The School of Education and Professional Studies has been supporting the Department of Education, Training and Employment’s iDream program since inception in 2011. Instigated by the Indigenous Schooling Support Unit – Central Southern Queensland (ISSU-CSQ), the innovative iDream program is targeted for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from years four to seven. The iDream Challenge has been integrated into nominated Education Queensland schools across five regions of Central Southern Queensland; South East, North Coast, Metropolitan, Darling Downs South West and Central Queensland.
Students conceptualise, plan, script, film, edit and submit a short (maximum 5 mins) DVD addressing the topic nominated by the university, with the support of a school-based staff member.
Dr Sue Whatman and Dr Ali Sammel devised two challenges which were completed by schools from the various regions. For the Health and Physical Education (HPE) Challenge, students from Wamuran State school submitted the winning entry, which was to devise an Indigenous Games curriculum intervention or Games Day, drawing upon the Yulunga Indigenous Games Resource. Wamuran SS decided to “train up” the students from their school with the support of their HPE teacher, by showing peers how to play various community Elder-approved Indigenous games in HPE curriculum time, before hosting a gala Indigenous Games day. They filmed the team asking for permission from community Elders to teach and play various games from their local community, the HPE classes, the games day itself, and finished off with a novel ending of a pop quiz asking various participants how they enjoyed the day.
For the first Science challenge, students were asked to investigate both the scientific understanding and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander understanding of a chosen concept. The aim of this challenge was to encourage students to understand, value and respect both ways both of knowing. The winners, Slade Point State School in Mackay, investigated making a bush tucker garden on their school grounds. This provided a wonderful way to mix Traditional Knowledge and the Sciences.
The following year, Griffith University was asked to prepare only one challenge, for whichDr Sammel and Dr Whatman combined to come up with “What makes you healthy and well?” — a blending of Aboriginal and non-Indigenous knowledge about well-being. The winning school, Rosewood State School, prepared an interview with an Elder from Fraser Island (Butchulla country), Aunty Lisa Powell, who was based in their local school community to share her knowledge of traditional medicines and everyday ways to stay healthy.
In 2013, Dr Sammel and Dr Whatman once again combined to offer a more Science-focused challenge, which ultimately became known as “misunderstood creatures”. Students from around the state were invited to choose an animal or bird that normally receives “bad press” and to share Indigenous knowledge about those creatures and Western “science” knowledge. The winning school, Carole Park State School (whom we discovered were multiple winners of other iDream challenges due to the consistently high quality of their entries), nominated the crocodile as their misunderstood creature. They scripted a high quality DVD that included a crocodile dance performance from peers who were given permission to share their knowledge of the dance, as well as an intriguing blend of Aboriginal and non-Indigenous knowledge about the importance of the crocodile.
The iDream challenge is currently offline in 2014 as DETE reviews its Indigenous education programs. The School of Education and Professional Studies has nothing but high praise for the externally sponsored and superbly run program and is ready and waiting to offer up Challenge number 4 when iDream comes back online.
Griffith University Gold Coast, Logan and Mt Gravatt campuses are full of activity this week as commencing Education students take part in a range of Orientation Week events.
Orientation or ‘O-week’ is the time for first year students to explore their campus, make new friends, work with their mentors and meet some of the lecturers and tutors who will be teaching them throughout their degree.
Hundreds of prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students are discovering everything they needed to know about studying at Griffith.
Dr Kevin Larkin, First Year Co-ordinator of the Bachelor of Primary Education Degree, conducted Orientation sessions at each of the three campuses and had this to say “It is an exciting time for new students in the Primary education degree as they embark on an important journey in their lives. Attendance at each of the orientation sessions was excellent and students responded positively to input from academic and general staff who will be working with them in First Semester. I am confident that the students will have a successful first year experience.”
Students appear to have enjoyed the various O week activities with one student overheard commenting that “A wide range of information has been packed into our O-week bags and the various information sessions throughout the week provided plenty of opportunities for us to interact with current staff and students.”
For information on orientation activities visit http://www.griffith.edu.au/orientation
For first-year Bachelor of Human Services student Sina Ieremia, the decision to embark on university study was something not to be taken lightly.
“I’m the first in my family to go to university,’’ she explains.
“I’m doing Uni-Key because I want to meet new people, make friends and be prepared for university life.”
Sina is one of hundreds of Griffith University commencing students participating in the program which provides a structured transition to university for students who may not have traditionally accessed higher education.
It includes pre-orientation activities and weekly peer-mentoring sessions to commencing undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds.
Student Equity Services Manager Judy Hartley said the Uni-Key Program had been a core element in the University’s suite of student and community-focussed equity programs for more than 18 years.
“A highly valued and effective feature of the program is the involvement of Griffith students as peer mentors.
“Most of these students have also participated in Griffith’s equity programs (which include Uni-Reach and the Disability Service), and have experienced first-hand the challenging circumstances that can impact on a person’s confidence and self-esteem as well as their sense of belonging at university and their capacity to manage in an unfamiliar environment.”
Student Equity Programs Officer Sanesie Dukuly understands how daunting university study can seem to first-time students.
He spent 14 years in a refugee camp in Guinea after leaving Liberia and before moving to Australia. In 2011 he began a Bachelor of Human Services at Griffith’s Logan campus and was a mentee in the Uni-Key program. Before long, he became a mentor to new students.
Then after graduating in 2013 he moved to his current project role as a Student Equity Programs Officer within Student Services.
“I say I have the dream job!’’ he said.
“Mentors offer that shared experience and can relate to new students’ experience. From being a mentee to mentor and now program coordinator, I see daily how previously shy students gain confidence and skills and this inspires me.”
When you’ve been at the forefront of health services management for the Australian and British militaries for over twenty years and are offered the chance to get to qualified, most would expect to do little more than tick the boxes and pick up the certificate.
Major David Bullock of the Australian Defence Force took the opposite approach. Figuring there was no point in turning down the chance to learn, Major Bullock signed up to Griffith’s Master of Health Services Management (MHSM), from which he recently graduated.
“I was offered a Defence sponsored sabbatical to study MHSM and as Griffith University has been the provider of previous award winning Defence students, it was a positive choice. The strong links with the Australasian College of Health Services Management were a second positive factor, said Major Bullock.
“I would contend that it is never too late to learn and there is always something left to learn.
“The subjects of health leadership and strategic decision making in health were enlightening. Importantly they underpinned myfervent belief in the importance of integrity,transparency and morality within health services management and health leadership.”
So did such a tough course change or challenge some of his ideas health and how health services can be managed?
“It confirmed many, but I learnt a great deal as well; storming, forming and norming many ideas, concepts and principles,” he said.
The major was keen to point out that MHSM is not an easy career leg-up.
“Health Services Management is not for the faint hearted and is most certainly not an easy employment option. It requires dedication and a strong passion for health, as well as a strong desire to improve systems.”
Australia’s first dedicated Indigenous theme park attraction highlights the strong role tourism can play in helping to ‘Close the Gap’, researchers at the Griffith Institute for Tourism believe.
Tourism lecturer, Dr Sarah Gardiner, says the Dreamworld Corroboree project, which opened on the Gold Coast on Friday, is a showcase that can be followed by tourism operators around the country.
Senior lecturer, Dr Michelle Whitford (left), said the initiative can potentially open the minds of visiting tourists to the extent of Indigenous product to be experienced in Australia.
Dreamworld Corroboree, the first leisure attraction to include a reconciliation action plan, involves an interactive walk-through experience celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, wildlife and stories.
The educational display has been in development with elders from tribes around the country for more than seven years, and also involved the academic input of Dr Sarah Gardiner as part of an Australian Government TQUAL Grant.
“This is an important step,” Dr Gardiner said. “Indigenous tourism has been an issue for Australian tourism because the message to the international market about Indigenous culture is often not a positive one.”
“This initiative also demonstrates the part that tourism can play in ‘Closing the Gap’.
“In addition, it is a fantastic setting where Indigenous people in Australia can see their culture genuinely represented.”
Dr Michelle Whitford has previously been part of a University of Queensland study of Indigenous tourism, funded by Indigenous Business Australia and the Federal Government.
“Tourists, both international and domestic, are really quite unaware of the Indigenous product that is out there,” Dr Whitford said.
“Through this project, tourists have easy access to Indigenous product that hopefully will trigger spin-offs where tourists are a little more adventurous and visit outback regions to extend their Indigenous experience.”
Dr Whitford reiterated the importance of education in developing Indigenous tourism and associated products, and encouraged a move away from an ‘If we build it they will come’ approach to Indigenous product.
“In a tourism context I think we can look at ‘Closing the Gap’ via education, right across the board. I think we need to look at increasing education in Indigenous tourism, education for the tourism operators themselves, education for government and, importantly, education for the tourists.”
Can high-speed police pursuits ever be right in the eyes of police, the public, media (and policy makers)?
Former Queensland Police Service Inspector and Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security researcher, Peter Hosking, hopes his PhD study will go some way to solving this problem.
Mr Hosking, who was awarded a prestigious Tony Fitzgerald Scholarship late last year, said his research aimed to reduce the number of deaths and injuries related to high-speed police pursuits.
He said many young, often drug and alcohol-affected drivers attempt​edto evade police apprehension by driving vehicles in a way that led to death and serious injuries.
“Research shows the initial reasons for police engaging offenders in dangerous high speed pursuits is often related to minor crimes or traffic infringements,’’ he said.
“In an effort to reduce the death and injury toll associated with high-speed pursuits, police forces have implemented operational policies restricting officers from engaging in pursuits for certain offence categories or specific offender behaviours.”
“Policy restrictions are in place for certain minor offender categories such as traffic infringements but permit a degree of discretion for more serious offences.” Policies vary across jurisdictions in degree of restriction.
While high-speed police pursuits are controversial, previous research indicates that restrictive policies save lives and reduce the injury toll.
“For example, young drivers who use excessive speed often attempt evasion leading to tragic results. So, by not engaging inpursuit ​ in such instances​, lives are saved.”
Research and policy
Mr Hosking said such policy restrictions met resistance from the media, public and officers as they were seen as undermining and reducing the legitimacy of police and more particularly, encouraging increased crime offending.
His studyPolice Reform and Resistance: Police Pursuitsaims to address research gaps by reviewing the literature dealing with jurisdictional responses to calls for restrictive pursuit policies and assess the outcomes resulting from their implementation.
“More specifically and subject to formal approval, I hope to work closely with the Queensland Police Service to establish the links, if any, between progressively restrictive pursuit policies implemented over the past decade, and offending rates.
“I want to establish a body of evidence to inform future policy reform while limiting public resistance which is presently based on speculative concepts alone.”
Inmid-2013, Mr Hosking completed a 29-year career in the Queensland Police Service where he held the rank of Inspector within the Ethical Standards Command.During ​this time he acquired a wealth of operational and corporate knowledge​to channel intoacademic research​on public policy reform and harm reduction.
“By being awarded the Tony Fitzgerald Scholarship I am grateful that I am able to continue working towards improving policing methods based on sound research evidence that directly contributes to public safety.”
New students will experience their first taste of campus life as the tradition ofO-week returns to Griffith University from today.
About 11,500 domestic and international students will commence their undergraduate courses this semester and we are expecting up to 80 per cent of those students to join us for Orientation Week.
Ahead of the new academic year, O-week is the time for ‘first timers’ to explore their campus, make new friends and meet some of the lecturers and tutors who will be teaching them for the next couple of years.
Orientation and Transition coordinator Gayle Brent-Buchbach says O-week is the best chance to find your way around campus and prepare for the year ahead.
“Starting university for the first time should be an exciting experience but it can also be a bit daunting for both local and international students,” said Gayle.
“In order to help students overcome those early nerves, we provide a fun and informative O-week experience so students can ease into life at Uni and know what to expect.”
O-week at Griffith includes special events, market days and workshops to help new students settle in to the campus environment.
This year students also have the opportunity to join the Ultimate O-week Challenge, where every event you attend offers the chance to become one of our Ultimate O-week Champions.
Be sure to join Griffith’s Facebook and Twitter during O-week 2014 for all the latest news and updates. www.facebook.com/griffithuniversity and follow twitter.com/Griffith_Uni.
You can else keep up-to-date with orientation activities at –https://www.facebook.com/GriffithOrientation
Griffith University and the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat are breaking new ground with the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 30 January 2014 at Griffith’s Nathan Campus to consolidate a framework for long-term collaboration and partnership between the organisations around climate change.
The purpose of the MoU is to provide clear direction to the agreed activities and to strengthen regional collaboration, including the importance of fostering partnerships between Griffith University and the MSG Secretariat. Professor Brendan Mackey, Director, Griffith Climate Change Response Program (GCCRP), has initiated this collaboration as part of the program’s strategic engagement in Asia-Pacific.
MSG countries have large youth populations which are actively looking for education opportunities. Climate change is a cross-cutting issue and Professor BrendanMackeyhas actively sought the support and involvement of other schools and elements at Griffith in developing the proposal. This includes the Business School, the Law School, and the Asia-Pacific related study groups and centres among others.
The MSG has its Secretariat in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The Secretariat acts as a coordinating body for the regional level commitments made by the MSG countries in several issues such as regional security, environment and climate change, economics and trade, youth, sports and development. MSG is emerging as one of the leading regional organisations due to their large Melanesian populations and influence in the region and has not traditionally engaged with universities external to the MSG countries.
The MoU will facilitate cultural interchange, cooperative research and other forms of collaboration consistent with Griffith University’s core commitment of contributing to a robust, equitable and environmentally sustainable society, and the Mission of MSG. The MSG believes that the Melanesian region within the Pacific can be a region of solidarity and cooperation in accordance with shared national interest, with the objective of strengthening wider institutions of regional and international cooperation.
The priority areas in the MOU include climate change adaptation and mitigation research; support for international climate negotiations and related capacity building, including advice and research regarding different mechanisms of regional significance; traditional knowledge and culture in the context of community-based approaches; knowledge-sharing mechanisms relating to MSG climate change activities; and climate change related public policy and governance.
The Director General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Mr Peter Forau, said the MoU was a welcome development in the relationship between the institutions. Mr Forau also recognised Griffith University’s broad ranging expertise in the area of climate change and environment, and said he was looking forward for a close collaboration and partnership. The Director General also emphasised the important role that the Melanesian Spearhead Group plays in the region and how collaborations would strengthen its expertise and capacity.
Vice Chancellor and President of Griffith University, Professor Ian O’Connor, concluded that the partnership was very welcomed by the university and he also looked forward for a fruitful collaboration. Professor O’Connor also remarked that Griffith University’s first Vice Chancellor had already recognised the importance of the Pacific as a core focus for the University and was pleased to see this focus being expanded through partnerships with important regional organisations.
Representing the MSG Secretariat were Director General, Mr Peter Forau, and Environment and Climate Change Analyst, Mr Stanley Wapot.
Griffith University with its long-standing commitment to effective interdisciplinary collaboration, long and distinguished record in environmental sciences, together with its leadership role in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation research, can assist MSG in accessing relevant expertise including bringing disciplines together as needed to address key issues, contributing to research and development projects, policy formulation, and capacity building initiatives.
The Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat is an intergovernmental organisation comprised of the governments of the five MSG countries (Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia). The MSG Leaders endorsed an Environment and Climate Change Declaration in January 2012. The Leader’s Declaration on Environment and Climate Change provides a comprehensive approach to tackle fundamental issues in the region, including terrestrial and marine biodiversity, blue carbon, and green growth.
The Federal Treasurer’s plan to establish targets for economic growth at this weekend’s meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 nations is not without its merits. However a one-size-fits-all approach ignores key complex factors.
This is the view of Griffith University professor of economics, Fabrizio Carmignani, who argues that quality of growth and its influence on socioeconomic outcomes is more important than the type of growth proposed by Treasurer Joe Hockey.
“What Hockey has in mind is a type of growth that would probably match the objectives of a private business. But governments are not private businesses,” Professor Carmignani said.
“It is hard to dictate the reform agenda to the G20 countries starting from a rather narrow national perspective, as the treasurer seems to be doing.
“While growth is of critical importance, it is just a tool to reach some greater good, and what is achievable in terms of growth targets varies across the G20 countries.
“The G20 is probably better off without a target on growth. However, this does not mean that growth should not be a major concern this weekend in Sydney.”
Professor Carmignani gave Mr Hockey’s plan a tick of approval for potentially triggering a welcome change in the G20’s method of operation.
“No longer would the G20 just discuss economic policy, but it would have to make a commitment on specific economic outcomes.”
Griffith University hassigned a Memorandum of Understanding withHuawei, opening the door to joint innovation projects and research opportunities with Queensland students and academics.
At an event hosted by Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, Huawei and Griffith University signed the MoU with a vision to conduct collaborative R&D projects and to offer undergraduate students the opportunity to travel to China as part of Huawei’s annual China Exchange program.
“Griffith University and Huawei are closely aligned in our desire to pursue R&D projects across a range of information and communications technologies,” said Huawei Australia Chairman John Lord.
“This is Huawei’s first partnership with a Queensland university, and is a great partnership to formalise as we actively build our business across the state,”
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the partnership was the result of the strong sister city relationship between Brisbane and Shenzhen that continued to deliver concrete benefits to Brisbane.
“New world cities offer students quality education providers with international partnerships, standards and opportunities, and Brisbane and Shenzhen are no different,” Cr Quirk said.
“As our sister city connection grows stronger, I look forward to seeing our cities prosper through lifelong relationships.”
Griffith Pro Vice Chancellor (International) Professor Sarah Todd said, “Griffith University is committed to ensuring students have the opportunity to include an overseas experience during their study program. Last year over 400 students travelled to Asia and many were looking for internships or similar work integrated learning experiences. The agreement with Huawei will enable us to provide more targeted options for students studying in IT or engineering programs, while also furthering our relationship with an important sister city.”
The MoU covers a range of mutual interests between Huawei and Griffith, including joint publications in academic journals and presentations to industry conferences; joint applications for research grants and research centre funding; opportunities for Griffith students to participate in Huawei’s China Exchange program; and allowing Huawei to provide an advisory role on relevant industry linked research programs.
The partnership with Griffith University marks Huawei’s fourth Australian University partnership, along with Macquarie University in NSW, RMIT in Victoria, and the University of Melbourne’s Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society.
