuccessful bid to host the Australian Centrefor Plant Functional Genomics at the WaiteCampus was a recognition of the depth ofscientific talent in South Australia."A success such as this illustrates that we areserious about our role as leaders in scientificinnovation. It also shows we are playing anactive role in partnership with researchcolleagues and government in boosting theSouth Australian economy and creating jobsfor our talented new graduates."

$50,000 to supportAdelaide studentAN Adelaide PhD student has beenawarded a $50,000 fellowship from theNew York-based American AustralianAssociation.Dr Cuong Duy Tran, who recentlycompleted his PhD in nutrition andgastroenterology at the Women's andChildren's Hospital, is one of fiveAustralians to share in $200,000 worth offellowships from the association.

The Fellows come from leading Australianuniversities—Western Australia, Sydney,Adelaide and ANU—and will all use theirfellowships for graduate research in theUnited States.

Dr Tran will use his fellowship to pursuepost-doctoral research at the University ofColorado Health Science Center.

In Colorado, he will study micronutrientsupplementation and the gut health ofindigenous Australians. He will alsoparticipate in designing potential therapiesin improvement of gut function and health.Dr Tran hopes on his return to establish hisown centre for micronutrient research.

Founded in 1948, the American AustralianAssociation is the largest non-profitorganisation in the United States devotedto relations between the US and Australiaand New Zealand. Its goal is to encouragestronger ties across the Pacific, particularlyin the private sector.

The fellowships have been funded througha series of annual benefit dinners that havehonored prominent Australians in theUnited States and from direct donations tothe Education Fund.

This year’s awards are the first by theassociation to promote educationalexchange between the United States andAustralia, and strengthen science,technology and business relationships.

"The Fellows are representative ofAustralia’s academic and cultural diversityand have a wide range of academicinterests," said Mr Malcolm Binks,Chairman of the Association.

"We want to contribute to the growth ofthe intellectual capital of Australia bygiving young Australians the opportunityto advance their knowledge in the US.They will be able to work with researchfacilities and mentors unavailable inAustralia."

Dr Tran is one of those fellows whorepresents both the academic and culturaldiversity of Australia. He and his familyarrived in the country in the 1970s as boatpeople from Vietnam.

www.aaanyc.org

THE Australian Defence Force's systemof buying weapons is inefficient andcontributes to mistakes that can costmillions of dollars in taxpayers' money,according to a University of Adelaideacademic.In a newly published book, Dr John Bruniargues for an overhaul of the current defenceprocurement system and the establishmentwithin the Defence Force of a permanentcore group of professionals to manage theacquisition of aircraft, naval vessels and othermilitary hardware."Because of the career path structure withinthe Defence Force, people spend only two orthree years working in defence procurementbefore moving on," said Dr Bruni, a VisitingResearch Fellow in the University’s Centrefor Asian Studies and defence analyst."A major defence procurement projectusually lasts up to 10 years, but we do nothave the same personnel staying with aproject from start to finish. People are beingcycled through the process too fast."We are not getting the professionalcorporate skills base we need in an area wheremore than two billion dollars of taxpayers'money is being spent each year,” he said."When people know that they can stay for10-15 years, until a project is completed, aclear line of accountability is established.

"The defence industry is having to retrainDefence Force personnel constantly to bringthem up to speed with projects and industrydevelopments, so a more streamlinedapproach would also encourage closercollaboration with industry."

Dr Bruni’s book, On Weapons Decisions: HowAustralia Chooses to Arm Itself (1963-96), waslaunched by the Minister for Defence,Senator Robert Hill, at the Naval, Militaryand Air Force Club of South Australia lastmonth.

In his book Dr Bruni identifies six keyinfluences on Australia's weapons acquisitiondecisions: the political environment, the stateof the domestic defence industry, the strategicenvironment, defence policy, the bureaucraticenvironment, and key technological eventsglobally.

Dr Bruni said that controversy over theCollins Class submarines and, more recently,Seasprite helicopters had created publicperceptions of "stuff-ups" in the defenceacquisitions process.

"We have some very good people involved inprocurement, but the problem is systemic,"he said.

"It's also bipartisan, and has nothing to dowith whether a Liberal or Labor governmentis in power.


Why our weaponsbuying system needsa drastic overhaul

Dr John Bruni (left) with the Defence Minister, Senator Robert Hill.

PROFESSOR James McWha, the nextVice-Chancellor of the University ofAdelaide, has become SecretaryGeneral of the InternationalAssociation of University Presidents(IAUP).Professor McWha was announced asSecretary General-elect three years ago andhas now taken up the position formally atthe recent IAUP triennial conference inSydney.

The IAUP, founded in 1964 in Oxford,England, is an association of universitychief executives from higher educationinstitutions around the world.

Its primary aim is to strengthen theinternational mission and quality ofeducation of universities, to promote globalawareness and competence as well as peaceand international understanding througheducation.

According to the association’s website, theoverall obligation for the IAUP is to involveits members in the world's crucial issues, "toreduce the economic and social differences

between countries as well as betweenpeople, to reduce inequality between racesand between sexes, to improve competenceand knowledge globally and in distinct partsof the world, to increase mutualunderstanding, tolerance and respectbetween peoples, and to create instrumentsand form attitudes that can reduce conflictsin the world and contribute to a morepeaceful global society".The association has around 600 membersconsisting of current or former leaders ofinstitutions of higher education. There are14 Australian universities listed on theassociation’s membership database,although the University of Adelaide is notcurrently among them.Professor McWha’s role of SecretaryGeneral is one of three senior positionswith the association, the others being thePresident and Treasurer.Later this month Professor McWha willleave Massey University in New Zealand,where he has been Vice-Chancellor for sixyears, to become the University ofAdelaide’s 19th Vice-Chancellor.

"The Collins Class submarine project was agood project in many ways. It employedmany people and resulted in the completionof six submarines.

"The airframes of the Seasprite helicoptersare 40 years old but that does not necessarilymean they will not be a viable concern.

"The problem is that when legitimatemistakes are made they can cost hundreds of millions of dollars to correct, and that

is a lot of money for a country with an economy the size of Australia's." Senator Hill praised Dr Bruni for addressingthese key issues in his book.The launch was also attended by members ofthe defence industry.On Weapons Decisions: How Australia Choosesto Arm Itself (1963-96) is published bySouthern Highlands Publishers.

—John Drislane

International role for new VC


TWO University of Adelaide studentstook their place among the worldwidecomputing elite recently after theyreceived scholarships to attend a majorApple conference in the US.Rhys Hill (Computer Science) and Paul Jager(Computer Systems) were two of only 16Australian students selected to attend Apple'sweeklong Worldwide Developers Conference(WWDC). The conference was held in thecity of San José, California, in May.

The pair received their scholarships from theApple University Consortium (AUC) inAustralia by filling out a questionnaire abouthow they perceived their future in thecomputing industry. The AUC is fundedfrom Apple sales in Australia and uses thesefunds to provide services to Australian Appleusers.

The WWDC is Apple's major developerevent of the year, with delegates learningabout the latest Apple technologies andproducts directly from the company'ssoftware and hardware engineers.

The event boasts around 2500 attendees fromall over the world, with around 300 of thesebeing students.

The WWDC provides a forum forprofessional and academic programmers tomeet Apple’s engineering teams and learnabout different technologies from theircreators.

"It was thrilling to meet the people who areresponsible for Apple’s products," said Rhys."It was a great learning experience."

He managed to make a worthwhile trip evenmore so by winning an Apple iBook as part ofa lucky door prize competition, organised aspart of the WWDC’s student program.

Both Rhys and Paul will be speaking abouttheir trip at an event to be held later this year.

—Ben Osborne

Students take a bite from the big Apple

Computer students Paul Jager (left) and Rhys Hill. Photo: Ben Osborne.

New nursing head will focus onlinks with services, medicineNURSING teaching and research at theUniversity of Adelaide has received aboost with the appointment of ProfessorAlison Tierney as Head of theDepartment of Clinical Nursing.Professor Tierney (pictured right), who iscurrently Professor of Nursing Researchand Head of the Department of NursingStudies at the University of Edinburgh,will arrive in Adelaide to take up theposition in December.She has a distinguished academic career,with the most recent highlight beingawarded a CBE in the Queen’s BirthdayHonours list.She told the Adelaidean her previous twovisits to Adelaide as Visiting Professorhad whetted her appetite for a longer stay."I greatly enjoyed my two visits to theDepartment of Clinical Nursing in recentyears, and on both occasions, found itstimulating to be working with staff andstudents who are highly motivated andhighly able, and also good fun," she said."The Department’s conjoint arrangementwith the Royal Adelaide Hospital, andthe RAH’s strong interest in nursingresearch and clinically focused education,are particular attractions to me."Strong, ongoing links between academicnursing departments and nursing serviceshave been hard to build in the UK,although the importance of thatfundamental partnership is now gainingreal recognition."

Professor Tierney will also be Director ofthe Joanna Briggs Institute, a joint venturebetween the University and the RAHwhich looks at evidence-based research innursing and midwifery.

She said the link between nursing andmedicine is another crucial aspect tonursing research, and one she aims topromote in her new role.

"The fact that the Department of Clinical

Nursing is based in the Medical School isanother attraction, having toiled hard inEdinburgh trying to strengthen the linksbetween Nursing and Medicine," shesaid."So the structures are in place at Adelaidefor Clinical Nursing to exploitopportunities between nursing andmedical education and research—and,with the RAH and the Joanna BriggsInstitute, to enhance the effectiveness andquality of clinical nursing.”Professor Tierney said great headway hasbeen made in nursing research,particularly in the last 10 years."But there’s still much scope to increasingnursing’s research capacity andproductivity," she said."And, on the education side, theDepartment of Clinical Nursing has plansfor further developments, as well asconsolidation of its impressive range ofcurrent provision, and I look forward tosupporting that too.“I certainly hope that I can help tochannel the energies and expertise of thestaf in ways which will maximise researchproductivity and impact.“I hope, too, to provide support andguidance from my experience toeducational developments in theDepartment, and with the RAH andcolleagues in other departments anddisciplines.”

—Ben Osborne

Soar into spaceduring holidaysEVER wanted to sleep in space? Or justneed a robot to look after the kids?The Investigator Science and TechnologyCentre is offering a range of fun, interactiveand educational programs during schoolholidays in July.A highlight will be a public Space Sleepoverfrom Saturday, July 13 to Sunday, July 14.Suitable from ages 9-12 years, the Sleepoverwill give children a special overnight look atthe Investigator's two current exhibitions,Space and Zoom In.Fully supervised by experienced staff, theSleepover includes dinner, breakfast andsnacks, a workshop in Cyber Space, scienceshows and Stardome presentations. The cost is$38.50 per child and booking is essential.Two Vacation Care Days are also offered bythe Investigator Centre.Suitable for ages 9 and up, Vacation Care Dayswill be jam-packed with activities that have ascience twist. Throughout the day childrenwill learn about the stars, how to programrobots, decorate a T-shirt using science andmuch more.Bookings are essential and are available forTuesday, July 9 or Tuesday, July 16 only, from8.30am to 5.30pm.The cost of $50 per child (discount formembers and family groups) includessupervision by a science presenter for the fullday, lunch, morning and afternoon snacks,entry to the Investigator’s Space and Zoom Inexhibitions, robotics classes, materials for allactivities including T-shirts to decorate,science shows and Stardome presentations.For more information or to make a bookingphone the Investigator Science andTechnology Centre, Wayville: (08) 8410 1115.The University of Adelaide is a sponsor of theInvestigator Centre.


THE FIRST 50 years of Economics atthe University of Adelaide were far fromuneventful.The teaching of economics began at the turnof the 20th century, courtesy of the busy SirWilliam Mitchell, who during his classroomcareer also taught philosophy, psychology,logic, ethics, English language and literature,and education.Economics began as a small part of theBachelor of Arts course, with Mitchell givingup to four lectures a week (all at night) andbeing solely responsible for all teaching of thecourse until the appointment of a part-timelecturer in 1913.Notable in those early years was thepresentation of the very first Joseph FisherLecture in 1904. These lectures continuetoday and have featured some major names inthe field of economics. [see story this page.]During the period between the two WorldWars, Economics at Adelaide graduallywidened in scope and eventually receivedsuch status that, by 1928, the Universitydecided to appoint its first professor in thesubject.Leslie Melville was just 27 years old and arecent graduate of the University of Sydneywhen he started as the inaugural Professor ofEconomics in 1929.However, his stay was brief, as in 1931 he wasappointed the first economist of theCommonwealth Bank, advising it during theGreat Depression.(The late, great Melville died only last April,

having also achieved his own milestone ofreaching 100 years).

The Depression may have been the mainreason why the University could not afford toreplace Melville, and the chair remainedempty until 1934.

The new professor was Edward Shann, whohad held a similar position at the Universityof Western Australia.

Although an economics historian, Shann wasmore focused on Australian economics thanany of his predecessors. Unfortunately hehad only been at the University for one termwhen he died in mysterious circumstances—he was found dead after having fallen fromthe window of his first-floor office in theMitchell Building, half an hour after givinghis final lecture for that evening. The causefor his fall was unable to be determined; itwas believed to be either an accident orsuicide.

Shann's death was a tragedy, but 1935 wasalso important year for Economics atAdelaide for another reason—it was the firstyear in which a University student qualifiedfor a Bachelor of Economics degree. Thatstudent was Gilbert Frederick Seaman.

It took another 12 years for the first Bachelorof Economics Honours degree to be awarded,to Noel Keith Vawser.

From 1945, Economics gradually became afully fledged, continuously operatingdepartment.

This started with the appointment of BrianTew in 1945, who held the chair for five

years, and was succeeded by Peter Karmel in1950.With a government funding boost and theappointment of Karmel as the new professor,the 1950s saw Economics transformed from asmall-scale operation with only two or threeteaching staff at any one time to resemblingthe bigger, more complex department oftoday.In Karmel's era the school came to maturity,and many regarded Adelaide's EconomicsDepartment at that time to be the most livelyand best in the nation. Many staff becameleaders of other departments around thecountry.In 1961 there were 14 members of staff at therank of lecturer or above, excluding ProfessorKarmel. Eleven of those became professorsaround Australia, and the other three all tookother senior positions, including HughHudson who became Deputy Premier ofSouth Australia.This legacy remains today—the School ofEconomics, as it is now known, is still highlyregarded. There are now three professorswithin the school, as well as adjunctprofessors, emeritus professors, and manystaff who are known nationally andinternationally for their expertise.

Fisher lecture Power, water among key issues for discussionat national economics conference in AdelaideTHE ROLE of natural resources in

economic development is the topic ofthis year's Joseph Fisher Lecture, to begiven by leading economist Ed Barbier.Barbier is Professor with the Departmentof Economics and Finance at theUniversity of Wyoming. An expert oneconomics and the environment, he haswritten several books on the topic and hasbeen published extensively in academicand popular journals.

Professor Barbier has also served as aconsultant for national, international andnon-governmental agencies, including theUnited Nations and the World Bank.

Funds for the lecture series were donatedto the University by prominent Adelaidebusinessman Joseph Fisher in 1903.Professor Barbier's lecture will be the 49thin the series, and will be held at 4.30pm inNapier Lecture Theatre 102 on Monday,September 30.

Professor Barbier will also be a keynotespeaker at the Australian Conference ofEconomists in Adelaide.

Past lectures now availableAll of the Fisher Lectures from 1904-2001have been collected into two volumes andedited by Professor Kym Anderson,Director of the Centre for InternationalEconomic Studies.

The Joseph Fisher Lectures, 1904 to 2001 -Australia's Economy in its InternationalContext can be prepaid/ordered forcollection at the Centenary Dinner at asaving of one-third the normal price.

$50 for the two-volume set or $30 for onevolume.

For more information contact WendyZweck on (08) 8303 5672, or email:[email protected]

1 0 0 Y E A R S O F E C O N O M I C SA CENTURY OF ACHIEVEMENT

Mixed fortunes: the early daysTHIS year marks a century ofeconomics study and teaching at theUniversity of Adelaide.To celebrate the occasion, the University'sSchool of Economics is holding aCentenary Dinner in September.

The event coincides with the presentationof the 49th Joseph Fisher Lecture, and theannual Australian Conference ofEconomists, also being held in Adelaide.

This is a doubly important year for theSchool of Economics, because theUniversity is conducting a Review of theSchool, with the aim of evaluating itsacademic performance and advising onstrategies for its future development.

Centenary DinnerThe Centenary Dinner will be held onMonday, September 30 at 7.30pm at thenew National Wine Centre, in the south-east corner of Adelaide's Botanic Gardens.

All past and present economics andcommerce staff, honours students,postgraduates and their partners areinvited to join this unique celebration.

The price per head is just $50 thanks to agenerous subsidy from the School ofEconomics. Tables of up to 10 areavailable for bookings. Space is limited, sobookings must be made as soon aspossible.

For more information contact WendyZweck at the Centre for InternationalEconomic Studies, phone (08) 8303 5672or email: [email protected]

SOME of Australia's most crucial andhotly debated economics issues—fromthe price of electricity and water to thehanding out of Commonwealth fundingto the States—will be targeted by anational economics conference inAdelaide.The annual Australian Conference ofEconomists, to be held at the StamfordGrand Hotel, Glenelg from September 30 toOctober 4, is expected to draw around 300delegates from across Australia and overseas.Organised by the Economic Society ofAustralia, the conference does not have asingle theme but includes several speciallythemed sessions to address a wide range ofissues of concern in Australia.As well as sessions on the economics ofelectricity and water, issues include trade, theJapanese economy, the economics of wine,Islamic economics, fiscal equalisation, and aretrospective on microeconomic reform.Professor Keith Hancock, President of theEconomic Society of Australia (SA) andHonorary Visiting Fellow with theUniversity of Adelaide's School ofEconomics, said the conference would cover"almost the full range of economic issues"."The conference is wide in scope so that ithas something of interest to many differentpeople—academic economists, professionaleconomists, and others who are interested inthese issues, such as banks or governmentadvisers," Professor Hancock said.One of the keynote speakers is Professor ofEconomics at the University of California,Berkeley, Professor David Card, who isgiving the opening address. A somewhatcontroversial figure, Professor Card is awinner of the American EconomicAssociation’s award for the most significantcontribution by an economist under 40 yearsof age.

Professor Hancock (pictured above) said therewas already strong interest in the conference,particularly in some of the special sessions.

Economics of ElectricityThis session will deal with the various pricingstructures for electricity under thegovernment-established national electricitymarket. The main bone of contention is thelack of one pricing structure based on supplyand demand; instead there are three differentpricing structures, for generators of electricity,distributors, and users."The present system is a shambles, I thinkmost objective observers would agree withthat," Professor Hancock said."The normal justification for trading anythingthrough the market is that the prices equatethe supply and demand. But that doesn'thappen in this electricity market, partlybecause it hasn't proved practical up to now.In the absence of it you've got a market thatgoes haywire."

Fiscal EqualisationThe way Commonwealth grants are adjustedto give one State more than another is also acontroversial topic, and each State has itsown point of view on who should be givenmore and why.This session is sponsored by the QueenslandState Government, which is obviouslyconcerned enough with the debate to fosterfurther discussion."There is a trend of opinion in support ofgiving less to Queensland, Tasmania andSouth Australia relative to New SouthWales, Victoria and Western Australia,"Professor Hancock said."Presently, Queensland, Tasmania and SouthAustralia are the beneficiaries of this fiscaladjustment, and New South Wales, Victoriaand Western Australia are paying for it. Soit's quite a contest."

Economics of Water"This is also a pretty hot one," ProfessorHancock said."One of the major problems is what'shappening with the River Murray. Thequestion there is what adjustment isneeded—a price adjustment or a regulatoryone—so that the demand for river water isbetter adapted to the supply."Right now there is excess consumption ofwater because the full social andenvironmental cost of the use of it is notreflected in the prices that people (theirrigators) are paying for it."I'm hoping that some of the visitingspeakers can shed some more light on thisissue," he said.For more information about the conferencecontact the organisers, phone (618) 83035717, or email: [email protected]/conf/2002.html

Taken from The Teaching of Economics inthe University of Adelaide 1900-1975 – ABrief History by V.A. Edgeloe, and withthe assistance of Professor Keith Hancock,who was a staff member during theKarmel era.


MONDAY, JULY 1

4pm Environmental Biology Seminar:"Macro to microscale regulation of food webs inlarge rivers" by Professor James Thorp (KansasUniversity). Benham Lecture Theatre, BenhamBuilding.

THURSDAY, JULY 4

1pm Chemical Pathology Seminar:"Human Error and Error Analysis Techniques" byDr Steve Keeley (Women’s and Children’sHospital). Seminar Room 1, 4th Floor, ReigerBuilding.

4pm Applied and Molecular Ecology Seminar:"Increasing the effectiveness of biologicalcontrol: monitoring insect movement" by DrNancy Schellhorn (PIRSA-SARDI Entomology).McLeod Theatre, Waite Campus.

FRIDAY, JULY 5

4pm Obstetrics and Gynaecology Seminar:"Afferent stimulation induced motor cortexreorganisation" by Dr Mike Ridding (Departmentof Physiology). Seminar Room, 6th Floor,Medical School North.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

1pm Centre for the Molecular Geneticsof Development/Molecular BiosciencesSpecial Seminar: "The Neto protein family ofnovel neuronal receptors: role inneurodevelopment and inherited epilepsy" byProfessor Roderick McInnes (University ofToronto). Benham Lecture Theatre.

5.30pm Centre for Biomedical EngineeringSeminar: "Flight Control Using BiologicallyInspired Sensors" by Dr Javaan Chahl (WSD,DSTO). Hone Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor,Medical Building South.

THURSDAY, JULY 11

7.45pm Field Geology Club of South AustraliaLecture: "Clays as Environmental Barriers” byDr Will Gates. Mawson Lecture Theatre.

SUNDAY, JULY 21

2.30pm Elder School of Music Concert:Capriccio Clarinet Choir (from Groningen, Holland). Elder Hall, Tickets: $10/$8 through BASS or at door.

THURSDAY, JULY 25

1pm Chemical Pathology Seminar:"Use of DNA Evidence in Legal Trials" by WendyAbraham (Department of Public Prosecutions).Seminar Room 1, 4th Floor, Reiger Building.

FRIDAY, JULY 26

4pm Obstetrics and Gynaecology Seminar:"Cerebral vasospasm and Pre-eclampsia" byProfessor Guy Ludbrook (Department ofAnaesthesia and Intensive Care, RAH). SeminarRoom, 6th Floor, Medical School North.

SUNDAY, JULY 28

Field Geology Club of South Australia half-day excursion: "Art Gallery - Science, Explorersand Technology of Painting” by Joan Allister.

TUESDAY, JULY 30

7.30pm Musicological Society of AustraliaSA Chapter Seminar: Title to be announced, byGemma Munro (2001 Naomi CummingPrizewinner). Room 1107, Level 11, SchulzBuilding.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31

10.10am Electrical and ElectronicEngineering Seminar: "The Fall of the ICTIndustry – Why and Where to go?" by ProfessorReg Coutts (Electrical and ElectronicEngineering). Room S112, Engineering SouthBuilding.

1pm Environmental Biology Seminar:"Allmetric studies in mammalian metabolismand the energetics and biophysics of burrowing"by Craig White (Environmental Biology). LectureTheatre G03, Ground Floor, Napier Building.

C O M I N G E V E N T SJ u l y 2 0 0 2

Livestock conference tackles tough questionsHOW do we feed and clothe ourselveswithout it costing our environment?How do we manage ‘a good life’ for ananimal that also means a good profit forthe farmer?These issues are at the heart of the 24thAustralian Society of Animal Production(ASAP) conference, to be held in Adelaidefrom July 7-11.

The theme is "Finding the balance:profitability with responsibility".

To be held at the Adelaide Festival Centre,the conference also involves the InternationalSociety for Animal Hygiene.

The President of the ASAP is the Head ofthe Department of Animal Science at theUniversity of Adelaide’s RoseworthyCampus, Professor Phil Hynd.

He said the conference would address manyof the big issues that some of the morespecialist societies and conferences don't dealwith. One of those issues is sustainability.Professor Hynd said the cost of past andcurrent agricultural practices is indisputable.

"The cost to the environment is evident notonly in biophysical deterioration, such as thecancerous growth of soil salinity, acidity anderosion and declining water quality, but alsoin the deterioration of our ruralcommunities," he said.

"As we enter the new millennium we mustaddress the environmental costs of ourcurrent practices and an increasinglyurbanised population that has lost its sense ofownership of its role in creatingunsustainable agricultural practices."

Professor Hynd will be joined by speakersfrom Australia and overseas examiningrelated issues, such as trends and

From Page 2It meets too seldom and briefly, lacksresources and independence, and has nopowers of investigation or enforcement.The UN High Commissioner for HumanRights, Mary Robinson, has been awonderful figurehead, but it is very sad that,when explaining her decision to resign, shesaid that she could achieve more "outside ofthe constraints that a multilateralorganisation inevitably imposes".Yet where the international community hasthe will to implement international law andsave lives, there have been successes. In1992 a negotiated end to the Cambodianconflict was achieved and a radical newconcept of UN action—peacekeeping withnation building—was tried.In East Timor in 1999, the UN was calledupon to take on a similar role, initially againafter its observer mission was given tooweak a mandate to provide security.However, once the referendum occurred theUN Security Council authorised the fastestpeace enforcement operation ever, and thentook on a difficult governance operation.

The world’s garbagemanMany of the UN’s problems derive from theway we call on it to respond to the failuresof its member states—to look after therefugees produced by conflict andrepression, provide aid for famine victims, orrestore government structures in caseswhere warfare and great power gameplaying has destroyed them. Yet we fail toprovide it with adequate resources andsupport. We treat the UN like the world’sgarbageman.One notorious case was the recent UNreport that revealed peacekeepers, local staffof the UN High Commission for Refugees(UNHCR) and other aid agencies had beencoercing young refugees in West Africa intoproviding sex for food.An ABC Foreign Correspondent program,about a camp in Guinea, also showed how avital food shipment was diverted to

Afghanistan, adding to the pressure onrefugee women. It was clear from thisprogram that the UN’s supervisory presenceon the ground was minimal. This is an areathe UN must improve.In Afghanistan, the US drove the conductof the war, but expects the UN to feed andshelter refugees, and called on UNdiplomats to help construct a workingcoalition government.The US and Britain refuse to provide troopsfor a larger peacekeeping force that canprovide security outside Kabul. Securityand human rights cannot be guaranteed in aclimate where former Taliban warlords likeMalim Jan, whose past role included therepression of Hazara villages, are being paidby the US military to provide "security" onthe border with Pakistan.In the Pacific, Australia’s blatant disregardfor international human rights law hasforced the UNHCR to take onresponsibility for processing refugees onNauru. I believe that the recent decision bythe UNHCR to deny refugee status to mostof the Afghanis there is premature, giventhat there is no stable government orinternational peacekeeping force inAfghanistan and little genuine security. Theproblem is that the definition of "refugee"under the 1951 Convention is too narrow,being limited to a fear of persecution ratherthan generalised chaos, famine or insecurity.The UN does need to reform and streamlineits bureaucracy, and improve its disciplineand administration.However, there is an urgent need to defendit as a concept and an organisation, alongwith the structure of international lawwhich underpins its work.The abyss is opening before us. We mustsupport the United Nations because it is"the only alternative to the demolition ofthe world", because it stands between us anda world in which naked power is the onlytruth, in which love and justice are empty,nostalgic words, clumps of soil beside anopen grave.

COMMENT: United Nations after Sept 11

opportunities in global food production,optimising environments for animalproduction, food safety and consumerconcerns, and animal impact on theenvironment. There will also be acomprehensive update of research on topicsincluding genetics, nutrition, decisionsupport systems and sustainable animalproduction on saline land.

Leading researchers will be joined by ABCbroadcaster Robyn Williams, who will speakon science and food production, and gourmetchef Maggie Beer, who will discuss nichemarketing for the gourmet food industry.

Conference Convenor and Senior Lecturer in

Animal Science at Roseworthy Dr DeanRevell said the issue of balance was the all-important one.

"Our focus is on resolving the equationbetween good profits and good productionmethods," he said.

"Livestock systems need to be sustainable aswell as profitable, but there are so manyfactors that are simply outside a producer’scontrol.

"How we manage our production practicesand our natural resources is crucial toenvironmental and economic survival," hesaid.

Dr Revell said the event had attracted a lot of

interest and offered "an opportunity tohighlight the significant contributionAustralian research is making to this field".

"Here in South Australia we have theLivestock Systems Alliance (LSA), a researchpartnership between the University ofAdelaide, Primary Industries and ResourcesSA, the South Australian Research andDevelopment Institute and the PrimaryIndustries Faculty of the Murray Institute ofTAFE. The LSA represents the largestgathering of animal science researchers inAustralia and it is through those partnershipsof researchers and industry that we will findthe answers we need for future agriculturalbest practice," he said.


Norfolk Islander toteach threatenedlanguage in schoolTHE FIGHT to revive Norfolk Island’sindigenous language has received anotherboost from the University of Adelaide—but this time through an island native.Ms Suzanne Evans, a schoolteacher on theisland, completed a Graduate Certificate inApplied Linguistics under Head ofLinguistics, Professor Peter Mühlhäusler,during the first Semester of 2002.She has since returned to Norfolk’s soleschool to add the Pitcairn-Norfolk languageto the curriculum and help it propagatethrough the latest generation of islanders.The language dates back more than 200years, when mutineers from The Bountyfounded a new community on Pitcairn Islandin 1790, which transferred to Norfolk Islandin 1854.Professor Mühlhäusler, internationallyregarded for his work in Pacific Islandlanguages, has been visiting Norfolk since1997 to work with locals to try and halt thelanguage’s decline (only about 500 islandersspeak the traditional form of Pitcairn-Norfolk, out of a population of 2000).He said it was an important step for a localschoolteacher to become directly involved inthe revitalisation process."It’s part of the overall plan for theGovernment to give the language officialrecognition," he said."To set up a language revival programassociated with that, you need to have theschool involved, and Suzanne is a big part of

that. I’m very confident that children onNorfolk will now have much easier access tothe language through her work at the school."Before returning to Norfolk, Ms Evans spokewith the Adelaidean.She said her first task was to prepare asyllabus for use at the school, which caters for300 students from Reception to Year 12."Studying at Adelaide opened my eyes andhelped me look at new ways of doing things,"she said."The lecturers have been great, and the othergraduate students have been really helpful aswell."Ms Evans studied at Adelaide with theassistance of a grant from the AustralianResearch Council.

—Ben Osborne

Suzanne Evans with Linguistics Professor Peter Mühlhäusler. Photo: Ben Osborne.

Roseworthy Farm undergoes ‘fitness test’ROSEWORTHY Farm, the commercialoperation of the University of Adelaide’sRoseworthy Campus, is being putthrough something of a fitness test byincoming Assistant Farm ManagerMatthew Bekker.Mr Bekker, who joined the staff in May,says he has hit the ground running tolearn about the Farm’s varied operationsand develop plans to improve both yieldsand the educational support function theFarm serves for undergraduate andpostgraduate students of agriculturalsciences."One of our priorities is to furtherdevelop the Farm as an environment inwhich students can gain first-handexperience of best practice as well ascurrent research and theory," said MrBekker."Our ongoing commitment to improvingcommercial performance is very muchpart of offering that exposure tostudents."Mr Bekker brings extensive experience inbeef feedlot and dairy management to hisnew role, which will focus on the dailymanagement of the physical productionactivities of the Farm, including the dairy,piggery, deer, sheep, fine wool flock and awide range of cropping enterprises, suchas durum and bread wheat, malt and feedbarley, canola, lentils, beans, peas andvetch.Amongst Mr Bekker’s tasks will be theintroduction of new technology forpaddock management.The Paddock Action Manager 2000system, a management informationsystem based on the use of palm pilotcomputers in the field, is about to beimplemented on the Farm.Another task includes working withresearch and teaching staff on the

assessment of pasture varieties forgrazing.Farm Manager, Andrew Polkinghornesaid he was very pleased to have Matthewon the team. "His skills complement theteam and will enable us to focus onproviding better opportunities to studentshere and on improving our animalenterprises," he said."Roseworthy has a century old traditionof innovation that is very strong," said MrPolkinghorne."We can see the results of applying newtechniques here on the farm every day.“For example, the recent wild storms inthe region took away a lot of topsoil fromsome farming areas, but RoseworthyFarm is using no-till technology and ourtopsoil stayed put.“We work closely with industry todevelop systems and methods thatprovide significant benefits."Mr Bekker said his role would be 80%outdoors and he is keen to work with staffat the Campus, reviewing and developingoperations that continued to supportresearch.One example is the Roseworthy dairy."30% of Roseworthy’s milking herd isclassified in the top 20% of the Australianregistered Holstein herd," said MrBekker."That’s a great genetic base to work with.“We are also looking at pasture-basedversus lot-based feed systems and in cropmanagement there are options such asspray technology and ‘controlled traffic’ tobe explored."It’s access to, and participation in,projects such as these that underpins thegreat reputation of both the Campus andgraduates at Roseworthy."

—Lee Welch


ISLAM has been in the spotlight sincethe terrorist attacks on September 11.Now a new course at the University ofAdelaide aims to dispel some commonmyths about Islam."Questioning Western Perceptions of Islam"is being run in August as part of theCommunity Course Program offered by theCentre for Professional and ContinuingEducation.The four-week course is presented by DrArthur Saniotis, an anthropologist withextensive experience in Islam and Muslimcultures. Dr Saniotis has conducted fieldwork in North India where he explored themystical practices of Indian Sufis. He hasalso been closely associated with Muslim andMiddle-Eastern cultures over many years."The events of September 11th had aprofound impact on the world and re-ignitednegative Western assumptions of Muslims,"he said."A major aim of this course will be tochallenge misconceptions of Islam andMuslims in general, and to give an informedunderstanding of Islam and its relationshipwith the West. By drawing from historicaland anthropological sources, this course willoffer the participants an opportunity toquestion taken-for-granted notions of'otherness' and how they are often conveyedin xenophobia and intolerance."Dr Saniotis said that by the end of thecourse, participants will not just have gainedan insight into Islam."The knowledge gained in this course willalso provide conceptual tools for examiningthe causes and constructions of xenophobicattitudes and ethnic and religiousintolerance," he said.Places are limited and bookings arenecessary. For more information about thisor other Community Courses on offer,contact Professional and ContinuingEducation, phone (08) 8303 4777, or email:[email protected]/pce/

Challenging perceptions of Islam

Your chance to hear why these musicstudents are multi-award-winnersTHE TALENTS of two award-winningstudents will be on show during thesecond concert in the Elder School ofMusic’s Evening Concert Series onSaturday, July 27 in Elder Hall at8.00pm.The Elder Conservatorium ChamberOrchestra, under the baton of Keith Crellin,will bring to life a new work, A FestiveOverture, by third year Composition studentAnne Cawrse.Anne has been a popular and worthyrecipient of a number of the School’scomposition awards, including the RubyDavy Prize for Composition and theBrewster Jones Prize.Also in the program is outstanding cellistPei-Sian Ng, who will be the soloist inHaydn's Cello Concerto in C major.Pei-Sian, a current third-year Performancestudent studying with Janis Laurs, has wonnumerous awards over the last few years.These include the John Simmers StringsPrize, a beneficiary of the E.V. LlewellynMemorial Fund and a finalist in the stringssection of last year’s prestigious ABC YoungPerformer’s Awards in Sydney.Notably, Pei-Sian was the youngest semi-finalist and only Australian in the HongKong International Competition last year.The Orchestra will also perform Mozart’sSymphony No 29 in A major K.201, which willcomplete a superb and challenging programof chamber works.

Cellist Pei-Sian Ng. Composer Anne Cawrse.

Elder School’s Evening Concert SeriesTickets: $22 Adult/$14 Concession/$8 Student.Single tickets are available through BASS on 131 246.To subscribe contact Helen Simpson, Coordinator of the Evening Concert Series,on (08) 8303 5925 (Tues & Thurs) or mobile: 0402 120 478.Subscribe to at least four concerts in the season to receive free parking on campus.University of Adelaide staff receive concession prices on presentation of their staffcard at BASS or at the door.

Clarinet choirsto combine

ASQ interlude ANOTHER guest artist, Perth-bornCatherine McCorkill, will join theAustralian String Quartet for theirsecond stunning program of music for2002, Lyrical Interlude.The ASQ, quartet in residence at theUniversity of Adelaide, has enlistedMcCorkill for one of Mozart’s finestpieces. A renowned clarinettist,McCorkill takes the stage with the ASQfor Mozart’s Quintet for Clarinet andStrings in A, K581, into which he pouredall his powers of invention.

Also on the program are Schumann’sromantic third quartet, String Quartet no 3in A op 41/3, and 20th century composerAnton Webern’s amazing Six Bagatelles—only one of which is longer than 60seconds! Webern revolutionised quartetmusic, inventing musical sounds and waysof playing hardly believed possible beforehis time. His music is something thatshould be experienced live.

Lyrical InterludeAdelaide Town HallMonday, July 8, 7pmTickets $38 full, $27 conc, $15 studentBook at BASS 131 246 or onlinewww.bass.net.au

ELDER School of Music students willhave the chance for a rare collaborationwith renowned European performerswith the upcoming visit and concert ofthe Capriccio Clarinet Choir from theNetherlands.The Capriccio choir is a long-establishedcommunity ensemble of 32 musiciansfrom the north of the country, and underconductor John de Beer has touredextensively in Europe.

It is embarking on its first Australian tourin July, with performances in Queensland,New South Wales and Victoria prior to itsarrival in South Australia.

The choir will combine with Elder Schoolstudents for its only Adelaide concert, onSunday, July 21, at 2.30pm in Elder Hall.

The links between Capriccio and theElder School began in 1999, when nowretired Senior Lecturer in Clarinet DavidShephard (pictured above) conducted andplayed with Capriccio in Wales, when itwas on exchange with the North WalesClarinet Choir.

As a direct result, the Adelaide ClarinetChoir was launched in 2000.

The combination of the two choirs for theconcert will result in a wide range ofdifferent types and sizes of clarinets beingused, creating a broad spectrum of tone.

Many different styles of music will bepresented in the concert, includingoriginal compositions as well asarrangements.

Tickets, at $10/$8, and are available atBASS or at the door.


Lawyer hits new heights with stage productionLAW graduate Rob Croser leads a duallife.Croser, who graduated from the University ofAdelaide in 1971, is one of the mostexperienced children’s solicitors in Australia.He has spent 30 years at the AdelaideChildren’s (now Youth) Court as legalrepresentative of children in child protectionproceedings, and has advised government inSouth Australia and Tasmania on childprotection legislation.He is also widely respected as a theatre directorand dramatist, founder and artistic director ofAdelaide's leading pro-am theatre company,Independent Theatre.Since its inception in 1983, under Croser'sdirection, Independent Theatre has producedthree plays every year, including traditionaland contemporary classics and many State,Australian and even world premieres, ofinternational and Australian works.Croser has also created his own stageadaptations, including Greek tragedy (TheBlood of Agamemnon); Shakespeare (Cry Godfor Harry!) and the letters, papers and courttranscripts relating to Oscar Wilde (JudgingOscar). Perhaps his greatest triumph to datewas East of Eden, performed in 1998 at theFestival Centre (now the Dunstan) Playhouse,with the approval of the Steinbeck estate andSteinbeck's widow Elaine ("John would bepleased with the way you have dramatised Eastof Eden," she commented.)A new stage dramatisation of the EmilyBronte classic Wuthering Heights is the lateststep in Rob Croser's impressive dual career.True to his love and respect for original texts,Croser's dramatisation encompasses the wholeof Wuthering Heights. The best-known film

A L U M N I N E W S

THE FIFTH international chapter ofthe University of Adelaide AlumniAssociation will be launched this monthin Sarawak, Malaysia.The new chapter is the Sarawak Alumni ofthe University of Adelaide.Malaysian alumni now have access to twochapters, the other being the AdelaideUniversity Alumni Malaysia Bhd, based inKuala Lumpur.The Chief Minister of Sarawak, YAB DatukPatinggi Tan Sri Dr Haji Abdul TaibMahmud, is hosting celebrations to mark thelaunch of the Sarawak chapter.The celebrations will include a LaunchingCeremony followed by a Fund RaisingDinner.Invited guests include the Australian HighCommissioner to Malaysia, members of theMalaysian Government and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide.Alumni from all over the world are invited tojoin the festivities.Damai Lagoon Holiday Inn in the city ofKuching, Sarawak will play host to theoccasion on Saturday, July 13.For further information or to register yourinterest in attending, please contact theChapter's Honorary Secretary Mr RodgerChan Siong Boh via email:[email protected]

Chief Minister provides new scholarshipA scholarship has been established for

Malaysian students thanks to the generosityof the Chief Minister of Sarawak.

The Adelaide Sarawak Alumni Scholarshiphas been established in recognition of theChief Minister's commitment to educationand to the development of bilateral relationsbetween Australia and Malaysia, for which hewas formally recognised earlier this year bybeing awarded the title of Honorary Officerin the Order of Australia.

Having himself studied at the University ofAdelaide as a Colombo Plan Scholar, theChief Minister's commitment to thepromotion of accessible quality education isexemplified through this scholarship.

The Board of the Alumni Association andthe members present at last month's AlumniAssociation Annual General Meetingunanimously approved the establishment ofthe scholarship.

The first scholarship is expected to be offeredat the end of this year, to be awarded to aninternational student commencing studies atthe University of Adelaide in 2003, pendingCouncil approval.

Scholarships for international students areunique in that all students are eligible and noapplication process is necessary.

Instead, eligibility is conditional only onacceptance to the University and students areselected on their academic merit alone.

For more information contact the AdelaideGraduate Centre on (618) 8303 3506.

version, with Lawrence Olivier, stopped shortat Cathy's death, reducing the literarymasterpiece to a gothic romance. In Croser'sview, while the romance is central to the storyand the characters, the death of the heroine isonly the beginning of the real story."If you've only seen the film, you've only seenhalf the story," he said."And what a story it is! So much more than agothic romance. The more I delve into theoriginal text, the more I am dazzled by theprofound truths of human psychology whichare right there, in a book written 150 years ago

in the geographic and social isolation of the19th century Yorkshire moors.

"In part, Wuthering Heights attracted mebecause its underlying themes of obsession andrepression, vengeance and retribution are stillso frighteningly relevant today.

"In my working life I see only too often thetragic legacy of oppression and cruelty," hesaid, "and around the world today we can seewhat happens when the desire to right wrongsturns into the need for revenge andretribution."

Croser has assembled an impressive cast tobring Wuthering Heights to the stage, includingIndependent Theatre ensemble members andcurrent University of Adelaide undergraduatesJoe Hynes and Lyn Wilson.

Joe is in his third year of a Bachelor ofInternational Studies, while Lyn has deferredher Bachelor of Wine Marketing this yearuntil her son finishes kindergarten. While shemisses her studies, Lyn is keeping busylearning her lines for Ellen (Nellie) Dean,whose life is interwoven with the loves andtorments of Heathcliff (played by formerAdelaide boy, NIDA graduate and Neighbourscast member Nicholas Opolski) and Cathy.

Wuthering HeightsOdeon Theatre, Queen Street, NorwoodSaturday, July 27 to Saturday, August 10(Tuesdays to Saturdays) 7.30pmTuesday, July 30: 6.30pm (two for the priceof one adult ticket)Saturday, August 3: 2pm & 7.30pm$25 / $20 Book at BASS 131 246For group prices and more informationphone Independent Theatre on 8411 6661

Rob Croser.

Chief Minister tohost celebrations fornew alumni chapter

New Alumni Board membersThe Alumni Association welcomes MrSathish Dasan ( John Bray Law Chapter)and Mr Peter Neuhaus (MBA AlumniAssociation) as new members on itsAlumni Board. Both alumni haveconsiderable experience in supporting theAlumni Association through theirrespective chapters.

Do you live in Victoria?Many alumni from the University ofAdelaide move to the eastern states upongraduation. To date the University hasmore than 1000 alumni in Victoria. Asthis number continues to grow, alumniresiding in Victoria have expressed interestin establishing an alumni network.

The Alumni and Community Relationsoffice is currently compiling a list of alumniwho are interested in participating in thisnetwork. If you are interested, we wouldlike to hear from you.

For more information contact Ms JoanSoon on (08) 8303 3317 or email:[email protected]

Commerce Chapter LaunchDue to unforeseen circumstances thelaunch of the Commerce Chapter has beenrescheduled for Tuesday, July 23. Thelaunch will be held at EDS Australia, 108North Terrace, Adelaide, with arrival at5.30pm for 6pm.

Bookings are essential. Please register yourinterest in attending by contacting JoanSoon at the Alumni and CommunityRelations office at (618) 8303 3317 [email protected] before July 15.

The upcoming launch of the University’s new alumni chapter has been big news in Malaysia.

Grants now available for InternationalAlumni ConventionInternational alumni wishing to attend theAustralian Universities InternationalAlumni Convention 2002 in Melbourne cannow apply for a grant to offset theirexpenses under the Australian UniversitiesInternational Alumni Convention GrantScheme.

The grant scheme has been established as aresult of the generosity of the ChiefMinister of Sarawak, who has been a strongsupporter of the convention since itsinception. The deadline for applications isJuly 12.For more information or an applicationform, contact Ms Rosslyn Cox on (618) 8303 3692 or email:[email protected]


NEWSMAKERS

Jamie’s slick performance earns$5000 percussion scholarshipELDER School of Music percussionistJamie Adam is the inaugural winner of theJohn "Slick" Osborne Scholarship.

The $5000 performance scholarship, whichrewards outstanding talent in the field of jazz drumming and classical percussion,was endowed by prominent South Austra-lian drummer/percussionist John "Slick"Osborne, who bequeathed his estate to theElder Conservatorium to support youngperformers.

Mr Osborne had a long association withboth the Conservatorium and the jazzprogram of the former South AustralianCollege of Advanced Education.

The award of the scholarship maintains a remarkable run of success for Jamie Adam,a fourth-year Honours student who isstudying percussion performance under theElder School’s Jim Bailey.

Last year Jamie was the first winner of theDavid Galliver Memorial Award and wasselected recently to represent South Australiain the wind and percussion section of thethird round of the ABC Young Performers’Award. (He will perform in Brisbane, withthe Brisbane Symphony Orchestra, inAugust).

Jamie is a former student of Woodville HighSchool, one of South Australia’s designatedSpecial Interest Music Centres.

The presentation of the John "Slick"Osborne Scholarship will be made by theDean of the Elder School of Music,Professor Charles Bodman Rae, after Jamie’sperformance of the Keiko Abe concerto,Prism Rhapsody, with the ElderConservatorium Wind Ensemble, in ElderHall on Saturday, June 29.

THE SOCCER World Cup sparkedincreased media interest in all thingsJapanese. Professor Purnendra Jain spoketo The Advertiser ( June 15) about thegrowth prospects of the Japanese economy,while Dr Brian Victoria analysed therelationship between Australia and Japan inan opinion piece for the AustralianFinancial Review ( June 7). On ABC TV’sStateline ( June 14), Dr Greg McCarthydrew a neat comparison between the RannGovernment and the Japanese soccer teamin an analysis of Labor’s first 100 days inpower.Dr Rod Irvine was among the expertsfeatured in an SBS World News report ( June4) on the long-term side-effects of takingecstasy.On Channel 9’s Today show ( June 7), Dr

Sarah Robertson was interviewed abouther research team’s development of a newgel to be clinically trialled among womenwith fertility problems next year. Fellowfertility specialist Dr Michael Davies spoketo The Advertiser ( June 24) about anothertrial aimed at improving IVF success rateswith a single embryo.The Advertiser also reported on Repromed’sintention to expand into new interstate and international markets in the next fiveyears.The arrival in Whyalla of a group of first-year medical students on rural healthexperience generated coverage in TheWhyalla News ( June 13). It also attractedthe interest of ABC radio 5CK ( June 18),which interviewed Dr Andrew Thornettabout the students’ activities.

The release of the latest census resultsbrought another round of media interviewsfor Professor Graeme Hugo. He appearedon all local—and many interstate—television news bulletins ( June 17),providing comment and analysis. Muchlocal interest centred on his remark that theState Bank collapse had affected thedemographics of South Australia for adecade.The Australian spoke to Dr Johann Bruwer( June 10) about a study showing that morethan one-third of cellar door visitors to theCoonawarra are women aged 25-34.In the Angaston Leader ( June 19) ElderSchool lecturer Mike Stewart told of his experiences playing with some of the world’s best jazz musicians in New York after winning the Barossa

Winemakers’ Jazz Scholarship.

On 891 ABC ( June 20), Dr Mike Geddesexplained to The Bald Brothers why acuttlefish has three hearts.

The Prime Minister’s attitude to the UN’snew International Criminal Court wascriticised by Dr Anthony Burke on radio5DN ( June 18). Dr Geoff Lindell alsoaddressed the topic on 891 ABC’s Drivetimethe same day.

Dr John Williams spoke to The Australian( June 18) about Attorney General MichaelAtkinson’s attempt to delay considerationof new electoral boundaries, and wasquoted by several media outlets on theproposed constitutional convention.

Jamie Adam playing a marimba.

Much Ado about loveBENEDICT utterly hates Beatrice andBeatrice absolutely loathes Benedict. Orso it would seem.But when the furious rage between them ismade public, everyone knows this is reallythe first ‘big bang’ of a tumultuous romance.Shakespeare’s classic tale of fiery love, MuchAdo About Nothing, is also one of his mostentertaining comedies.The University of Adelaide Theatre Guildfollows up its recent success of Amadeus withthis classic from the Bard, coming in Augustto the University's Little Theatre.

Director Martin Laud promises a "fast andfunky" interpretation for both lovers ofShakespeare and first-time theatregoers.

A graduate of the University’s B.Ed Drama/BA Ed. Theatre course, Martin has beendirecting and acting since 1991. In his sparetime, he also teaches Drama at the newAdelaide University Senior College.

Much Ado About NothingLittle Theatre, University of Adelaide7.30pm August 3, 6-10 & 13-17Tickets: $20 Full/$15 Concession/$10 foradvance schools bookingsBox Office: (08) 8303 5999, BASS 131 246

Join the cast and crew of Much Ado AboutNothing for a glass of wine and light supperafter the Friday, August 9 performance.

The Cornell Chapter of the AlumniAssociation and the Theatre Guild invitemembers, friends and the general public toan informal reception for the cast andproduction team in the foyer.

Tickets for this performance must bepurchased in advance by August 2 throughAlumni & Community Relations. Phone(08) 8303 5800 now. Part proceeds from thesale of tickets ($30 full/$24 conc.) will go tothe Mares-Eaden Fund to establish aUniversity Prize in Shakespearean andElizabethan Studies.

Documents

Adelaidean July 2002