Dr Ki-Hoon Lee from the Griffith Asia Institute and the Department of International Business and Asian Studies has been awarded a grant for his upcoming project “Developing Indonesian Business Leaders’ Capabilities through Sustainability Management”.
“Since the impact of sustainability on business and society can be enormous in short- and long-term, it is important to shift the sustainability skill and knowledge to current and future managers and leaders.” Said Dr Lee.
“However, the impact of sustainability in business practice has been inconsistent due to socio-cultural differences and the complexity of organizational and institutional changes. A poor understanding about what constitutes sustainability practices and an initiatives obviously leads to low levels of business sustainability implementation.”
The project aims to identify and recognize the differences and complexities of sustainability integration within Indonesian business organisations.
“In particular, we want to investigate the roles of management education and training for integrating sustainability into Indonesian business organisations. We hope that by achieving a better understanding of how to integrate sustainability practices it will lead to an increase in the capability of Indonesian business leaders”
The project will be completed in collaboration with Dr Abas Supeli who completed his PhD through the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University.
The research duo received the grant of $11,000 from Hartono Istana Teknologi in Indonesia. The company, who also goes by the name Polytron, is the largest manufacturer of electronics in Indonesia and is an award-winning market leader. The grant comes from the organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibility research program; a program set up to invest in high-quality education programs and build ‘human capital’ within Indonesia.
Griffith University was honoured to host a visit by the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine on Friday 5 June 2015 at the Gold Coast campus. The ongoing collaboration has been centred on pathology and cancer research, with Professor Alfred Lam, Head of Pathology, Griffith School of Medicine, having already actively cooperated with Professor Hironobu Sasano, Head of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine (TUGSM), for the past decade.
Founded in 1907, Tohoku University is considered one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, and is ranked among the top universities in the Asia-Pacific region. Griffith University has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Graduate School of Medicine which formalises collaboration in the areas of research, as well as academic and student exchange.
During the visit, delegates were given a tour of the new $150 million purpose-built Griffith Health Centre, co-located with the new Gold Coast Hospital. The delegates were particularly impressed with the Histology / Pathology laboratory museum which houses a large collection of pathological specimens with individual pathology information sheets.
Tohoku University is a valued partner for Griffith, with multifaceted collaborations also extending to the Graduate School of Engineering.
With the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games looming in 2018, a key concern for athletes will be how to prevent illness from interfering with their training and performance.
This is the focus of new research at Griffith University. Partnering with the Australian Institute of Sport to examine the effects of exercise on the immune system in order to help athletes compete at their best, the research team say that illness during competition can destroy years of effort and dedication.
“On average, highly trained athletes spend 8 to 12 years training to compete at their best,” says Professor David Pyne from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland (MHIQ).
“Given the time, effort and financial considerations made by athletes, their coaches and support staff, there is a need to find ways to keep athletes healthy during heavy training, travel and competition.”
Susceptibility to illness
Professor Allan Cripps, a leading immunology researcher at MHIQ has worked with Professor Pyne and Dr Nic West in a bid to understand why athletes seem prone to illness during heavy training and competition.
“There is evidence that endurance exercise compromises immune function and increases illness in some athletes,” says Dr West. “Intensive exercise, particularly endurance exercise, such as triathlon, long distance swimming and ironman events, can be associated with exercise-induced immune suppression where the number and function of immune cells is decreased and their ability to respond to challenge is lowered.”
For the current study the research team is seeking highly trained male triathletes and iron men between the ages of 18-35 years who undertake 12 hours or more exercise per week.
Athletes will have their immune, gut microbiota and metabolic systems profiled and compared with non-athletes.
A significant benefit of the study is that participants will receive information regarding the status of their own immune function that can be used to tailor individual training programs.
The study is taking place at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus. For further information please contact Dr Nic West at [email protected]
“We hope that participation and knowledge gained from this study will help elite and non-elite athletes to attain their performance goals,” says Professor Pyne.
by Gayle Murray, Manager, International Relations (Griffith International)
A project combining ancient Chinese medicines with world-leading modern research and technology has culminated in a prestigious award for Griffith University’sEskitis Institute for Drug Discovery.
Eskitis and its partner organisation, the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica-Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIMM), has received a Queensland-Chinese Academy of Sciences (Q-CAS) Collaborative Science Fund award totalling $250,000, jointly funded with the Queensland Government.
State Minister for Science and Innovation, The Honourable Leeanne Enoch MP, presented the award to the Director of the Eskitis Institute, Professor Ronald Quinn AM, during an event held at Brisbane’s Ecosciences Precinct to celebrate the Queensland-China Science Relationship.
The project,Ancient knowledge, modern methods, combines the accumulated knowledge of thousands of years of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) with the latest drug discovery techniques housed at Eskitis.
Parkinson’s disease is one of the neurodegenerative conditions the Eskitis Institute is targeting in this project. By analysing and testing TCM, it is hoped to accelerate their acceptance by Western regulatory agencies.
Project leaders include Professor Quinn, Dr Yun Feng (Eskitis) and SIMM’s Deputy Director-General, Professor Yang Ye.
“We are pleased to receive the award with SIMM for the TCM project, which has the potential to benefit patients worldwide, deliver TCM to the western world and bolster both Queensland’s relationship with China and its reputation as a world leader in drug discovery,” said Griffith’s Pro Vice Chancellor (Sciences) Professor Debra Henly.
The Brisbane event was held in honour of Professor Huang Jing, Director-General of the China National Centre for Biotechnology Development (CNCBD), which operates within the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Consul-General of China in Brisbane, Dr Zhao Yongchen, attended along with university executives, research leaders, government representatives and guests.
Professor Huang and the CNCBD delegation were in Queensland to explore new science collaborations between China and Queensland. They also visited Griffith’s Gold Coast campus to meet with researchers and were welcomed by Pro Vice Chancellor (International) Professor Sarah Todd.
The CNCBD is in charge of strategic research and policy analysis, planning and management of national science and technology programs, promoting industrialisation and facilitating international exchange for China’s biotechnology development.
While on the Gold Coast, the delegation viewed presentations on the Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery and the Institute for Glycomics.
The major challenges facing educators and the community will be explored at the inaugural Queensland Numeracy Summit at the Pullman Hotel, Brisbane on Tuesday, June 16.
Supported by Griffith University’s School of Education and Professional Studies, the Queensland College of Teachers and the Queensland Deans of Education Forum, the summit will discuss ways to equip teachers with numerate practices in 21st Century classrooms.
Griffith University Education Dean, Professor Donna Pendergast said numeracy was not to be confused with mathematics.
“It’s an essential life skill that cuts across all disciplines — music, arts, science, health and education,’’ she said.
“We wantall students to have the confidence to deal with mathematical concepts in everyday situations, whether it’s planning a budget, or just working out a mobile phone plan.”
Emceed by media personality, Adam Spencer, the summit follows the Queensland College of Teachers Numeracy Forum held the day prior. Outcomes from the forum will be discussed at the summit.
“The summit will identify proactive strategies, construct a shared philosophy and develop strategies to enhance student outcomes,’’ Professor Pendergast said.
“Working with the Queensland Deans of Education Forum and the Queensland College of Teachers, we want numeracy to be incorporated across all our initial teacher education and postgraduate education courses.”
Summit speakers include:
Lauren Stephenson — Director, Office of the Queensland Chief Scientist: “The Importance of numeracy education for Queensland STEM industries”.
Dr Stefan Hajkowicz — Principal scientist and Leader of CSIRO Futures: “Global Megatrends and the Educational and Skills Requirements of Tomorrow’s Digitally Enabled Knowledge Economy”.
Professor Merrilyn Goos — Head of the School of Education at the University of Queensland: “Conceptualising and Enacting Numeracy Across the Curriculum”.
Ms Deanne Commins — Executive Manager, Professional Standards, Queensland College of Teachers: “Overview of key outcomes from the Queensland College of Teachers Forum”.
Professor Tom Lowrie — Professor of Mathematics, University of Canberra: “What is the evidence-based numeracy research telling us?”
WHAT: Queensland Numeracy Summit
WHEN: Tuesday, June 16, 9am-4pm
WHERE: The Pullman Hotel, King George Square, Brisbane.
Marketing professional Brooke Santurini secured the role of Brand Manager with the Gold Coast Suns within five years ofcompleting a double major in business management and marketing.
She recalls how she had one eye on her future career while studying for her degree at Griffith University.
“From an early stage I started thinking about how I could make the most of my university experience — ensuring I gained as much work experience as possible,” she says.
The Griffith Business School industry mentoring program led Brooke to an internship at Gold Coast Tourism, where she took up the position of Executive – Australia Marketing for Gold Coast Tourism within a year of graduating.
Brooke has stayed connected with Griffith Business School where she is now a mentor to final year students of marketing, tourism and event management. “I encourage them to be proactive and to get out there and get work experience. Don’t expect it to come to you.
“It’s important to embrace opportunity, whether it’s your dream role or not, because one role very often leads to another.
“Taking part in work experience opportunities, studying hard for high marks and using the amazing careers guidance available at Griffith all assisted in building my knowledge and confidence and helped set up my life and career.
“I’m prepared to take advice on board at all times. We are continually learning and trying new things. Don’t pretend to know everything as you are not expected to.”
A humbling experience is how Associate Professor Mohamad Abdalla, Griffith University Islamic Studies Director described his meeting with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Dr Abdalla presented the response to the Dalai Lama’s address to a multi-denominational gathering aimed at world peace at St Stephen’s Catholic Cathedral in Brisbane on June 11.
The ceremony was attended by 900 people, including Bahai, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Islamic, Sikh and Christians, all of whomthe Dalia Lama urged to pray for world peace.
“The Dalai Lama is extremely modest and gentle, and to be at a gathering with Archbishop Mark Coleridge and heads of various religious bodies was very humbling for me,’’ Dr Abdalla said.
“The Dalai Lama reminded us that world peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just the absence of violence but also the manifestation of human compassion.”
“He said building inner-strength and trust was the key to building peace and compassion.”
In a break with protocolat the start of the ceremony Dr Abdalla andthe Dalai Lama togetherledthe procession into the cathedral.
“I was talking to him outside and he just grabbed my hand and led me inside the cathedral. Indeed it was a fortuitous moment,” Dr Abdalla said.
Associate Professor Mohamad Abdalla presents the response to the Dalai Lama’s address at St Stephen’s Cathedral. Photo: Kasun Ubayasiri
Before he spoke, Dr Abdalla turned to the Dalai Lama and gave him a big hug. He then thanked him for spreading his message of forgiveness and peace at a time when it was most needed.
“His statement that we are all of the same origin reminds me of the prophetic dictate; ‘Your lord is one, your father is one, and so there is no virtue of a black person over a white person…all are equal in the esteem of God’.
“Building a culture of peace and harmony does not apply only to distant, warring regions, but also to our own society.
“By seeking to better understand the social, political, cultural, economic, and civic structures whose deterioration can lead to violence and social upheaval, we can contribute to the identification of and support for measures to restore and enhance harmony.”
Fellows from Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu recently visited the Griffith Climate Change Response Program (GCCRP) for an Australia Awards Fellowship program focused on valuing culture and nature for sustainable natural resource management.
The program included lectures, tutorials and a series of site visits from theGold Coast campus to the Lamington National Park, Australian National University, Cairns, traditional aboriginal homelands in Dimbulah-Wungu Country and to the Australian Museum in Sydney.
In Melanesia, natural resources and ecosystems are under increasing pressure from population growth, natural disasters and economic development needs.
The program addressed how natural resources can be appropriately managed in ways that reflect the underlying cultural values, connections to nature, and promote cost-effective, sustainable and just resource use and economic development.
Melanesian fellows with members of the Dimbulah-Wungu country.
“The Fellowship was a life changing experience for me,” said one of the fellows.
“Climate change affects all of the Pacific nations,” said Talei Kocovanua, Climate Change Project Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cooperation in Fiji.
“If I lose my land, I will lose my identity and I will lose my resources.”
Fellows were drawn from the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), based in Vanuatu, and comprises Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and theFront de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste of New Caledonia.
The MSG covers 2000 islands andninemillion people.
MSG Program Manager Stan Wapot saidthe program would helpdevelop links between the MSG and Australia as well as among the members of the MSG through the Fellows themselves.
“I have learnt to see the value of my traditions and culture from the outside,” said Mike Waiwai, coordinator of the traditional knowledge project in Vanuatu.
“I am encouraged to preserve and promote my culture and to help develop policy that will protect my culture. I will apply the knowledge from the project to help develop ways to generate income to help preserve environment and culture.”
Melanesian fellows in Dimbulah Wungu country.
The similarities between the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and the Melanesian people had a strong impact on the Fellows, especially after their stay in the traditional aboriginal homelands in Dimbulah- Wungu Country.
“The Fellows will publish on sustainable natural resource management based on their learning during the Fellowship,” said Professor Brendan Mackey, GCCRP Director.
The Fellowship is funded through the Australia Awards Fellowships program, and administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It aims to build capacity and strengthen partnerships between Australian organisations and partner organisations in eligible developing countries in support of key development and foreign affairs priorities.
Project management is through Griffith International’s International Business Development Unit.
The best in emerging talent from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University will take to the stage at this year’s Broadbeach Country Music Festival from June 19 — 21.
Taylor Moss, Tom Dodd and Shooty and Fox and Fiasco — who have already made a name for themselves on the local scene — will share the stage with the likes of ARIA award winners The McClymonts, Beccy Cole, The Wolfe Brothers, Catherine Britt, James Blundell, The Wolverines, Travis Collins and many more.
As current students of the Bachelor of Popular Music program on the Gold Coast campus, each will perform as part of the Griffith University Seed Showcase.
Uniquely combining Country with the Coast, the festival is allowing young talent from across the region to perform professionally and gain major experience, according to Queensland Conservatorium Deputy Director (Gold Coast) Donna Weston.
“This type of partnership is in perfect alignment with the core goal of the BPM course — to help independent artists forge their paths in the Australian music industry.”
“The real focus is industry — having those industry contacts and also building fan bases by getting their music out there — so a performance opportunity like this really aids in nurturing both the creative and business aspects for a young musician.
“Country music is well and truly brought into the mainstream with this festival and the BPM program is proud to support that kind of diversity,” she says.
19-year-old Taylor Moss is certainly no stranger to the Australian country music scene, having released her first EP at just 16. The same year she also won first place in the Urban Country Music Festival Talent Search.
Her 2014 single ‘Centre Stage’ hit the charts at number eight on 98.9FM within the first week of release, she performed at The Gympie Muster and toured as the support act for The Black Sorrows and Mental as Anything, before heading to Nashville to immerse herself in the home of country music.
Griffith’s BPM program and it’s Seed initiative is also riding high on the current success of student and now international country star, Jared Porter.
Musician Jared Porter is just one artist enjoying success after being involved with the SEED project
It’s been a huge year for Jared, who was named the 2014 Toyota Star Maker winner, which saw him performing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the CMA World GlobaLive Concert in Nashville.
He also toured with some of Australia’s big names in country, such as the The McClymonts, and recorded his debut album “East to West”.
His latest single “Pieces” a duet with Kaylee Bell was also recently announced as the winner of the APRA Best Country Music Song for 2015 by the New Zealand Country Music Awards.
Jared, accompanied by fellow BPM student Jared Adlam and drummer Reece Baines, was also the first to perform at Country Summer, Northern California’s biggest country music festival this month, after being voted the fan’s favourite with more than 400,000 votes cast worldwide.
Griffith University will sponsor the Broadbeach Country Music Festival for the first time this year.
Performance Details:
Friday 19 June
1.30pm – 2.30pm
Griffith University Seed Showcase — Broadbeach Mall Stage
Taylor Moss
Saturday 20 June
5.35pm – 6.35pm
Griffith University Seed Showcase— Broadbeach Mall Stage
Tom Dodd & Shooty
Fox and Fiasco
Media Contact: Lauren Marino, 0418 799 544, [email protected]
Griffith University will soon embark on an ambitious venture to transform the very nature of Australian manufacturing, as part of the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC).
Bringing together a powerful coalition of businesses and researchers from across the country, the collaboration has recently been approved Commonwealth funding of $40 million to accelerate Australia’s transition to new design thinking and manufacturing processes.
IMCRC Interim Chair, Dr Peter Jonson, explains that the Commonwealth grant will be matched by more than $210 million of cash and in-kind contributions from industry, research institutions and State governments that will lift the total budget to over $250 million to seed the process of transformation.
Dr Jennifer Loy, Program Leader of Industrial Design and 3D Design in the Bachelor of Digital Media at Griffith University, says the initiative will help stimulate small to medium sized businesses to adopt the latest wave of technology in additive manufacturing.
“Making the transition from conventional technology to innovative manufacturing is more than just investing in the technology, it is also about understanding the opportunities technologies such as 3D Printing are providing, and how to maximise it your business.”
“The investment of over $85 million in cash by government, industry and research will allow us to support a host of businesses from film to construction, lighting and furniture, mining through to medical devices, as they transition to 3D Printing technology over the next seven to eight years,” she explains.
Dr Jennifer Loy,Program Leader of Industrial Design, Griffith University
“Griffith’s expertise is in the redesign of products to utilise the advantages of innovative manufacturing technologies.
“We have researchers working in disciplines as diverse as regenerative medicine and fashion, dentistry and industrial design who all bring experience in these technologies, which means we have the expertise available to work side by side with the IMCRC to regenerate our manufacturing industries.”
The goal of the IMCRC is also an ideal fit with Griffith’s “outward looking focus” according to Dr Loy.
“It’s the perfect synergistic relationship as Griffith University has a collaborative working model and are particularly good at cross disciplinary projects — which innovative manufacturing creates — and we are keen to work with industrial partners on pushing the capabilities of innovative manufacturing for their new applications.”
“Griffith is working hard to develop graduates who have the specialised skills needed to help industry and maximise opportunities for growth.
“Our Industrial Design and 3D Design Digital Media students are learning world leading software for additive manufacturing, and gaining hands-on experience of designing with advanced digital technologies, including 3D Printing, scanning and electronics for new design applications.
“We envisage that the students of today will have the jobs of the future — ones that may not even exist yet, but that are clearly on the way, with 3D Printing alone being forecast as a $7 billion dollar a year sector by 2020.
A 3D printed design from Bachelor of Digital Media student Elvira Sebegatoullina
“For this reason they are being equipped to develop new thinking in terms of digital fabrication and design process to ensure Australia is in line with, or ahead of, global trends in 3D technology.
“Even in this last month our PhD students have been excelling in design for 3D Printing, with one winning the distinguished paper award at RAPID, the world leading industry and academic conference, and another having a design featured on Today in the US, with 6 million viewers.”
IMCRC’s research will be concentrated on high-growth sectors to help companies build the innovative capacity to develop market-ready opportunities.
The IMCRC is a collaboration of:
- 14 initial manufacturing companies and end users who are already global, innovative and prepared to innovate further including many participants from the successful Advance Manufacturing CRC;
- 4 peak industry bodies that will help recruit over 300 additional SMEs as ‘Portal Partners’; and
- 16 Australian universities, CSIRO and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology.
The venture was announced by the Hon Ian Macfarlane MP, Minister for Industry and Science on 26 May.
Learn about Griffith’s 3D Design program.
A 3D printed design from Bachelor of Industrial Design student David Haggerty
