Postscript 2011

Postscript - Spring 2011 - Pg. 1

Post ScriptUWA Postgraduate Magazine

Spring 2011

www.psa.guild.uwa.edu.au

Mailing list: http://maillists.uwa.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/postgrad

CONTENTS4 President’s Report

5 Past President’s Report

6 2011 PSA Committee

9 PSA Scholarships 101

10 Teaching & Learning Month 2011 12 Postscript Interview

14 Supervisors… Uh, super-what?

15 PhD Journey: Lonely but Rewarding

16 You do Not Need to Feel Motivated to do Work

17 International Post-Grad Profile

18 Post-Grad Profile 20 Is there any honour in honour crimes?

22 2011 is year of the Oceans: The Save Our Marine Life Campaign

24 My experience of the UWA Postgraduate Teaching Internship

26 Top 10 FREE THINGS to do in Perth for Postgrads

28 Postgrads Chef

30 Reviews

31 Your Stars by the month

32 PSA Calender of events 2011

DISCLAIMERThe views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the viewsof the editor, PSA or the UWA Student Guild.

Copyright 2011 © UWA Student Guild. All rights reserved.

Editor Sonja Nottle

Design & Layout Wayne Chandra

Contributors Mendel Baba, Marie Rye, Thi Tuyet Ngo, Julia Well, Carol Kaplanian, Alex Nicol, Antony Gray, Indranil Guha, Sophia Bickford, Nitin Repalle, Sonja Nottle, Karen Le Blanc.

Postscript - Spring 2011

Postscript President’s Report

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to the 2011 issue of Postscript , the magazine for postgraduate students at UWA! My name is Mendel, and I’m this year’s PSA President. As well as representing you this year, I’m also doing a Professional Doctorate in Podiatry, so it’s going to be a busy year!

This year’s issue of Postscript is a cracker – it’s full of interesting stories, information, photos, cooking tips, postgrad profiles and more! It’s got everything you need to know as a postgrad at UWA. We’ve also got our PSA calendar in there, so make sure to check it out and jot down all the important dates in your diary!

For those of you who aren’t sure of what the PSA is or does, we are here to represent you, from the Senate right down to the faculty level. We have faculty reps on the PSA committee, who are happy to help you out if you need any assistance. We provide research and travel awards each year totalling $15,000 in funding, so make sure you get your application form in for 2012. We also run heaps of fantastic social events to keep you guys connected and ensure you have a great postgraduate experience during your time at UWA.

2011 has been another big year for the PSA. We’re continuing with our usual Connect sessions on the first Thursday of every month from 5-6pm, on the terrace at The University Club. Come down for a catch up with your fellow postgrads, while enjoying some free food and drinks put on by the PSA. We’re also currently planning our annual Cocktail Party, our biggest event of the year. Check out the PSA website during the year for all the details, and while you’re there, join up to our mailing list, to keep up to date with all the latest postgrad news.

I hope you enjoy this year’s issue of Postscript. A huge thank you must go out to our fantastic Media Officer Wayne Chandra, and Sonja Nottle, our amazing Treasurer and Editor, this magazine couldn’t have happened without them.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, just email me at [email protected].

Mendel Baba 2011 PSA President


Past President’s Report

Hi Everyone!

It seems like such a long time since I was the PSA President! But I was just last year, and now I’m what’s known as the Immediate Past President which means I get to write a short hello to you all for this edition of Postscript. I’m really happy to see that the fantastic version of Postscript we produced last year (which had amazing feedback from you) has continued this year. It’s a great way to reach all of the more than 5,200 of us postgrads here at UWA.

The new PSA committee is working hard for you, with Mendel at the helm as the new PSA president. She’s doing a fantastic job and since she sat on the committee last year, she knows the ins and outs of the PSA. I’m sure you’ve seen, and will continue to see, plenty of great things coming out of the PSA this year. The PSA works really hard behind the scenes for you organising and planning events, representing postgrads, and so much more, so please support them or let them know you appreciate them. It is a very time consuming gig, but one that needs to be done, to make sure that

postgrads are well represented here at UWA. Just to give you a small example, the PSA President sits on about 17 committees, while also being a full time postgrad! Now that’s dedication to the postgrad cause!

As for what I’m doing now, I’ve just exchanged one kind of busy for another. This year I’m doing the Postgraduate Teaching Internship Scheme and have swapped the PSA office for my desk at the Scholars’ Centre.

I really enjoyed being your president last year and thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent you. It was a steep learning curve with many bonuses and quite full on and time consuming, but one that I’ll always remember with fondness.

Well, that’s it from me. Good luck to you all with your studies and I’m sure I’ll see some of you around campus.

Jane Thomson 2010 PSA President

2011 PSA Committee

School of Paediatric and Child Health, 2nd year PhD

A bit about me… My academic history includes genetics, microbiology and infectious diseases. I am now exploring the relationship between air pollution exposure, foetal lung function development, and subsequent respiratory outcomes. Outside the academic world, I enjoy being a social butterfly and learning about diversity in this world.

I believe that life shouldn’t revolve solely around study/research. There are ups and downs during one’s academic journey, especially during exams or collecting data, and having other foci will lift your spirits up when the going gets tough.

As a committee member I am committed to the organisation, but as a person I am approachable and take great pleasure in meeting people. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns about keeping balance in your academic life, need help with figuring out which guild department to approach, or simply want to meet up for a coffee or drink to unwind.

Science Education

I am a PhD Candidate co-advised by the Faculty of Education and the Science Communication Program of the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences. My research focuses on improving connections between science education in high schools and in ‘informal science’ organisations such as science centres, museums, zoos and parks.

I worked in wildlife research and environmental policy and taught high school science before starting my PhD in 2009. Outside of work, I enjoy scuba diving and sailing along Perth’s beautiful waterfronts, and getting out for a bushwalk whenever I can. I am originally from California, USA, but have lived in Australia since 2007. I got involved with PSA because I want to promote a greater sense of community for UWA postgraduates.

MBA, still a few years to go I decided to go back to Uni to study an MBA after a decade long break from study. It’s been a shock to the system but I am having a lot of fun. I am pretty busy and don’t really remember what I like doing in my spare time because I don’t have any.

Executive & Committee

Mark Tan - Vice PresidentSonja Nottle - Treasurer

Sophia Bickford - PSA Representative

for Faculty of Education

1st year, Master of Prof. Accounting(Adv)

When I am not planning schemes to conquer the world, I am either number crunching or book-keeping. I like to dance (hip-hop) and love to sing. Anime and K-Pop also has a loyal fan in me.

Elaine Jacob - Ordinarty Committee

Members


Masters in Information & Communications Technology, 2nd Year

You will find me doing all kinds of things rather than studying. Love to travel and explore different places. I am a BIG soccer freak. My fav soccer club is Manchester United and I never miss watching their game. Lastly, I am scared of heights.

PhD in Human Genetics, FMDHS 2nd year

A bit about me… Recipe to combat uni: an unhealthy dose of netball, travel, coffee and friends.

PhD Candidate -3rd year, Mechanical Engineering

I wished to change this world. But, God didn’t give me the source code. So, I took up research and wrote a code that showed air is denser than water. I improved the code to the point that it’s not running anymore. Right now I’m modifying “Nitin.life” program for better performance and efficiency.

Marie Rye - Equity Officer

Nitin Repalle - General SecretaryTijo Thomas Abraham -

UWA Coursework Student Officer

Civil Engineering

I am a PhD student at the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems of the UWA. My favorite pastime is watching cricket.

Santiram Chatterjee - Faculty of Engineering,

Computing & Mathematics Representative

PhD Candidate- 3rd Year, Civil Engineering

I am an international student from India and here in this beautiful campus of UWA for the last 2 years for my PhD in submarine pipelines. I have another year in my hand to finish me thesis. So, it’s a hectic and challenging year for me. I love to play cricket and lead an international cricket team in UWA. I love movies, cooking and eating whatever I find attractive and colourful. My present position with PSA is giving me enough knowledge about different cultures, languages and especially foods of different countries.

Indranil Guha - International Student’s

Officer

Very soon the first section of the Centenary Trust for Women Graduates’ Walk will be paved around UWA’s Oak Lawn

Any UWA graduate can purchase a paver inscribed with their name, degree(s) and graduation year. Multiple pavers can be bought for family or friends and these groups of pavers can be laid together, thereby enjoying an extra 10 per cent discount. Purchasing a paver will ensure that the UWA graduate is remembered in perpetuity and by doing so you will assist women who require financial support to continue their studies at UWA.

You are invited to be part of it!

Simply download the form from www.uwa.edu.au/ctw or call +61 8 6488 4207 and ask for the Graduates’ Walk Project Officer, Marita Gardener for further information.

Come and see the Oak Lawn and help us pave the way for generations to come!

Pave the way

Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences, 3rd year PhD student in plant molecular biology A bit about me: ...*&^%$#@ “Show me the results!”…~@#$%^&*…

Master of Commerce (Advance) I chose to continue my studies after I finished my undergraduate degree. I have been in Perth for one year, but I have not been to other cities. So hopefully after I finish my masters degree at the end of this year, I have the chance to travel around in Australia.☺

Sheng Liu - Faculty Representative

Shu Zhang - Business School Representative

PhD with school of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2nd Year.

A bit about me… I’m incredibly lazy and never exercise but am still considering running the half marathon in the city to surf just so I can do it, die, resume my position on the couch and have a rebuttal for when I see my mum and she tells me I should exercise more. Who says scientists are rational?

Julia Wells - Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and

Health Sciences Representative


PSA Scholarships 101PSA Conference Travel Awards These are provided to assist students travelling to attend a conference to present their work and receive peer review and feedback. The PSA provides up to ten awards to the value of $750 for international or domestic conference attendance. Up to five awards will be made available in each semester. It is anticipated that postgraduates who have exhausted their travel funds throughout their candidature but have significant results to present at conferences will apply for the awards.

PSA Small Grants Each year the PSA gives out five small grants valued at $200 each. In general these grants are used for small events around campus, generally for catering purposes. These can be for social, academic or mixed events.

Convocation Travel Awards In conjunction with the UWA Graduates Association, the PSA helps provide the funds

for these awards each year. These are very large and prestigious awards valued at $2500 each, and may be used to pay for travel or accommodation costs, or to supplement another travel scholarship or award. The purpose of these awards is to enable postgraduate research students to enhance their work through travel in Australia or overseas, and is given to those applicants who can best demonstrate that the planned research trip significantly enhances their research, above and beyond their original proposal. Usually, the successful applicants undertake a variety of tasks involving lab work, field trips, visiting distinguished scholars and speaking at conferences.

For further information, closing dates and application forms for any of these awards, please visit the PSA website: www.psa.guild.uwa.edu.au.

Mendel Baba


Teaching & Learning Month 2011

Postgraduate students are a vital part of the University’s teaching and learning community. During Teaching and Learning month, there are a range of programs and activities (many including food!) to discuss teaching and learning issues at UWA.

providing professional development in teaching and learning to the University community. CATL strives to “support teachers in their practice with the aim of enhancing the quality of the student learning experience and the quality of the teacher’s experience at UWA” The Centre achieves this through a comprehensive program of workshops and seminars for teaching staff and through scholarly practice and research in teaching and learning pedagogy. The Centre is also responsible for supporting teachers to evaluate their teaching (using the “SPOT” survey), and is responsible for eLearning at UWA, which includes the administration of WebCT and Lectopia, as well as supporting staff and students in using a whole range of new technologies in their teaching and learning.

The Centre provides support to all teaching staff at the University, including postgraduate students who teach. There are a number of programs specifically for students, including the Postgraduate Teaching Internship Scheme, and Introduction to University Teaching. All postgraduate students who teach are welcome at any of the Centre’s professional development workshops.

CATL hopes that you will all join us at future Teaching and Learning Months, and encourages all postgraduate students to get involved in teaching and learning at UWA.

For more information about Teaching and Learning Month, and CATL see: www.catl.uwa.edu.au/teachingmonth.

Every year, the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) hosts “Teaching and Learning Month” which is a chance for the UWA community to celebrate excellence in and current issues around teaching and learning, and take advantage of a number of visiting distinguished teachers who hold seminars and workshops throughout the event. The whole University community is invited to participate in Teaching and Learning month events - it is just as much about students as it is about staff, and a big part of the event is trying to bring together staff and students to talk about how the issues of the day affect all of us.

In 2011, Teaching and Learning month was run from Monday 30th May to Friday 10th June (yes, we know it’s not a whole month!) and there was a wide range of events taking place from the scholarly Teaching and Learning Research Colloquium through to the fun and frantic Business School Quiz Night. Along the way, on Tuesday 7th June was the annual University Teaching Awards Ceremony, a public event where our best teachers are celebrated and recognised in a ceremony at Winthrop Hall. Other events during T&L month included - a very popular “Hypothetical” hosted by Richard Pengelley; a Staff vs Student Debate, competing for the coveted graduation hat trophy with the proposition “Assessment is a waste of time”, and a series of workshops and seminars by distinguished teachers UWA Adjunct Professor Lynne Hunt, and Professor Keithia Wilson from Griffith University, both of whom have won the prestigious Prime Minster’s University Teaching Award.

CATL is the UWA centre responsible for

1. What is your role at the GRS? I am a Graduate Education Officer. There are three of us (Dr. Krys Haq, Dr. Michael Azariadis and I) and we work as a close-knit team to provide a range of services for research students and supervisors. We run workshops, seminars, drop-in sessions, and are available for one-on-one appointments. We are also involved in the GRST, 3min Thesis Competition, Publication Prize and Postgraduate Welcome programs. I am responsible for the FIRSTatUWA program and I invite every international student to an induction interview about a month after they arrive on campus. It is a fantastic way for me to meet students and establish a relationship with them early on in candidature.

2. What is the most important piece of advice you can give to new postgraduate students at UWA? Develop your own network of support. Postgraduate research can be isolating if you allow it to be, but if you work on developing professional and social networks you will be able to harness the benefits of human connection. So attend as many meetings, seminars, and conferences as you can (within reason – too many meetings could indicate study avoidance behaviour!). Then, armed with a couple of sentences that clearly describe your research topic, introduce yourself to someone new. If you want to learn more about connectedness see the film “Six Degrees of Separation”.

Mendel Baba

Postscript Interview with

Jo Edmondston


3. Can you briefly outline what study resources are available to postgraduate students through the GRS? For students, we run workshops every semester on developing skills in research and academic writing. We organise guest speakers throughout the year to give a range of seminars and lectures on issues such as grant writing, preparing for thesis examination, editing, how to write a research paper, how to survive research and how to complete research degrees. We also run writing groups twice weekly to support writing skills development. And we are always available for students to book one-on-one appointments to discuss anything related to their studies.

4. What scholarships are offered by the GRSO for postgraduate students? The GRS has a great website that has all the details for UWA scholarships (see www.scholarships.uwa.edu.au), including completion, student exchange, travel, international, indigenous, and women’s scholarships. It also has links to scholarship databases that provide details of significant national and international scholarships. If you are looking for a scholarship, also keep your eye on the PSA mailing list and the web for smaller scholarship opportunities.

5. Any final words of wisdom to all the postgrads out there? These words of wisdom are born from

painful experience – I wish I had followed my own advice more closely when I was studying for my own Masters and PhD. I am sure it would have made my path to completion much easier and more efficient!!

• Ask lots of questions. You are training to become a researcher – you are not expected to know the answer to everything. Expend some energy trying to find the solution to your problem, but don’t take the notion of independence to the extreme. Develop your skills in asking for help and finding the person who has the expertise to provide a good answer to your question.

• Develop your coping strategies, particularly resilience and persistence. Research degrees require you to cope with feedback that is often critical. Appreciate that valid, constructive criticism of your work is a teaching tool and is not a criticism of you personally. And then, work out ways to keep on going…..

• Celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. The goal posts for higher degrees by research are a long way in the distance. So plant a few smaller goal posts along the way and celebrate every point you score.

Supervisors… Uh, super-what?

So you’ve started your first year of your PhD and you have the dream project, a space in the lab/office all to yourself and you are ready to start working… Chances are, you’ve also scored a non-existent or difficult supervisor. Here are some tips to help you deal with your superior for the next three years.

Scenario one: You send your supervisor an email trying to tie down a meeting slot for one of those rare weeks they’re actually in the country. The week passes and you have had no response to your email nor have you even seen them.

Tips: Knock down their door and pester them with questions when they are in their office. Be annoying. It’s effective and encourages prompt replies to future emails.

Scenario two: You meet with your head of department supervisor who tells you to perform your next experiment using the new cutting-edge technology coming out shortly. You then speak to your laboratory supervisor who tells you this technology has major teething issues and to use the standard methodology that has worked for years. Next, you run into your external supervisor who thinks the whole experiment is a waste of time and to scrap it in

favour of a different experiment. Just who do you listen to?

Tips: Arrange a meeting with all your supervisors and bring up the experiments. Now, sit back and enjoy watching them battle it out.

Scenario three: Your supervisor is an ever-present force in your PhD. They demand updates of written work weekly and over-criticise every piece of submitted work. This supervisor also puts you on a tight lab experiment schedule and blames your methodology when experiments go wrong.

Tips: BAIL!! Get out as soon as you can... Beats subjecting yourself to this.

Scenario four: You are working on an experiment and have arranged to show results to your supervisor the following day. However, you run into problems mid-way through the experiment and start to panic. You walk into your supervisor’s office and they greet you with a smile and talk you through your experiment as if they have all the time in the world.

Tips: Such supervisors do not exist. If you find one, consider yourself extremely lucky.

Marie Rye


PhD Journey: Lonely but RewardingWhether you have just started your PhD or are near the end, you may have heard the saying that doing a PhD is a lonely journey. That is true. It is lonely because most of the time you carry out the research on your own. You normally find yourself facing the computer, surrounded by books and articles, or in the lab doing some experiments, again, mostly on your own.

It is not at all a smooth journey. It involves lots of sleepless nights, lots of stressful moments, and lots of headaches, especially when you kind of ‘hit the wall’, that is, you are literally stuck and your brain refuses to generate any new ideas. This can go on for days or even weeks before you can find your way out, and this can potentially turn you into a bad-tempered person that nobody wants to be around. Sometimes you may find yourself walking along a street talking your mind out loud or even jump with joy if you happen to find a solution to a research question that has tormented you for so long. Don’t be surprised if at such moments you look up and see passing people look puzzled or shake their heads. You may also feel out of place when you are filled with excited ideas about your research and want to share them with your family and friends, but soon

bitterly realise that you are not speaking their languages. You may even one day get on a bus being so occupied with your own thoughts about your research that you go all the way to the last stop and catch another bus to get back to your missed stop. There are times when you feel so lonely and lost...

But the good thing is you are not alone. There are many others who are in the same shoes and are willing to listen and share their experiences with you. PSA organises different events where you can meet with same-minded people who speak your language. And when you get to the end of the journey, you will surely get a mug, but not an ordinary mug. This mug is a trium-phant declaration that you have “PhinisheD” a journey that only a fraction of the population could take. It is an acknowledgement of an extraordinary achievement that the majority of the population could only dream of.

Pursuing the PhD journey is a transforming and rewarding experience. Wherever you are when you start the journey, at the end of it you can confidently say to yourself: “Nothing is impossible”.

Thi Tuyet Ngo

You do Not Need to Feel Motivated to do Work

“Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.”

- Walter Bagehot

“The trouble with being educated is that it takes a long time; it uses up the better part of your life and when you are finished what you know is that you would have benefited more

by going into banking.” - Philip K. Dick

Standard Operating Procedure for Completing an Annual Review

1. Procrastinate. My annual review and completed manuscript is due in two weeks so I have naturally become grossly preoccupied with writing a motivational article for postscript magazine. I even researched quotes and cool alternative jobs (googling equals research, right? If not my lit review is doomed.) That is in-between you-tubing the gnarly gnarlington Charlie Sheen (it is obviously important not to fall behind on world events, there’s more to life than your thesis, like paying attention to people who snort a suitcase of cocaine daily.)

2. Accept failure and plan an alternative career. Instead of looking at a blank word document everyday I could be ‘In The Real World’ with a better job, not limited to but including being a cryptozoologist hunting bigfoot, a luxury mattress tester, interpretive dance judge or ostrich egg salesperson. No current vacancies on Seek.

3. Realise you are not living up to the dreams of you or your loved ones. By the time I was 25 I wanted to have my motorcycle license, have gone traveling to exotic places and be living out of home. I don’t remember ever mentioning still being in school. Possible answers to the constant questions

from family, friends and complete strangers about what possessed you to do a PhD/ Masters include: ‘well we’ve all done something stupid’ or ‘I felt why wait for a mid-life crisis?’

4. Enlightenment doesn’t come. I am hit with the realisation that I really need to stop waiting for that moment of illumination; when my project becomes incredibly clear, my typing speed lightening-quick (where’s your suitcase of cocaine now Charlie?) and everything proceeds in a smooth succession to the finish. I do not need to feel motivated to do work. We’re postgrads and we keep studying, writing drafts and reorganising our “food drawer” long after were told to stop. Once you realise this, it becomes clear why you’ve come this far and why you will make it to the end regardless of what job lies out there for you. You will submit because you have never failed to find a way around your problems (be it the presence or lack of supervisors, projects, equipment or just being last in line for the sausage sizzle).

5. Just write the damn thing. If you’re still unsure of whether being a postgrad is all worth it, then it’s my advice to start drinking heavily.

Connect – Thank PSA it’s Thursday.

Julia Wells


INTERNATIONAL POST-GRAD PROFILEInterviewer: Elaine Jacob

Name? Ratieli Tora Kacilala

What are you studying here? Masters in Education- Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation.

Where are you from? Fiji

Hobbies? Reading and Floral Art (using flowers to create designs, bouquets, wreaths, and floral pieces)

Most interesting thing about you? People say I have an awesome sense of humor.

How long have you been in Perth? 8 months

What do you miss most about Fiji? My family

If someone was travelling to Fiji, what should they definitely see/eat/do? Fiji is a well known tourist destination. It is synonymous with the sun, sea and sand. Suva is the capital and is full of attractions for people to visit both, in the day and the night. They could go to the museum or check out the handicrafts and duty-free markets in

the city. The nightclubs are very vibrant and open till very late.

While in Fiji, they should definitely try out the local street food. It is consists mainly of fresh vegetables, fruits and fish and there are a variety of cuisines (Fijian, Indian, Chinese, Italian). Tourists should also visit the villages if they get the chance. they will be charmed by their hospitality and enjoy their laid back lifestyle.

There are about 300 islands in Fiji in total and most of these islands offer many activities like snorkeling, diving, kayaking and hiking. Local resorts are top-notch and are surprisingly, affordable too.

What are the things that you like about Perth? People are very polite and very helpful. The general environment is amazing and is stress-free. I am amazed by the fact that there is so much concern for the environment. Children from a very young age to very aged people are responsible about the environment and its conservation. I enjoy going to parks and other recreational spots in Perth because it is clean and safe. The times I spent here, I will definitely take back with me as memories to be cherished.

What are your favorite hangouts in Perth? Perth zoo,Caversham Wildlife Park, Adventure world, the markets in Fremantle and Cottesloe beach.

What were the challenges that you faced of being an international student? Dealing with winter when it came was quite a challenge for me because it was my first winter in my whole life as I come from a country that has a very tropical climate. Finding a job in Perth is tough also and I wish UWA could make more arrangements for jobs for mature and experienced students.

How was your overall experience at UWA and Perth? I feel like I am studying at home because international students are looked after so well. I am so comfortable here and lecturers go out of the way to assist you right then and there. They are the best at it. Perth as it is, is a fabulous place to live. I will definitely miss UWA and Perth when I leave.

Post grad Profile

Hobbies: Travelling, Reading, Camping and Soccer.

Most interesting thing about you: There is a phrase saying “Don’t allow failure to conquer you”. I always try to perform my best to achieve good results.

What was the last movie you saw?.. was it any good? No.1 Lady’s Detective Agency. Yes, it was good because it was the first movie that was shot in Botswana which makes me proud.

Favourite travel destination: Tutume, my hometown.

If you were a fish, what kind of fish would you be? I would love to be a dolphin. They are very intelligent, playful and make cute sounds.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up: I wanted to be a soldier working for the army, but look at me now doing a Masters at UWA.

What superpower do you desire: Power to predict the future.

FILL IN THE BLANKS Three words my friends would use to describe me: Hardworking, Funny, Outgoing.

I spend a lot of time thinking about: My country, my family, friends and most importantly my girlfriend.

My best experience as a postgrad: Developing good research and analytical skills, which has helped me to meet new people from different cultural backgrounds.

My worst experience as a postgrad: A month after reaching Perth my father passed away so I was away for nearly a month. As a result I missed a few lectures and coping with the schedule was a bit difficult especially in my first semester of study.

I look forward to: Completing my Masters degree with a distinction in all my units and looking forward to going back to my home country and joining the workforce.

Name: Bakani Nlebgwa. Faculty/Area of study: Masters in Human Resources and Employment Relations, 2nd Year. Thesis title: Coursework student (N/A). Where were you born: Tutume, Botswana. ABOUT ME Chocolate/vanilla/strawberry: Definitely strawberry. Most useful item on my desk: My one and only laptop, without it I am completely lost.

Interviewer: Elaine Jacob


imagine inspire innovate interact invest

Think your postgrad research has commercial potential?

If you want to explore the commercialisation opportunities for your research, we can help. Office of Industry and Innovation: www.oii.uwa.edu.au

StudySmarter Learning, Language & Research Skills

Get SmarterFree expert services to help postgrads improve study, assignment and

English language skills.

Our services include

• Workshops

• Consultations

• Drop-in sessions

• Online resources

• Weekly e-newsletter (Get Smart)

• Language & Cultural Exchange (LACE)

www.studysmarter.uwa.edu.au

Phone: 6488 2423

Email: [email protected]

Location: Student Services Reception, First Floor,

Social Sciences South, UWA campus, Perth.

Is there any honour in honour crimes?

Researching this subject has not been an easy task. The more one delves into understanding the dynamics of honour crimes, the more one questions the way beliefs are formed and how perceptions are made.

Carol Kaplanian

I never thought that I would get the opportunity to meet with men who committed murder in the name of honour. But it arrived around two months ago; an opportunity not to be missed.

It was a hot Monday morning. On the way to the prison, I was nervously sitting in the car, trying to accumulate all that I know regarding the issue in one box; on one page. I was overwhelmed and slightly nervous, I was worried about the things I was about to hear, and I kept reminding myself that this is no ordinary crime committed under no ordinary circumstances. I arrived at the prison and was taken to a large room. As soon as I glanced inside I saw eleven men sitting there and was told that they were the men I was to interview. I had a good look inside, and was surprised to realise that none of them fit the stereotypic notion of a ‘killer’. On the contrary, they looked like ‘normal’ individuals with emotions portrayed on their faces. They embraced the idea of talking to me quite openly. I started seeing them one by one; the only object dividing us was a table. I was startled with how much peace they possessed in relation to what they have committed. At first I was finding it so hard to relate to the way they thought. We came from the same culture, yet it felt like worlds of difference divided us. The men all had similar stories. Nine out of eleven of the men were brothers who killed their sisters. The remainder were fathers. Until today, one man’s story lingers in my ears so clearly….

Firas* was forty-four years of age, he greeted me quite warmly and asked what the purpose of my visit was. I told him that I was conducting research to further understand the notions surrounding honour. He responded that he was happy to help. I asked him to tell me the story, the reason why he was in jail, then he shut his eyes, took a deep breath and started speaking….

“My sister was twenty-two years old. It all started in 2004. One day she got sick, she started bleeding and my mother took her to the hospital. A few hours later my mother calls me; she was frantic; she said that I had to cleanse this blood, this shame that has been bestowed upon us. At first I was confused, I kept telling her to slow down, then she said, ‘don’t you get it; your sister was raped, and now you have to finish off this shame’. I was in shock, this was the last thing that I expected. My sister was a good girl. She ran away from the hospital and was kept in Juwaideh under protective custody. In the meantime I went to negotiate with the man who raped her for some solution. I suggested to him that if he married her, no harm would come his way or hers. He rejected the proposal and I went home feeling angry and very overwhelmed. My father managed to release my sister from prison on the condition that we would not harm her. She arrived home, I was in the kitchen. I was filled with rage, and sadness. I looked at her, she cried and said that she hates this family


and the way she is treated. She told me that I was to blame for it, she provoked me and I killed her”

The room was filled with silence. I then looked at him and asked how he killed her, what did he use, he then looked at me and said:

“I killed her with a knife. I kept stabbing her, and until today I don’t remember that moment very clearly”

I then asked him how many times he had stabbed her; and was far from prepared for the answer I was about to hear. Firas then looked at me and said:

“Sixty-four times, I stabbed her sixty-four times”.

I could not believe what I was hearing, I then asked him to explain to me what was the crime that his sister committed; a crime where she deserved to be stabbed sixty-four times; stabbed in cold blood. Firas was quiet for a few moments, then he slowly replied:

“You see, not many people understand that my sister is not the only victim here. I was a victim, and I still am. I don’t regret killing her, but I blame our cultures and our traditions. Honour is more important than life, it is the most worthy asset a man can hold, and if it is taken from you, then you have nothing to live for, honour is like a big piece of glass. If someone cracks the glass, you can’t fix it, you will have to replace the whole piece. This is how it is for us, if someone stains your honour, you have to clean it, you can’t fix it, removing it is the only way”

I was speechless, I thanked him, and sat there in silence as his words flashed across me repeatedly. “sixty-four times” I kept thinking, I could not understand how that could be possible or how much pain his sister endured.

I left the prison that day with a sense of sadness, but held a sense of clarity in my mind. All that I had researching has now come to life. These men shared their beliefs about the law to me – how they feel that six or seven years of imprisonment for taking someone’s life away is unfair; they explained what culture

and tradition meant to them, but most of all they all said that ‘honour’ is a code they live by, they don’t understand why it is so important; that’s just the way it is, the way they were brought up.

‘Honor killing’ in the Arab world, has its origins in the Bedouin tribal life that precedes both Christianity and Islam. The code goes back as far as 1200BC in the Hammurabi and Assyrian Laws which declared a woman’s chastity to be the property of her family. Islam granted women a considerable amount of rights, but the engrained patriarchic tribal order remained and men wanting to remain powerful, chose not to grant the rights to women, thus leaving them in ignorance both of their rights as well as their religion (Al-Ashmawi, 2004).

Although these are the cultural

origins that lay behind the practice of honor killing, there are other theories as to why this practice exists today. One could obviously suggest the patriarchal structure of many of these societies as a reason. However, one interesting, non-cultural argument is that the developmental problems that exist in many of these societies exacerbate the culturally embedded notions of gender towards violence. This is especially true in the Arab world, as globalisation brought the lifestyle of the western world to their doorstep and has thus resulted in the need to adjust to this new awareness of an

outside culture. Being that they are in many ways, so drastically different from each other. This also relates to human rights, as they are often seen by people in

these societies as being imposed on them from the west.

The existence of cultural excuses for murder (for that is what honor killing is) for the perpetrators of honor killing under the auspices of traditions presents a critical problem in the context of human rights. Although one wants to respect cultural diversity, there are aspects of culture, which directly violate human rights. This is the case with honor killings.

*Names used for this article are not the real identities of the men.

Carol Kaplanian is a PhD candidate at UWA researching honour killings in Jordan.

”“Honour is more important

than life.

2011 is year of the Oceans: The Save Our Marine Life Campaign

Did you know that Western Australia has the country’s biggest mountain range? Tell that to someone from New South Wales and they’d probably

laugh at you - but it’s true.

The ‘bottomless ranges’ of the Diamantina Fracture zone sit in 7000m of water off Australia’s South West coast and rival the mighty Himalayas.

‘Oceans 11’, the year of the Ocean, kicks off with the Government’s critical decision on what level of protection to provide for our unique South West waters, home to the Diamantina and other iconic underwater features that house some of the highest concentrations of unique marine life on earth. The result here will set a precedent for protection right around the country.

Save Our Marine Life is campaigning to ensure the Government establishes a network of marine sanctuaries to protect

marine life. Marine sanctuaries, like National Parks on land, are areas where marine life and their habitat are fully protected from fishing, mining and other damaging activities - but visiting for science and interaction is encouraged.

Following soon after the South West will be the North West, North and East regions, completing a reserve network stretching right around our continent. The Government has committed to finalising these regions this year. If done correctly, it will ensure that our marine life, fishing and other ocean industries can survive and thrive into the future.

The Ecology Centre of the University of Queensland conducted a two year

Alex Nicol


It’s a once in a generation opportunity to ensure a healthy

future for Australia’s unique ocean life and underpin our great coastal lifestyle for generations to come.

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independent analysis of the costs and benefits of marine sanctuaries off the South West coast. In a consensus statement of 44 top researchers, they supported the founding of marine sanctuaries and delivered a world leading blue print for their creation that would benefit 1465 different species while minimising socio-economic costs (see the exec summary http://www.ecology.uq.edu.au/docs/news/MarineExecSummaryNov2010.pdf).

The new marine sanctuary network will be the biggest conservation decision in Australia’s history, and could protect our waters with a world leading network of marine sanctuaries within just a year - meaning the timeline is short and the stakes high.

However, the result is far from guaranteed. Still less than one

percent of the South West region is protected, and Save Our Marine Life is calling for help from all ocean lovers to spread the word, sign the online petition and even volunteer to ensure Australia’s marine life gets the protection it deserves.

It’s a once in a generation opportunity to ensure a healthy future for Australia’s unique ocean life and underpin our great coastal lifestyle for generations to come.

Get Involved! The Conservation Council needs all the help they can get to generate thousands of submissions calling for protection of our oceans and to spread the word about the marine life of our unique South West wa-ters. You can get more information and sign up to the campaign at www.saveourmarinelife.org.au.

The new online flip-book Atlantis Found outlines the major biodiversity hotspots of the South West and some of the science behind marine sanctuaries. As an online book it is ideal for sharing via email, Facebook and Twitter. Atlantis Found can be viewed online at www.saveourmarinelife.org.au/AtlantisFound/.

You can also volunteer with Save Our Marine Life’s ‘Big Blue Army’ – get involved with community information stalls, office work, organizing our regional road tour or getting ‘blue’ with body paint and dress ups for our ‘invasions’ around Perth to promote marine conservation.

Contact Tara at [email protected].

My experience of the UWA Postgraduate Teaching Internship

Last year, at an interstate conference workshop, a group of postgrads were going around the room, each taking turn to explain the challenges they face trying to balance their research and teaching commitments. Many felt they’d been unceremoniously thrown into sessional teaching with no indication of what was expected of them. When it came to my turn, I told them about being involved in the UWA Teaching Internship Scheme. Everyone seemed confused by the idea. “What do you mean, they pay you to go on workshops to become a better teacher?”

UWA is one of only two universities in Australia that runs this type of program, and now in its twelfth year, it’s easy to take for granted what a great opportunity it is.

Two years previous, my first experience of being a tutor wasn’t the greatest start to a career in teaching. It wasn’t my student’s blank, detached

stares that still haunt me; it was the painful quiet that would fall upon the classroom anytime I asked a question.

“So what did you guys think of the lecture?”

(Silence.)

“Did anyone get a chance to do the readings this week?”

(Nothing save a nervous cough or the sound of someone shifting uncomfortably in their seat.)

I had no idea what I was supposed to do, and after a few weeks I started to worry that my inexperience was not only hampering their ability to learn, but also sapping their will to be at university altogether.

Antony Gray

When I heard about the internship scheme the following semester, I jumped at the chance to apply. Apart from learning some useful strategies to help students to be more relaxed and engaged, one of the best things about the internship was being able to talk about teaching and learning with other sessional teachers and academics from different disciplines across the university.

Being given the chance to present two lectures during the internship was also a highlight. After getting over the initial butterflies, speaking in front of a room full of students both increased my confidence and helped me to better understand some of the conceptual foundations of my discipline,

which was of immense value to both my teaching and my research.

If you’re thinking of applying, my only advice would be to be prepared for the fact that the increased workload does present some challenges. However in hindsight, although at times it felt as though my research had come to a standstill – especially when marking exams and essays – I actually got a lot more done during my internship year than I had done the year previously. This was in part due to having to be more productive during my free time; but more importantly, the units that I chose to teach in were complementary to my research, which had some surprising ‘flow-on’ benefits (in

fact, quite by accident, some of the research I did for one of my lectures became the basis of one of my thesis chapters).

For me, the internship has been a significant step forward in my candidacy. As a result, I’ve gained a better sense of my discipline; it has encouraged me to interact more with my peers and other academic staff across the university; and most of all, it’s helped to demystify some of the challenges involved in tertiary teaching. Yes, it can be a lot of work. And yes, on occasion some classes can be uncomfortably quiet. But at the very least, as a result of the internship, I now have more than a few tricks up my sleeve.

Office of Development and Alumni Relations

Me Already a UWA graduate?If yes, then why not join other graduates in the UWA online community.

Uni

Prin

t 85

920Stay connected with alumniConnect

www.ac.uwa.edu.au

Top 10 FREE THINGS to do in Perth for Postgrads

Loiter around the CBD arts’ precinct. Not because it is a newly vibrant public space featuring museums, wetlands and free fruit from the community orchard. But because it now has free WiFi – 24/7, you don’t even have to buy a coffee (take note Starbucks.)

Attend free movie screenings. Boycott Hoyts and Event cinemas outrageous pricing and enforced wearing of ridiculous glasses. Free movies abound. Redhill Ampitheatre (www.redhill.com.au) and Perth Tango Club (www.perthtangoclub.com.au) are in on it during summer.

Julia Wells

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Attend Faculty/ Department refreshments Be it honours student presentations, a visiting speaker or a visiting company spruiking wares. Be there and be there early to swoop in on the food table. Avoid supervisors and lecturers when holding more than four items in a food-stack or concealing bottles of wine in bags.

Peruse the local classifieds. People listen closely, there are others out there giving stuff away for nothing. Try Gumtree or Quokka online classifieds. Maybe right now you don’t need that children’s kitchen playworld converted from an old entertainment unit, or maybe you just haven’t invested in a press-stud fastener or cordless angle grinder yet.

Masquerade as a charity for free bread. You read right. It’s one of those borderline areas, between the law and your own principles, like speeding. But you can literally clear a bakery at 6pm if you turn up with some garbage bags and a Red Cross name badge.

Walk-Thru Aircon. It’s a great way to cool down in the Perth heat without adding to ridiculous electricity bills. A department store or laboratory cool room works well, or a quick lap through the fridge at the nearest bottle shop.

Get your sweat on in Kings Park. An urban oasis, this grand old park has many sporty surprises. Tackle Jacob’s ladder or the DNA tower. Or if you rock up around 7 in the AM, you should be able to tag behind a corporate personal training session, try and pick a big group that hopefully has no idea who their co-workers are.

Beached Az. If Perth does one thing right, it’s a good beach. I’d tell you my favourite, but then it would be overrun with strung out postgrads.

Rock up late for free pies. Midday pie-eaters. Who needs them? Everyone knows pies need a full 12 hours of baking to achieve ultimate crispness. The best time is about 8 or 9pm when they are giving them away for free at your local deli; Canning Hwy and Henley St, Como, is one locale that always bakes more than they can sell.

PSA CONNECT! Free food, beers and wine every month. Situated at the über swanky uni club and filled with your fellow freebie-loving postgrads. We’ll only stop you when you start liberating the glassware.

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Chingri malai curry (Prawn with coconut milk) is one of the favourite dishes in eastern India and Bangladesh. Prawns are cooked in coconut milk and few easily available spices. It’s simple and takes 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and cleaning up the prawns, 20 minutes more to cook and you are going to experience one of the delicacies of the subcontinent.

Clean, de-vein and wash prawns thoroughly under running water. Drain well. Apply a little salt and turmeric powder.

Take a non stick wok and heat 2tsp oil. Then add the prawns and stir for a minute. As seafood cooks fast don’t overcook the prawns. Just wait until they turn brown. Take out prawns and keep aside.

Then add whole garam masala to the heated oil and fry for a minute and then add cumin seeds, green chilli, a bay leaf and dried red chillies into the heated pan and let it simmer. Add the grated onions and fry until light brown and add the ginger garlic paste. To this add cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and stir for 2 minutes until the aroma of the spices spreads and the oil separates.

Add the coconut milk and simmer in low heat for 5 minutes until all the ingredients mix well. Then add the prawns and the green chillies to the curry and cover with a lid. Let the whole thing come to a boil.

Remove lid and add the garam masala powder and stir to check if the prawns have softened. Cover it for some more time until the sauce thickens.

Just before taking the curry out of the stove, add ghee and the sugar to it for that extra flavour.

Serve hot with Basmati Rice.

*de-vein and wash the prawns properly. * don’t over cook the prawns. * if you don’t like to de-vein or clean the prawn……… don’t worry Woolworths, IGA, Coles have cleaned prawns ready for you.

Indranil Guha

Ingredients:

• 8 to 10 large jumbo Prawns (tiger would also do) • 1 can of coconut milk (fresh is preferred) • 1 large onion (grated) • 2 - 3 green chillies (green preferred) • Whole garam masala (2 - 3 Green

cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, cloves)• 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste• Turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt

according to your taste• ¼ Cumin seeds• 1 bay leaf• 2 dried red chillies• 3 tsp cumin powder• 3 tsp oil • 1 tsp ghee• ½ tsp garam masala powder (powdered carda-

mom, cinnamon, cloves) • ¼ tsp sugar for taste

Chingri Malai Curry


Caramel Apple DipSophia Bickford

Especially good for dipping slices of tart apples such as Granny Smith

For 1 cup of dip:

Ingredients

• 120 gram block of cream cheese at room temperature

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or more to taste)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix well & serve!

Music & Movie Review

The King’s Speech

The King’s Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George (‘Bertie’) (played by Colin Firth) reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stammer and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech

therapist named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country through war.

This is a very touching, and quite inspiring story about a man, psychologically scarred, and trapped in a situation from which he could have no escape and facing it with immense courage. The acting is superb, especially from the three principals, and the development of the troubled and sparky relationship at the heart of the film is a joy to watch. If you don’t need lots of action or special effects in your films, and enjoy seeing top-notch actors at the very peak of their craft, this will be for you. You might also gain a bit more insight into the human drama behind a significant, but relatively unexplored period of British history.

James Blake

James Blake’s self titled album is hard to define, given his musical genre has been described as dub/grime/melodramatic popular song.

It’s a fine line to walk, and his music won’t be to everyone’s taste, but there are moments of magic, in particular, radio favourites The Wilhelm Scream and Limit to Your Love. If you’re feeling experimental, give this one a whirl.

Book ReviewWord Watching Julian Burnside

There are occasions when you come across certain words on the radio, television and newspaper which appear unfamiliar but have become part of the English language in the process of cultural borrowing and change.

This book attempts to draw a curtain on

the extraordinary richness of the English language through essays that explore cultural, political, social and ideological themes.

It speaks about how the entomology of a word or phrase can be used and moulded for any purpose and tries to make sense of it through the context. If you are writing articles, a book or deal with people every day, this is a must read.

Nitin Repalle


Your Stars by the month Take my advice; I don’t use it anyway.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) You are a naturally inventive person which may often be mistaken for lying. Remember not to get caught and everything will work out for you.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) You try to give up coffee and realise that life is better for everyone if you never attempt that again.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Don’t replace your 20000 word thesis with an interpretative dance. Actions don’t always speak louder than words.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) You will second guess yourself and wonder why you decided to go back to uni to further your education. Your fears will be calmed through meditation and thoughts of all the letters that will be added to the end of your name once you graduate.

Leo (July 23 – Aug 22) You feel like you’re directionless and stumbling around in the dark this month. The situation will likely improve if you turn on a light.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sept 22) A new moon will rise under Mars which will have no bearing whatsoever on you or your life.

Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 22) At times this month, you may get up on the wrong side of the bed. Be proactive and avoid this possibility by staying in bed all month.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21) You have lots of mental power available to complete unfinished business, which is what you should be doing rather than read-ing this. Your assignment won’t finish itself.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21) Enjoy this month as it brings fun times. The rest of the year is looking pretty crappy though.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19) The widow of a political leader will offer you $3m by email. You will send the administration fee and wait patiently for their reply.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) You will find lots to keep you distracted from your studies. Remember, a procrastinator’s work is never done.

Pisces (Feb 19 – March 20) Venus and Jupiter moving through the sign will make you restless and in need of change. So you will follow your heart and decide to switch from Team Edward to Team Jacob.

Sonja Nottle

Free Banking for UWA Post-Grads

This information does not take into account your personal needs or financial circumstances and you should consider if it is appropriate for you. To decide if a product is right for you, Unicredit recommends you read our Information, Terms and Conditions brochure which is available from www.unicredit.com.au or by visiting a branch. Normal Lending Criteria applies. The University Credit Society Ltd. AFSL/ACL 244168

- Friendly service on campus - no long queues- Huge free ATM network: Redi & NAB - Visa Access - no application or ongoing fees- No hidden charges for internet transfers

Car & Home Loans - Visa Access - Term Deposits - Insurance

Graduate Car Loans

There are no transaction fees for counter service, and when you’re not on campus, you’ll have free access to one of the largest ATM network in the country: rediATM & NAB ATM

UWA Branch: upstairs Guild Building (11am-3pm)Nedlands Lending Centre: 80 Broadway (9am-4pm)Phone 9389 1011 : www.unicredit.com.au

Unicredit can get you moving faster. Vehicles up to 5 years old can be financed at a super low rate.

No establishment or ongoing fees* No early repayment penalty

PSA CALENDER OF EVENTS 20115thMay (Thur) Connect & Travel Grants due (round 1) 11th May (Wed) Quiz Night

20th May (Fri) PSA/LACE social event (dinner) 2nd June (Thur) Connect

7th July (Thur) Connect 4th Aug (Thur) Connect 15th - 19th Aug Postgraduate Careers Week 27th Aug (Fri) Convocation Research Travel Awards Due 30th Aug (Tue) Postgraduate Teaching Intership Scheme Applications Due

1st Sept (Thur) Connect 6th Oct (Thur) Connect

21st Oct (Fri) PSA Cocktail Party

3rd Nov (Thur) Connect 1st Dec (Thur) Connect

For more information, check www.pas.guild.uwa.edu.au

Connect

Documents

Postscript 2011