Media Release
December 14 2005
UniSA unleashes talent worldwide
December 16 is a special day for almost 400 international students who have chosen the University of South Australia as their university of choice to lay the foundation for their careers. The special International student graduation ceremonies will be held at the Festival Theatre on Friday December 16 at 2 pm.
And the enormous diversity and talent of this group of graduates is matched only by their determination to make a difference in their world.
Among the graduates are four PhDs, six professional Doctorates and 120 Masters and many of the group are already achieving success in their field. These are some of their stories.
Australian “jewels” to heal homesickness
A woman of formidable talent and creativity, China’s Qi Zhang, graduates with her Honours in Visual Arts this week. Her unusual take on jewellery design centres on wearable medicines to cure homesickness – so that her creations carry a notion of the importance place and memories. Qi’s Australian memories have brought forth sterling silver designs that incorporate Banksia seed pods, gum nuts, emu feathers, kangaroo fur, synthetic fur, polished fossilized wood and zebra stone to make eye-catching bracelets, rings, earrings and brooches. In one piece kangaroo fur sits behind delicate silver lattice work in a brooch made in the shape of a Chinese window frame and thoughts of home spurred the creation of a set of bracelets and rings knitted from fluffy nylon yarn which remind her of her beloved dog Fatty. Qi originally came to study in another program at UniSA, but couldn’t resist transferring to Visual Arts halfway through her first year here. Showing a talent for art since a very early age (she studied drawing in China from the age of six); Qi did extremely well in her studies and has already had success selling her jewellery in Adelaide. When asked what she enjoyed most about studying at UniSA’s School of Art, she said “it’s the freedom to pursue your own ideas”.
Nursing the Australian way of health education
Jordanian nurse Omar Kutah believes health education and many health systems in the future will be based on an Australian model. Kutah and his wife Ola, both students at UniSA are a family dedicated to the nursing profession. Ola has her Masters in nursing and has begun a PhD and although Omar was a registered nurse in Jordan he had to retrain in Australia to be able to work here. He graduates this week as a registered nurse and is already working in a private SA hospital. Far from resenting the need to retrain, Omar says it has opened up many new possibilities. “I can now do postgraduate work or specialist courses in emergency nursing or other fields,” he says. “Back in Jordan there has been a great deal of investment in medical facilities and nursing is a key area being taught across all of our universities. My wife and I agree that the Australian approach to health systems and health education is excellent and we think there is potential for an Australian school of health care to become a preferred model. When we return to Jordan we hope to be able to both practise and teach nursing and give other students the benefit of our Australian nursing education.”
Handmade animation wins international acclaim
It’s a love of traditional animation techniques that inspires
Norwegian multimedia student Sverre Fredriksen who graduates from UniSA
this Friday.
He has produced outstanding works of animation that have been warmly
received at the Australian Screen Production Education and Research
Association screenings in July; and recently at the Australian Film and
Television Symposia at Shanghai and Guangzhou in China in November.
Fredriksen cites the use of traditional animation techniques and the
ability to bring inanimate objects alive as his major source of
fascination. “Everything I do is mostly handmade,” Fredriksen said. “I
always enjoy working with real objects and not computer generated ones.
Using your hands to create something is just more fun”. With a
background in graphic design in Norway, Fredriksen says he chose UniSA
as a place to study on the recommendation of friends and the urge to
“get away from everything and do something totally different on the
other side of the world”. After some much deserved time off from study
he hopes to undertake a Masters degree in film animation.
UniSA Executive Director of International and Development, Dr Anna Ciccarelli says the December International Graduations are some of the most exciting held at the University.
“There are so many positive stories in these graduations and what you see in those stories are the benefits of education and international engagement on the lives of individuals and on whole communities,” Dr Ciccarelli says.
“One qualified nurse can improve the health outcomes for a whole village in some countries, one water scientist can improve environmental outcomes for an entire city, one relationship forged at university has the potential to build understandings for generations to come,” Dr Ciccarelli said.
“As an institution we are privileged to play a role in making a difference to the hundreds of students whose determination to study and learn at UniSA is the basis for productive lives both here in Australian and around the world.”
Media contact
- Michele Nardelli office (08) 8302 0966 mobile 0418 823 673 email michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au