Over the next couple of weeks we will be profiling the winners of the Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumni Awards. Stay tuned for the rest in our Meet the Winners series.
Thanuj Goonewardena is thrilled to have been named Griffith Business School’s Outstanding International Alumnus of the Year for 2018. An industry leader in the tourism sector, Thanuj says this recognition of his work is truly humbling. “I am honoured that Griffith has recognized my endeavour towards humanity, hospitality and design. The Alumni Award is a reassurance of my commitment to create a path for people to do what they do better, and live happier lives.”
Thanuj has 29 years’ experience in hospitality, planning, design, and construction of hotels. Before studying with GBS he was literally packing his bags to continue his education in Salzburg when a friend of the family convinced his parents that Griffith University on the Gold Coast was the best choice for him. Having just completed a five-year work-study diploma at the Sri Lanka Hotel and Tourism School at the time, Thanuj says he was looking for a well-rounded learning experience.
“Coming from a small island nation – Sri lanka almost the size of Tasmania – I found that Griffith was my stepping stone to the world,” he says. Since graduating from Griffith Business School, he has moved from working in various hotels to building and launching hotels as well. In that time his career has been full of rewarding and remarkable highlights. These included working as a volunteer for post-tsunami affected families in 2004-2005, establishing a hospitality school in Myanmar during the military regime in 2006, representing Sri Lanka as a young ambassador to Brazil in 2000, and being named Sri Lanka’s Young entrepreneur of the Year in 2009 to name a few.
The entrepreneur says he originally came to Griffith to study hospitality, but decided to add art and sculpture into the mix which led to an affinity for design. Using these new skills, he further expanded his hotel creation and management skills.
Mid-career Thanuj got the sad news that his mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, leading him to move to Colombo to be with her. It was here that he really put his design skills to good use, remodeling their simple home into a boutique hotel that showcased his style and flair for aesthetics.
Now in remission, his mother runs the hotel, 55TG Boutique Suites, while Thanuj has created almost 23 boutique hotels in Sri Lanka.
He credits a lot of his success to the university that saw his talents flourish and thrive. “Being at Griffith gave me the opportunity to work for Sheraton Mirage Gold Coast and Travelodge, during which time I gained much needed industry experience at the same time as completing my studies. This laid the strong foundations for me to face the future.”
He continues: “During my time at Griffith, I was not just bombarded with industry knowledge, but was groomed to be an individual equipped with enthusiasm, interpersonal skills, creativity, empathy, networking skills, communicating skills and social intelligence.”
He says the personalized nature of the university was one reason why he thinks they provide a world-class education. “Friendly and caring lecturers and tutors guided me through my days at Griffith,” he explains.
“The University enhanced my emotional intelligence and boosted my confidence, helping me realise that my success was just waiting to be unleashed.”
Thanuj says he would definitely recommend Griffith Business School, and indeed the university as a whole to anyone considering further education. “Griffith in my experience is not just an institute where students are imparted with knowledge, but a place where young individuals are nurtured and transformed into well-rounded human beings. Students of GBS have the confidence and leadership skills to take on any challenge that comes their way.
“I am what I am today thanks to Griffith,” he says.
By Dr Lyndal Sleep
Research Fellow
Law Futures Centre
If you are in an abusive situation or know someone who is, call 1800 RESPECT. If it is an emergency call 000. You can also call lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Safe Futures Foundation.
Access to social security resources is vital to many women who are attempting to be free of an abusive relationship. However, currently, the couple rule in social security law ties women’s access to social security payment to the income and assets of their perpetrator.
The couple rule is used to determine if a social security applicant is separated and/ or single or a member of a couple. If considered a member of a couple, her and her perpetrator’s income and assets are assessed jointly. This may lead to denying payment or, if deciding that she has not declared her relationship, could result in an overpayment debt and/or criminal prosecution for social security fraud.
In applying this rule, domestic violence is rarely treated as an exception. Instead, evidence of domestic violence has been interpreted as evidence for a relationship. Easteal and Emerson-Elliott (2009) observe that the current application of the ‘couple rule’ in Australian social security does not consider contemporary understanding of the realities of domestic violence. For example, it has been found that women tend to make multiple attempts to leave an abusive relationship as part of the complexity of power and control integral to the cycle of domestic violence and abuse (see Domestic Violence Prevention Centre Gold Coast 2015). However, in deciding if a woman was still a member of a couple for social security decision-making purposes, the reality that women tend to make multiple attempts to leave an abusive relationship is rarely considered in the ‘couple rule’. Instead, returning to the relationship has been used as evidence of a continuing commitment. For example, in AAT Matter No 2011/213, the decision-maker decided that Audrey (not her real name) was in a continual relationship with her perpetrator despite accepting that the relationship had now ended and ‘that at various times throughout the subject period Audrey sought unsuccessfully to bring the relationship to an end’ (AAT Matter No 2011/213 [61]).
Here, the relationship was not considered over until the victim did not return to the relationship. This means that Audrey was asked to repay the social security payment she received while attempting to end the relationship — a time when social security financial support, as she attempted to raise her many children independently, would have been crucial (Royal Commission into Family Violence, 2015). It is unlikely that Audrey would have been able to eventually leave the violent relationship without this timely financial support. Although Audrey’s debt was eventually waived, she needed to take her situation through to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for this to occur. This caused additional stress and risks re-traumatisation of her and her children as her past relationship is assessed in detail to remake the decision.
This reveals serious concerns about the application of the couple rule and the social security appeals process in the context of domestic violence. The current application of the couple rule financially entraps victims in a violent relationship and the appeals process risks re- traumatising the victim/survivor and her children. Further, the rule has been used by perpetrators to further intimidate their victims/survivors by threatening to separate them from their children though imprisonment for social security fraud.
This is in contrast to New Zealand’s similar ‘de-facto rule’, where violence can be interpreted as an indicator of no relationship.
The application of the ‘couple rule’ in the context of domestic violence needs immediate review and reform. So too does the social security appeals process in the context of domestic violence. Without change, Australia’s dual income means-tested social security apparatus is at risk of unintentionally colluding with perpetrators of domestic violence by effectively entrapping and re-traumatising victims/survivors of violent relationships who have turned to it for support.
References
AAT Matter No 2011/213
Domestic Violence Prevention Centre Gold Coast, (2015). The Purple Book, Domestic Violence. Gold Coast: Domestic Violence Prevention Centre Gold Coast
Easteal, P., and Emerson-Elliott, D. (2009). Domestic Violence and Marriage-Like Relationships: Social Security Law at the Crossroads. Alternative Law Journal, 34(3), pp 173.
Royal Commission into Family Violence, Neave, M., Faulkner, P., and Nicholson, T. Royal Commission into Family Violence (2016). [Melbourne]: Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
Acknowledgement
This blog draws from a recently accepted article – L. Sleep (2018) “Entrapment and institutional collusion: domestic violence police reports and the ‘couple rule’ in social security law” Alternative Law Journal – and also the ANROWS funded research project Domestic violence, social security law and the couple rule.
A trio of Griffith University students will represent Australia at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria during the coming week.
Maddie Edmunds, Molly Goodman and Georgie Gotch are among more than 900 athletes from 62 nations who will be competing for world champion status from Sunday in 14 Olympic, six international and nine para-rowing boat classes.
Bachelor of Business student, Maddie Edmunds, will race the Women’s Single Scull. The Brisbane native is a five-time national champion and competed in Rio at the 2016 Olympics.
Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice student, Molly Goodman, will compete with the Australian Women’s Four. Molly was part of the Women’s Eight which was handed belated qualification for Rio in 2016 after Russia was ejected from the Games. She had been on holiday in Doha and Thailand when the unexpected call came.
Bachelor of Business student, Georgie Gotch, was also part of that squad, travelling to Rio in reserve. She goes to Bulgaria next week with Australia’s Women’s Eight squad, a return to the country where she won silver in the women’s quad at the Under 23 World Championships.
Olympic gold medal rower and Director, Griffith Sports College, Duncan Free, congratulated the three Griffith representatives.
“Rowing is a demanding sport. The commitment required to compete on a world stage is phenomenal,” he said. “If you factor in their focus on progressing their studies at the same time, it’s a considerable achievement for all three to be in Bulgaria this week.
“The Griffith Sports College is in regular contact with Maddie, Molly and Georgie to ensure they are suitably supported from an academic point of view while they work towards also representing their country at the highest level.”
The 2108 World Rowing Championships run from September 9-16.
Griffith University has cemented its partnership with iconic Gold Coast theme park Sea World with the opening of the Sea Jellies Illuminated exhibit.
Sea Jellies Illuminated gives Sea World visitors the chance to get up close to a range of different sea jelly species in an array of eye-catching ‘illuminated’displays while learning more about these amazing aquatic animals.
Theexhibit incorporates a working research laboratorywhich will allow visitorsto view Griffith students undertaking research into the fascinatingunderwaterworld of sea jellies.
Associate Professor Kylie Pitt in the Sea Jellies Illuminated research lab at Sea World.
Griffith University Head of Marine Science Associate Professor Kylie Pitt said it was extremely excited to partner with Sea World for the opening of Sea Jellies Illuminated.
“The new Griffith Sea Jellies Research Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility, which places Griffith University at the forefront of jellyfish research internationally,” she said.
“The laboratory provides an amazing opportunity for the public to see research being done and to gain greater understanding of what scientists do, why research is important and how research benefits the environment and society.”
Sea World’s Trevor Long said sea jellies rank among the most fascinating creatures of the sea and he is extremely proud to open this world-class exhibit with Griffith University.
“Sea Jellies Illuminated is a visually impressive exhibit but importantly it also provides greater public awareness and education about a varying species of jellies, which are often misunderstood,” he said.
The illuminated displays house a range of sea jelly species.
“Guests can now get an up-close look at and be able to learn about a variety of local Australian species such as the Blue Blubber (Catostylussp.), the Moon jelly
(Aureliaaurita), Upside Down jellies (Cassiopeasp.) and many more in illuminated displays.
“In addition to the exhibit Griffith University have a working researchcentreon the top-floor of the exhibit which will allow scientists to learn more about the species.
“There is also Surf Life Saving Queensland information within the exhibit to educate guests about symptoms of stings and what to do if stung while using the marine environment.”
Dean and Head of the School of Education and Professional Studies Professor Donna Pendergast has been awarded the 2018 Miller-Grassie Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education.
Professor Pendergast was presented with the award at the Australian Council for Education Leaders’ annual executive reception last week (August 29).
In her oration Professor Pendergast emphasised collaboration, creativity and change as keywords that reflect current educational leadership in the 21st century.
“What skills do our students need for the future and for their future employment prospects and how do we do the work that is needed as leaders to achieve this?” she asked.
Citing a 2017 study The New Work Mindset — 7 new job clusters to help young people navigate the new work order- she said the demand for digital skills had increased 212% over three years, while critical thinking skills were up 65% and presentation skills 25%.
“The study highlights a change to our future workforce with artificial intelligence and automation reshaping the world of work in dramatic ways,’’ she said.
“It is evident that change features now and into the future and schools are the powerhouses of learning, incubators for social transformation and where we get our first glimpse of generational trends, patterns and behaviours.
“Schools are where we shape the future of our community, where we witness the emergence of our future athletes and academics, leaders and everyday people who collectively form our community.”
Educational leadership must also be a creative and collaborative enterprise.
“Leaders must ask questions, make connections, imagine what might be, explore options and reflect critically. They must constantly ask ‘what if’?. They must also be willing to ‘unlearn’ and to enable others to unlearn.
“Nurturing emotional intelligence capabilities is essential to harness the power of collaboration.
“We need leadership to enable the kind of reform that is beyond political cycles, is transformative and evidence based, not based on tradition, routine or anecdotally constructed.”
But most importantly, she said, “We need leadership to see this leadership in classrooms, where everyone is a pedagogical leader, a creator, a change agent and a collaborator.
“We also need leaders who are proactive, not reactive and have a sense of the legacy they will leave long after their leadership journey is over.”
The annual Miller-Grassie address and President’s Citation acknowledges and perpetuates the memory of the life and work of pioneering educational leaders,Dr Laurie Miller and Associate Professor MacCrae Grassie.
By Phoebe Maher
Griffith student and 2018 Wallaroos squad member Kiri Lingman returns to the 12-strong university squad that travels to Canberra for Round 2 of the AON Women’s Rugby Uni 7s this weekend.
Kiri completed a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning at Griffith in 2016, before promptly returning to her alma mater to turn her studies in a new direction. She says her current academic endeavours were sparked by her onfield passion.
“After some media commitments with the Wallaroos I decided I wanted to pursue a media related career. I’m much better suited behind a camera than in front of it,” she says.
“At the end of 2016 I sustained an injury that led me to focus on life after rugby, and after talking with Naomi McCarthy (Manager of Griffith Sports College) I was offered a Sports Scholarship at Griffith and chose to return to study a Bachelor of Public Relations and Communications.”
Photo: Rugby.com.au
Kiri (left) also noted that whilst at times challenging, balancing rugby and her study has been quite enjoyable. “It’s been difficult at times, but I’ve had a lot of support from tutors and the Griffith Sports College. It was a bit easier once I got into a routine with my training, games and study.”
After missing Round 1 due to Wallaroos tour commitments, Kiri will step into the role of captain as the Griffith squad aims to improve on their third place performance in Hobart.
“I was so excited to watch the girls in the first round of the competition, but it was even more exciting knowing that I was coming back to join them,” she said.
The Griffith squad will travel to Canberra on the weekend where they will face University of Tasmania, Macquarie University, University of Melbourne and University of Adelaide before hopefully securing another finals berth.
“We’ve got a really talented squad and I know that we are capable of going above and beyond our Round 1 performance.”
The squad, including six current students, that will line up for Griffith in Round 2 is: Lilly Dick (Business), Charlotte Kennington, Kiri Lingman (Public Relations and Communication), Samantha Treherne, Laura Waldie (Oral Health Dental Science), Georgie Frederichs (Business), Ivania Wong, Kirby Sefo, Eliza Flynn (Sport Development), Sophie Bell, Sophie Quirk (Exercise Science), Yolanda Gittins.
Do you have what it takes to be crowned the 2018GovHackwinner?
Coders, designers, story tellers, activists, analysts and more are invited to put their technical and creative skills to good use whenGriffithUniversity’s Gold Coast campus hosts this year’s national open data hackathon competition.
Hosted in partnership with the City of Gold Coast,GovHackaims to inspire community members to develop ways to highlight the value of data by using publicly accessible data to improve or facilitatean appor program that’s needed in society.
Teamsof contestantswork together over 46 hours to explore, mash upand communicate concepts using open Government data. They will need to create a project page, proof of concept and a video that tells the story of their innovative application of open Government data.
Last year’sGovHackwas held across 40 locations with 3000 competitors. Among the finalists was an app in which users could ask GC2018 mascotBorobiwhat to do while visiting the Gold Coast.
Some past contestants have gone on tocommercialisetheir projectsand valuable skills and experience acquired atGovHackcan be taken back to the workplace.
Griffith lecturer DrJolonFaichneyfrom the School of Information Technology, who is also Director ofthe AppFactory, saidGovHackwas a great experience to meet and work with other people overaweekend to build a project thatcanhelpsociety.
“Participants will stretch their skills and abilities in brainstorming ideas, forming proof of concepts, and providing a convincing presentation,” he said.
“The weekend is a great team building experience and those who have participated before often come back to participate, volunteer, or mentor again.”
The competition runs across three days from September 7-9 and is open to all ages and walks of life.
Catering:
Fully catered event (free for participants and volunteers).
Griffith University’s Hopkins Centrehas launched a film about theSinging Cordsprogram to raise awareness of the benefits of singing and peer-led engagement.
International singer Tim McCallum shares his beliefs on the medical abilities that singing provides and its benefit for people witha spinal cord injury throughhissinging program,Singing Cords.
Tim McCallum was involved in a diving accident as a young man,leaving him with lifelong disabilitiesand the chance that he would never be able to sing again.
Defying the odds, McCallum can be seen singing in hisSinging Cordsinitiative thatassists people living with a spinal cord injury, showcasing the group meeting and singing whilst creating awareness of the programs and the benefits that singing has.
Researchers at theHopkins Centreare working with those involved in the Singing Cords program to look at the medical benefits in enhanced breathing, voice and wellbeing for people with a spinal cord injury.
The signing cords project is a peer led program by The Hopkins Centre, which isa joint Initiative of the Division of Rehabilitation, Metro South Health and Menzies Health InstituteQueensland, Griffith University.
Professor Brydie-Leigh Bartleet (Director, Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University) has been awarded a highly-competitive Arts for GoodFellowshipby the Singapore International Foundation.
The Arts for Good Fellowship scheme is designed to grow the Arts for Good ecosystem, by fostering a community of practice that harnesses the power of arts and culture to create positive social change in this world.
The fellowship brings together leading professionals from the arts and social sectors in a dynamic program that includes residencies in both Singapore and Chennai, India. Applications were received from hundreds of artists, policy makers, arts executives and educators worldwide.
Professor Bartleetis a leading researcher and educator committed to championing arts for social change. Over the past decade, she has collaborated with prominent NGOs and arts organizations on projects that explore the role of the arts in social justice, regional development, intercultural reconciliation, health equity and criminal justice.
Professor Bartleet says, “This fellowship presents an amazing networking and knowledge-sharing opportunity to connect with fellow artists, educators, managers, policy makers and researchers working for social change in the Asia Pacific.”
“I believe the arts can change the world!” says Professor Bartleet. “The arts are an ever-present part of our lives. No culture has ever lived without the arts. Throughout time the arts have always been in flux, changing in response to the world and in turn changing the world. With a phenomenon that pervasive, I believe the arts have the potential to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.”
“Many of the projects the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre has led over the past 15 years have looked at innovative ways of harnessing the arts for social justice, social inclusion, social engagement, and social change,” says Professor Bartleet. “This fellowship will provide a unique opportunity to expand and deepen that work. I’m particularly excited about the residencies in Singapore and Chennai where we’ll have a chance to learn from other fellows working in the arts and social sectors across the Asia Pacific, and undertake visits and workshops with leading arts and social innovation initiatives.”
Think you’re doing the right thing by throwing your coffee cup in the recycling bin?
Think again.
A campaign by Griffith University is underway to help spread the word that the majority of ‘recycled’ coffee cups end up in landfill.
The liquid-proof lining in the cups prohibits them from being recycled along with the usual everyday recyclables, as the lining prevents the paperfibresfrom separating quickly enough from the polyethylene liner for them to be recovered in the recycling process.
The coffee cup collection tubes are installed across all Griffith University campuses.
Every year Australians dispose of over a billion coffee cups. To help reduce the number of these cups going into landfill, Griffith is taking a successful pilotCoffee Cup Recycling Programrun by theGriffith Centre for Sustainable Enterpriselast year and deploying it across all five university campuses.
The initiative has been made possible by a collaboration betweenGriffith Business Schooland Campus Life.
At the beginning of August, all campuses had ‘cup rescue collection tubes’ permanently installed next to bins, where coffee drinkers could ‘flip, tip and slip’ their coffee cups — flip the plastic lid into the recycling bin, tip out the content, and slip the cup into the collection tube.
Griffith has partnered with Closed Loop andtheirSimply Cupsinitiative, which can take 4-6 disposable cups and turn them into one reusable cup.
Griffith Business School Sustainability Officer Vanessa Taveras Dalmau said the collected cups on campus would be on display in a largeperspexbox as part of theWar On Coffee Cupsdisplay every day ofGriffith’sSustainability Week, September 3-7, demonstrating just how many cups we dispose of when grabbing a takeaway coffee.
“Last year the pilot project we ran collected 2300 cups, but the box fits about 4000 cups and we’re hoping for it to be a tight squeeze this year for them,” she said.
“People were really excited to use it to save their cups from landfill.
“Here in the Griffith Business School one of our values is responsible leadership and commitment to sustainable practices. We came across this idea being usedelsewhereand it falls in line with our own projects, and it’s been great to see people get on board with it.”
MsTaveras Dalmau and her project colleague Rachel Perkins will offer a free reusable cup to visitors who score well in an on-the-spot mini quiz at the WarOnCoffee Cups display every day of Sustainability Week 2018, September 3-7, at Griffith’s Nathan campus, Campus Heart, 12-2pm.
International singer Tim McCallum shares his beliefs on the medical abilities that singing provides and its benefit for people witha spinal cord injury throughhissinging program,Singing Cords.