In brief
- Mawson merge
- High court judge visits UniSA
- 28 first friends
- Narratives of war
- New talent time - end of year exhibitions
Mawson merge
UniSA’s Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment (ITEE) has combined two of its key research concentrations to build a science research force with broader reach and capacity in the fields of advanced manufacturing, materials and structural analysis.
The Mawson Institute and the Applied Centre for Structural and Synchrotron Studies (ACeSSS) have merged to form an expanded Mawson Institute.
UniSA Pro Vice Chancellor for ITEE, Professor Andrew Parfitt says the enhanced Mawson Institute will work across a broader range of disciplines, tap into a larger pool of researchers and facilities and gain access to a wider range of funding sources.
"This merger aligns with the University’s objective to create scale and focus in research fields that have local, national and international relevance," Prof Parfitt said.
The new Mawson Institute, with a turnover in excess of $5 million a year, will be home to about 50 researchers. New projects starting in 2010 include advanced manufacturing materials and environmental engineering to deliver high quality drinking water; the use of motion capture and anthropometric data for ergonomically designed vehicle packages; the development of manufacturing processes for improved pigment performance; and the development of improved strategies for mitigation against acid rock drainage, a serious environmental concern.
High court judge visits UniSA
The UniSA Allan Scott Auditorium was filled to capacity when
Unity Dow (pictured right), Botswana’s first female high court
judge, delivered an impassioned speech at the second annual Nelson
Mandela Lecture during September.
Now retired as a judge, but still a practising author and human rights advocate, Dow was in Adelaide as a guest of the School of Law and the Hawke Centre to lobby the developed world for the respect of cultural traditions in developing countries.
Dow used some powerful examples related to marriage and crime to highlight glaring cultural inequalities and her belief that a lack of respect for cultural traditions has led to the West’s ascendancy in a globalised world.
"There will be no true partnership between the developed countries and developing countries until there is true respect of the cultures and traditions of the latter," she said.
"Developing countries must insist on a respectful place within the village and one place to start is a re-claiming of the right to define their issues."
Hawke Centre Director, Elizabeth Ho said that Dow’s appearance was invaluable for those who attended.
"Dow has fought for the rights of women and children in Africa and has a unique point of view that is unlikely to be heard in any other forum," she said.
The annual Nelson Mandela lecture promotes the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals and the value of truth and reconciliation in life and public affairs.
At the conclusion of the speech, Dow thanked Mandela, an Honorary Doctor of UniSA and the Hawke Centre’s international patron, for "inspiring us all."
28 first friends
A recent Adelaide exhibition –
First of Friends – has celebrated
the work of 28 artists with links to UniSA’s South Australian School
of Art.
Featuring photography, paintings and 3-dimensional works created by members of the Friends of South Australian School of Art (SASA), the exhibition showcased the talents of the group which was established a year ago and already has 170 members.
A core goal of the Friends of SASA is to raise funds to establish a significant annual scholarship for emerging artists and they are aiming to achieve that goal in the next few years. And it’s this scholarship fund that the recent art exhibition contributed to.
"Over the years SASA has produced and been associated with many artists of diverse talents, skills and profiles who work in an array of mediums," President of Friends SASA, Jack Condous said.
"This exhibition showcased the work of many of these artists, highlighting the diversity of skills within South Australia’s visual art community."
Condous said funds raised from the sale of the artwork will also go towards a major history project to document the influential and exciting period of the SASA between 1963 and 1978 when it was located in Stanley Street in North Adelaide.
Condous said during that time, a number of highly skilled and capable teachers were at the school, as well as many students who have gone onto great success.
One of the lecturers at the school in those years was Bert Flugelman who designed the well-known Rundle Mall silver spheres and other works of public art in cities around Australia.
Many of the artists involved with the school during that time, either as lecturers or students, are among the artists who were featured in the First of Friends exhibition, including Geoff Brown, Jack Condous, Kon Heyer, Rita Hall, Doriano Lopresto, Max Lyle, Peter McWilliams, Helen Mickan, Ann Newmarch, Christopher Orchard, Philippa Robert, Ron Rowe, Helen Stacey, David Washington and Geoffrey Wilson.
For more information, visit the website.
Narratives of war
History will be brought to life at UniSA’s Magill campus during November with a unique community event, the Narratives of War Symposium.
The event, being held on November 19-20, brings together historians, literary scholars and the general public to celebrate, remember and learn from the past. Some of Australia’s leading researchers will present a series of lectures on this year’s theme ‘Memories, tracing, narratives’.
Dr Richard Reid from the National Museum of Australia will offer the keynote address on November 19. Other scholars will talk about tracing the battlefields of Normandy, prisoner of war experiences in Colditz and Italy, South Australian soldiers training in World War I, and music and literature that commemorate or portray conflict and its aftermath.
Prior to Dr Reid’s address, Dr Paul Collier, author, historian and Deputy Chair of Arts Access SA, will discuss his recently released book on the campaign in North Africa during World War II.
"The war symposium is a unique opportunity to learn of new research that sheds light on the overlooked role of the individual soldiers who were ultimately responsible for ensuring victory or defeat," Dr Collier said.
The event’s creator and organiser Professor Claire Woods said: "The symposium offers participants an opportunity to engage with how we record and remember the experiences of people just like us who have been caught in dramatic events not of their own making."
Entry to the two day symposium is free. For more information, visit the Narratives of War website or email.
New talent time - end of year exhibitions
It’s getting close to the end of the university year for students, and for some that means organising public exhibitions for their work.
Students from the 2009 Industrial Design graduating class will exhibit their work from December 5-8 at the Torrens Parade Ground in the city.
Student Shane Haddy who is on the exhibition organising committee, says there are 38 students displaying their work, covering a broad spectrum of industrial design.
"Industrial designers develop innovative physical solutions to meet particular needs," Haddy says.
"We basically focus on the form of manufactured products, especially products that relate directly to human physical, social, environmental and functional needs, creating designs that become everyday objects."
All information regarding the exhibition and the students’ work can be found at the website.
Following the industrial design exhibition, the graduating Visual Arts class will have their work on display from December 9-15, on level 5 of the Kaurna Building (corner of Hindley St and Fenn Place) at the City West campus.
About 50 students will be exhibiting their final year works, showcasing pieces from all studio mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, jewellery and metalwork, ceramics, photography, printmaking and textiles.
The organisers say the exhibition is the first time many students will have their work displayed professionally, and it is an incredible opportunity to expose the students and their work to an array of well-respected art critics, gallery owners and lecturers, as well as the general public.