A Griffith University and Gold Coast Health program to help teenagers with diabetes bettermanage their condition has seen success on the Gold Coast.
A joint collaboration between Griffith, Child, Youth and Mental Health Services, Paediatrics andthe Diabetes Centre at Gold Coast Health, the ‘You Beat It’ diabetes youth lifestyle program usesinterpersonal psychotherapy treatment (IPT) to improve the relationships and thought processesbetween young diabetics, their families and their peers.
A difficult time for sufferers
The adolescent period is known to be a particularly difficult time for sufferers of Type 1 diabetes,with increased risk of compromising the management of the condition.
“Unfortunately, having to give themselves several injections a day and adhering to strictmonitoring of their eating habits can really wear thin when kids get to the adolescent stage,” says
Dr Kelly Bowers, researcher and Doctorate of Clinical Psychology student from the GriffithHealth Institute.
“There can be a lot of conflict around their diabetes management, with many questions fromparents such as ‘have you done your needle yet?’ or ‘have you checked your levels?’ It can be very
difficult from both a parent and adolescent point of view.
“Anxiety, depression, eating disorders and non-compliance behaviours can also become riskfactors for this group, therefore the focus needs to be on improving the relationships and
psychological health in order to improve their diabetes management.”
Working with groups of approximately six participants aged between 13 and 17 with a Type 1diabetes diagnosis, Dr Bowers and his team conducted six two-hour weekly sessions.
“Our goal was to use IPT to help teenagers to address the psychosocial problems associated withbeing a teenager and having diabetes,” says Dr Bowers. “We aimed to improve interpersonal
relationships and as a result, improve how they manage their diabetes day to day.”
A three-month follow up to the IPT sessions provided positive feedback to the study, with 77.5%of youths and 74% of parents indicating that ‘most’ or ‘all’ of their needs had been met by the
program.
“We found that the young people were not as ‘overwhelmed’ by their disease as they had been inthe past, with several reporting that they were able to better manage their diabetes more efficientlyand also communicate ‘more openly and clearly’ with family members and health professionals,”says Dr Bowers.
Social support is positive
“The social support and interaction for the youths and the parent information sessions were alsoseen to be very positive aspects of the YBI program.
“The fact that the young people said that these shared experiences is encouraging them to seek outmore peer support, is very pleasing. It was also great to see improvements in symptoms ofdepression, anxiety and behavioural issues as these psychological problems can be high within thisgroup of adolescents.”
Further feedback is now being sought from the program participants and it is envisaged that futureprograms will target more specific areas that may result in improvements in psychological
symptoms, metabolic functioning and diabetes-related quality of life.
Griffith Asia Institute were pleased to host a roundtable meeting on Friday 24 January with Dr. Su Hao, Professor at the Department of Diplomacy, China Foreign Affairs University. Dr. Hao is currently a visiting professor at Bond University.
(L to R) Professor Andrew O’Neil, Director, Griffith Asia Institute, Dr Su Hao, Professor, Department of Diplomacy, China Foreign Affairs University, Dr Christian Wirth, Griffith Asia Institute.
Griffith University’s reputation as a world leader in business education has been enhanced after Griffith Business School’s AACSB International accreditation was extended last month.
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation remains the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business schools.
Griffith Business School is in the company of Harvard, Yale and London Business School in securing the prestigious international recognition.
Griffith was only the fifth university in Australia when first awarded the accreditation in 2009. Today, there are more than 687 business schools in 45 countries and territories that have earned AACSB accreditation.
Griffith University Pro Vice Chancellor (Business) Professor Michael Powell said the announcement represented international acknowledgment of the first class business education on offer to students at Griffith.
“AACSB International accreditation is globally recognised as one of the highest achievements for an educational institution that awards business degrees,” Professor Powell said.
“It sets rigorous standards for business educators and the accreditation assessment process requires each business school to demonstrate excellence in every facet.”
Griffith Business School was among 46 business schools in the USA, Canada, China, France and Australia to extend their accreditation in business in December.
“Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty, and professional staff must make a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students,” Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International, said.
The AACSB Accreditation brought the curtain down on a strong 2013 for Griffith Business School, with its MBA also gaining significant recognition.
After ranking inside Australia’s top 10 in the 2013 Financial Review BOSS Magazine MBA survey in September, the Griffith MBA also retained its 5-star rating from the Graduate Management Association of Australia (GMAA).
The Griffith MBA also took out the Learning and Teaching category at the Green Gown Awards Australasia.
Griffith business graduate Tim Gibson is off to outer space.
The 28-year-old, who studied a double major from 2003 to 2005, is the only Australian in a 23-strong contingent to lift off on a once-in-a-lifetime space mission early next year.
Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was on hand to offer congratulations when Tim’s name was included in the 23 to go boldly where few have gone before.
His blog, Timfinity and Beyond, describes the journey ahead and the journey to this point which starts on a military assault course on Philip Island in Victoria. Check it out here.
Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti
The arrest and detention of the outspoken Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti (pictured) in Beijing on 15 January demonstrates that the Chinese Communist Party has returned to an uncompromising, hard line approach toward Xinjiang and the Uyghur.
Tohti, an economist at the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing, was reportedly arrested after 30 police raided his apartment, confiscating the scholar’s documents, books and computer hard drives. Hong Lei, a spokesman from China’s Foreign Ministry, subsequently claimed that Tohti ‘is suspected of breaking the law’ and that ‘the relevant departments will now deal with him in accordance with the law’. He is most likely to be charged with ‘endangering state security’, which carries heavy penalties including life imprisonment.
Dr Michael Clarke, Senior Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, discusses the rising tensions between the Chinese government and the Xinjiang Uyghurs in a new blog article –Ilham Tohti’s arrest demonstrates China’s renewed hard line on Xinjiang – for the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter.
Griffith Asia Institute were pleased to host a roundtable meeting with Mr. Imamura, Deputy Chief of Mission from the Embassy of Japan in Australia on the 23 January 2014.
Roundtable attendees (L to R) Mr Andrew Carter, Political and Economic Coordinator, Consulate-General of Japan, Dr Hunjoon Kim, GAI, Mr Shinya Machida, Deputy Consul-General, Consulate-General of Japan, Mr Akira Imamura, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan, Professor Andrew O’Neil, Director, GAI, Ms Vanessa Lao, GAI, Associate Professor Michael Heazle, School of Government & International Relations.
PhD candidate Chris Henderson from Griffith’s Australian Rivers Institute has been awarded a grant in the prestigious Australian Academy of Science annual awards.
Chris is this year’s winner of the Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals. The research grant of $12,000 will further enable his studies into the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in preserving mobile predatory fish species along the east coast of Australia.
“This Australian Academy of Science funding will allow me to attach acoustic tags to predatory fish to track their movements within theMoreton Bay Marine Park,” Chris said.
“From this I hope to be able to establish what the minimum protection range needs to be for these critically important species and whether current no-take fishing zones are effective in protecting them.”
The Margaret Middleton Fund offers annual science grants to support conservation-based research of Australian ecosystems (including off-shore islands and the continental shelf) that will ultimately lead to tangible outcomes for management.
Postgraduate students and early career researchers who are within three years of completing their PhD are eligible to apply.
Mr Henderson said he is very happy to have had his research recognised by the Academy.
“Current fish protection methods commonly focus on the protection of sedentary species that move only a short distance so established marine protection zones are known to be adequate for these species,” Chris said.
“Top predators, however, which are highly important for ecosystem functionality, tend to have larger territories. In order to provide adequate protection for mobile predatory fish species, we need to know if marine reserves are extensive enough.
Though the certificate bears his name, Associate Professor Mohamad Abdalla says a recently endowed international peace award is a shared honour.
The Director of Islamic Studies in Griffith University’s School of Humanities, Associate Professor Abdalla has received the Universal Peace Federation’s Ambassador for Peace Award.
The UPF is a global network of individuals and organisations dedicated to ‘building a world of peace in which everyone can live in freedom, harmony, cooperation and prosperity’. Part of its mission statement is to encourage all religions to engage in dialogue and cooperate for peace.
A leading voice within Australia’s Muslim community and the Founding Director of the Griffith Islamic Research Unit, Associate Professor Abdalla said the award was acknowledgment for the tireless work by many people committed to the cause of peace.
“We do not go out and actively seek awards such as this, but they are a motivating factor and they do allow a greater appreciation of all that is being done to nurture and encourage peace in our communities, in society and throughout the world,” he said.
“My focus has always been to build bridges of understanding and when the parties on either side of the bridge come together and embrace cooperation and co-existence, you feel your work is not going to waste.”
In May last year, Associate Professor Abdalla received the 2013 Hajee Ebrahim Patel/Crescents of Brisbane Special Achievement Award for his long-standing contribution and service to the community.
Formed in 2004,Crescents of Brisbaneis a community-based, not-for-profit group fostering a healthy lifestyle through sport, entertainment, education and culture, particularly among Muslims in Queensland.
Associate Professor Abdalla said he was optimistic about the Muslim community’s place and purpose within Australian society.
“There is tremendous positive energy among the people I meet and there is so much good work that goes unreported,” he said.
“This is happening in many communities and across all religions and ethnic backgrounds and it demonstrates a real desire for understanding, acceptance and peaceful co-existence.”
A Griffith University researcher will receive the prestigious Hind Rattan Award in his native India on Saturday.
The NRI Welfare Society of India has selected Dr Rakesh Gupta to be among the 30 recipients of the Jewel of India Award for 2014, acknowledging his outstanding services and achievements in keeping the Indian flag high since he moved to Australia in 2000.
Dr Gupta will be presented with the Hind Rattan Award in New Delhi on the eve of Republic Day on January 25.
Dr Gupta is a senior lecturer at Griffith Business School where he teaches in finance and financial planning, and a leading researcher at the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics.
“I am very thankful to Griffith University for the support and the excellent resources available here,” he said.
“This has allowed me to continue my research as a scholar and gain recognition not only in Australia but in India as well. This recognition in India is significant for me, being from Indian heritage, and helps in maintaining my emotional and cultural ties with India.”
The Hind Rattan is presented annually to people of Indian origin who have been successful since emigrating overseas.
Dr Gupta completed a Master of Commerce in accounting and finance and subsequently a doctorate in emerging markets investments since moving to Australia 13 years ago. He had previously completed an MBA in finance and a degree in science.
He has extensive experience working in the finance and financial planning industry in different roles in India and Australia.
His research is regularly cited in academic journals and professional publications including class action litigation against Satyam Computer Services Ltd during 2008. One of his recent papers in the area of managed funds research has been awarded highly commended paper for the year 2012.
His research in the area of emerging markets is also well regarded. He has presented his findings at world-renowned conferences and been invited for presenting seminars frequently.
The NRI Welfare Society of India is a non-profit association that aims to strengthen emotionalbonds between non-resident Indians and their homeland.
The Hind Rattan Award encourages non-resident recipients to stay engaged with India and contribute to its progress and development, helping to build a strong and competitive economy.
The NRI Welfare Society of India provides a platform for NRIs all over the world to stay actively connected. The Society is registered with the Government of India, which set up a new ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
Associate Professor Rod Lyon
Forget the James Bond reputation and the hype surrounding Edward Snowden’s protracted leaks, intelligence activities can be a valuable asset when shaping government policy.
Associate Professor Rod Lyon discusses the good and the bad of government intelligence gathering in his article Intelligence: actions and their meanings for The Strategist, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute blog.
