/ Senate
27 September 2004

international Recognition

A listing of the world’s top 500 institutions for 2004 has been released by ShanghaiJiaoTongUniversity. The ranking is based on high-level research performance by academic staff and past graduates, including such factors as the number of winners of the Nobel Prize or Field Medal for mathematics, the number of ‘high citation’ researchers whose work is referred to most by colleagues, the number of papers published in the journals Nature and Science, and a general measure of research paper citations. Their methodology has been slightly amended from 2003 and now takes some account of the size of institution and gives slightly more weighting to social sciences citations where relevant. A representative from Thomson ISI has indicated that "Top 500" is approximately equivalent to the top three per cent of all universities worldwide.

Altogether 14 Australian universities were listed - the Group of Eight universities, five of the six IRU Australia members and the University of Tasmania. Murdoch and Flinders were new entrants to the list. This provides an important demonstration, recognised in the press coverage of the report’s release, that there are two "research intensive" groupings of Australian universities.

The complete list is available at:

IRU Australia

The Executive Officer of the Innovative Research Universities Australia group, Mr Tony Sheil, spent two days at Murdoch in early August. As he indicated, the main purpose of his visit was to “immerse myself in the Murdoch ethos” in order to develop a strong affinity and familiarity with MurdochUniversity and its people, culture and facilities.

Highlights included:

  • A the tour of the SABC and veterinary school, including the animal museum and the opportunity to view an operation in progress, in the context of introducing the Division of Health Sciences;
  • Discussions on the innovative Rockingham Community Library model - one which it was considered other IRU Australia members would do well to emulate;
  • A tour and introduction to the Division of Science and Engineering;
  • An introduction to the research measures that demonstrate that Murdoch is right at the quality end of the IRU Australia group;
  • Discussions regarding commercialisation of research through MurdochLink and Murdoch Westscheme Enterprise Partnership;
  • A briefing on the University’s innovative fundraising and ‘friend raising’ so closely connected with community and regional development;
  • A tour of the media facilities and the Moot Court facility as part of an introduction to the Division of Arts;
  • A visit to the Rockingham Campus as an integral component in understanding Murdoch’s regional development model; and
  • Provision of advice on the learning and teaching principles and how the IRU Australia could best address the government’s agenda.

Mr Sheil thanked all the staff involved in his visit and commented that the other IRU Australia universities “would do well to develop an understanding as to what makes Murdoch perform so well as arguably the most student centred and research intensive member of the Group”. He said, “I came away feeling quite privileged and proud to be able to represent your University through the IRU Australia.”

Higher Education Innovation Program Success

IRU Australia has received notification that its application for funding under the Higher Education Innovation Program for a project titled "Undergraduate student mobility in Environmental Science and Management Programs in Australia: Making the best of the best" has been successful. Full funding of $194,800 has been awarded for the project, almost half of the funding is expected to be available this year which will enable the project to commence almost immediately.

At present, students can take individual subjects at institutions other than their enrolling university during their program of study. This process requires the student to identify a suitable unit of study at the desired University, make application for acceptance into the unit and then persuade their “home” University to accept such a unit for credit into their program. No structured programs currently exist to facilitate or encourage undergraduate students to undertake such cross-institutional study.

This project will establish a collaborative student exchange program in Environmental Science and Environmental Management to provide students in the third year of our respective programs with an opportunity for a richer learning experience, within the diverse Australian context. It will provide structured student mobility opportunities, improve the learning experience for students, and potentially provide for improved movement of international students into this model of student mobility. It is structured so that students will take these opportunities in the latter half of their programs of study, preferably in their final year when they are best suited to make use of research project units available at the collaborating institutions. This provides students with the opportunity to make best use of the unique research interests and areas available at each institution and will serve as a capstone experience for students. An example of how this might operate is shown in the diagram below.

The particular areas identified at Murdoch are Environmental Restoration; Environmental Technology; Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry; Health and Environment; and Marine Science.

Together with each of the partners, Murdoch has committed to providing an in-kind contribution to this project consisting of both academic and support staff time in providing input into the reviewing of existing programs, preparation of documentation for institutional approvals, advertising and web-site details, meetings and student advising.

The project was one outcome of the environmental sciences planning workshop conducted at La Trobe University in May. Other outcomes have been the applications made under the Third Pilot Project for Australia-EU Cooperation and the International Science Linkages Program. We are still waiting on the result of these submissions.

Kwinana Redevelopment Project

The Kwinana Redevelopment Project is a $29.3 million investment by the Department of Education and Training to rejuvenate education in the Kwinana community. The funding will see the development of a purpose built middle school for Year 7-9 and a Year 10 -12 senior campus. The senior campus will be developed as part of an integrated learning community with the involvement of Challenger TAFE, MurdochUniversity, the Town of Kwinana and the Kwinana Industries Council. This will provide an extensive range of opportunities for the youth of the region.

An additional commitment of $5 million dollars has been allocated from the training budget for Challenger TAFE to build a specialist Automotive Technology centre co-located within the educational precinct. The Town of Kwinana has identified the project as an opportunity to rejuvenate its town centre to incorporate the concept of the learning community.

In a ceremony on 15th September 2004 officiated by the Minister for Education and Training, the Hon Alan Carpenter MLA, the partners in the project signed a Memorandum of Understanding. A copy of the MoU is attached and indicates the depth of the joint commitment to enhancing learning opportunities for the youth and wider community of Kwinana.

Murdoch University Foundation

Theology Campaign

The Murdoch University Foundation is the focus for a Theology Campaign which aims to raise $750,000 as an endowment to fund an annual international visiting scholar to work in the School of Theology at Murdoch and within the Christian communities in Perth for a month.

Archbishop Dr Peter Carnley has agreed to be one of the Patrons of this campaign. He is currently engaging Patrons to represent the Catholic and Uniting groups.

The active part of the campaign will run for the next 18 months through to the end of 2005. The planning stage is now underway, with the Strategy Committee meeting weekly. The Appeals Planning Committee is scheduled to meet for the first time in the week commencing 21st September 2004, with representation from the three groups.

Archbishop Carnley will deliver a one-off public lecture to celebrate his new link with the University, both as Patron and Adjunct Professor, on Thursday, 21st October 2004.

MurdochUniversity Association

Earlier this year, Senate considered a proposal to initiate a new organisation with an aim to maintain connections to key stakeholders who may have left the University or lost contact. The proposal recommended the development of an informal structure with membership by invitation to particular groups including:

  • Emeritus Professors and Emeritus Associate Professors
  • Past lay Senate members
  • people who have been awarded an Honorary Degree by the University

Senate was supportive of the proposal at the time and the organisation has now progressed under the leadership of Emeritus Professor Don Smart with assistance from the Office of Development and the Office of Corporate and Public Affairs.

The planning group has recommended that the organisation be named the Murdoch University Banksia Association to maximise the connection with the University's brand. A launch for the Association is planned in November and promotional materials and a strategy to link to the University's 30th Anniversary are also being developed.

Integrated Agricultural Research Institute

Discussions regarding the establishment of an Integrated Agricultural Research Institute continue. The State Cabinet is set to consider its fundamental issue of whether or not to move forward with the Institute in the near future.

Members of the Department of Agriculture’s Corporate Executive visited Murdoch on 16th August 2004 for a tour of the research facilities in the VeterinarySchool and SABC. The group were impressed with the facilities and Murdoch’s research capability.

A delegation representing stakeholders of the Integrated Agricultural Research Institute travelled to Canberra for meetings with various government agencies and government representatives, including DEST, ARC, CSIRO, the Science Adviser to the Minister for Education and the Chairs of the Rural Industries R&D Corporations. The delegation comprised Dr Wally Cox (Chairman of the Institute Steering Committee), Ian Longson (A/Director General, Department of Agriculture), Professor Alistar Robertson (Dean, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UWA), Rob Delane (A/Executive Director Policy & Business Services, Department of Agriculture) and me.

There was general support federally for the development of a cooperative Institute that would be able to draw together inherent links across discipline areas in a manner that seeks the best outcome for agricultural research.

In the event that the State Government proceeds with the Institute, Murdoch would need to make space available for the co-location of facilities. This may include expansion of the State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Animal Health Laboratories and other research infrastructure, and an administration building. Where appropriate, we would take the opportunity to expand the University’s own research infrastructure during any capital works. The University would also enter a MOU where agriculturally focussed research and research applications are managed through the Integrated Agricultural Research Institute.

awards and achievements

  • Professor Geoffrey Roy has been appointed by the Curriculum Council to the Assessment, Review and Moderation Panel of the Engineering Studies course of study. These panels are a key feature of the post-compulsory education system and are responsible for ensuring that school-managed and external assessment are closely aligned and that teachers and examiners are supported in making judgements and reporting the achievement levels of students.
  • The Centre for Learning, Change and Development (CLCD) was awarded the tender for a $315,000 project to undertake the National Review of School Music Education. The Centre will lead a team including the Universities of WA, Sydney and Queensland to investigate the quality and status of music education in schools and how to improve both for the benefit of all students. The review will identify the current quality of teaching and learning, factors that affect the quality and status of teaching, and examples of best practice of teaching and learning of music in Australian schools. Murdoch will host a website providing information on the progress of the review.
  • Zoe Corbyn, a first class honours Science graduate, has been awarded the British Government’s top Australian scholarship for 2004, the British Chevening Scholarship - Zelman Cowen Scholar, to enable her to undertake a MSc Science Communication at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London. The Chevenings are run in Australia by the British High Commission and managed by the British Council. They provide tuition and other fees for up to 12 months’ formal study for a postgraduate qualification or research at a university or similar institution in Britain, a maintenance allowance and a return airfare between Australia and Britain.
  • Living Smart, developed through a collaborative partnership with The Meeting Place Community Centre, City of Fremantle, the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council and Murdoch, has been awarded the 2004 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes in the category of Department of Environment and Conservation Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Sustainability Education. The Living Smart program is an innovative and comprehensive community education program that aims to provide participants with environmental education and skills to improve the sustainability of their lifestyles in the context of their home and their neighbourhood. The $10,000 prize will be used to further develop the program for the benefit of all the community.
  • The Waikiki Primary School Numeracy Project was launched on 1st September 2004. Education researchers Karen Murcia and Beth Powell from the Centre for Learning Change and Development worked with teachers to tailor programs that can be used to improve numeracy in children from Kindergarten to Year 7. A significant outcome of the project has been that both teachers and researchers have seen how the way mathematics is taught affects children's opportunities to use their mathematical knowledge in situations outside of the mathematics lesson. A whole curriculum approach to numeracy education helps to detect children with below-average numeracy skills at earlier stages. The project was part of the Federal Government's Innovative Literacy and Numeracy Initiative.

Notable Events

  • The online refereed journal Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context has reached an important milestone with the publication of its tenth edition. This special issue is guest-edited by Lyn Parker from the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Western Australia, and is entitled 'Women's Stories from Indonesia'. It can be visited at: Editors, Carolyn Brewer and Anne Marie Medcalf, are congratulated on their stewardship of the publication.
  • On 16th August 2004 Dr Ian Godfrey presented a lecture entitled: ‘Shipwrecks, Antarctica & Chemistry?’ at Murdoch’s Rockingham Campus on behalf of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and in association with Murdoch and Nufarm. This was part of the Bayliss Youth Lecture Series, established to pay tribute to the late Emeritus Professor Sir Noel Bayliss for his contribution to chemistry and education and his lifelong commitment to encouraging young people to take an interest in chemistry.
  • On 31st August 2004, George Negus presented a lecture titled: "Politics, Terrorism and the Law” in which he discussed the present political environment and surrounding legal issues. The event was organised by the Murdoch Student Law Society and the Murdoch Guild of Students, with sponsorship from Minter Ellison Lawyers.
  • Professor Kateryna Longley was a guest speaker at the LunchBox Lunch Seminar Series run by The West Australian on 31st August 2004. Other speakers were Professor Fiona Wood, plastic surgeon and director of RPH Burns Unit, and Katie Stewart, exercise physiologist and proprietor of The Beach Lifestyle Club in Cottesloe. Murdoch is a sponsor of these events and Murdoch Alumni get a discount on tickets.
  • Professor Stelbovics represented Murdoch at the Department of Agriculture’s Celebration of Innovation and Science held on 30th August 2004. The event was hosted by the Hon Kim Chance, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and A/Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Ian Longson, and attended by industry, research and university representatives.
  • I attended the first meeting of the Business/Industry/Higher Education Collaboration Council (BIHECC) held on 13th August 2004. The Council agreed to a future work plan based on five key topics: Intellectual property and knowledge exchange networks; the Higher Education-VET interface; skills mapping at a broad national level; the tax system and donations/endowment; and expanding income and capabilities for R&D investment in Australia. Other areas for consideration by the Council included guidelines for the Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund and promotion of the Graduate Skills Assessment (GSA) to employers.
  • The first meeting of the AVCC Quality Working Party was held on 10th September 2004. The Working Party has been convened by the Board of Directors to consider the quality review processes in Australian universities and the future direction for ensuring public confidence in the maintenance of quality within universities.
  • The Mayor of the City of Rockingham hosted a Mayoral Lunch on 26th August 2004 at which Professor Stelbovics represented Murdoch. The theme of the meeting was ‘Working in Partnership’ and other attendees included business and industry representatives and the City’s partnership with Murdoch through the Chair in Education was highlighted.

RECOMMENDATION

1.MurdochUniversity Veterinary Trust

The Board of the Murdoch University Veterinary Trust wishes to invite Professor John Edwards, Dean of the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, to become a Trustee. He has agreed to accept a three year term.

I recommend that Senate approve the appointment of Professor John Edwards as a Trustee of the Murdoch University Veterinary Trust.

Vice Chancellor’s Report to Senate1