Inside QUT March 7 – 27, 2000 Page 1

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QUT Central Administration 2 George Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone (07) 3864 2111 Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. QBF 4778

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O Weekoffers factsand fun

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Bright newcreche forGardens Point

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Queensland University of Technology Newspaper • Issue ... • Month, 1999Queensland University of Technology Newspaper • Issue 199 • March 7 – 27, 2000

As the new academic year got intofull swing at QUT, more than50 ambulance officers began

their studies for the State’s first degreefor emergency care workers.

The new Bachelor of Health Sciencein Emergency Health Services wascreated jointly by QUT and theQueensland Ambulance Service (QAS).The course will see 150 ambulance staffupgrade their qualifications to degreelevel over three years.

Academic Policy and Programsdirector Dr Don Field said QUT hadwon the right to offer the course after acompetitive tender process.

“Traditionally ideas for coursesemanate from universities, but thisprocess occurred in reverse. It showsQUT is serious about responding to thedemands and needs of industry and thepublic sector,” Dr Field said.

Public Health head Professor BrianOldenburg said the degree would buildon the existing knowledge andexperience of serving ambulance officerswith diploma qualifications and wouldenhance Queensland’s standards ofemergency care.

“Students will develop skills in areasincluding occupational health and safety,

Ambulance degree sets trend

public health and health servicesmanagement,” Professor Oldenburg said.

“They can also choose electives fromareas including physiology and

epidemiology, depending on theirinterests and career goals.

“The result will be an increasingnumber of QAS personnel with

advanced management, research andclinical expertise.”

Professor Oldenburg said the programwould also be available to ambulance

officers throughout Queensland throughdistance education and would take threeyears to complete part-time.

Queensland Ambulance ServiceCommissioner Dr Gerry FitzGerald saidthe specialised tertiary course forambulance officers would be similar tothat offered in four other states.

“This program will enhance the levelsof pre-hospital care we provide to thepublic and ensure QAS staff have themost up-to-date knowledge ofemergency health practices,” DrFitzGerald said.

“By developing this program, QAS andQUT are demonstrating theircommitment to professional developmentand quality service to the public.”

The first students are set to includeambulance officers, communicationsoperators and QAS educators. All willremain in active service while studying.

The new degree is among a range ofnew courses and degrees being offeredby QUT.

Dr Field said QUT approved 17 newcourses in 1999, including oneundergraduate degree, two doubledegrees, five graduate certificates, sixgraduate diplomas and three masters.

– Margaret Lawson

Two of the first Queensland emergency health services students, David Brose (left) and Mardi deRozairo (centre), demonstrate their skills on QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Dennis Gibson while Deanof Health Professor Ken Bowman looks on.

New methods for diagnosing infectiousdiseases and genetic variations wereamong projects that were highlighted ata QUT symposium this week.

School of Life Sciences AssociateProfessor Phillip Morris addressed theQUT Centre for Molecular Biotechnology(CMB) Symposium which ran fromMarch 6 to 7 at Gardens Point Campus.

Professor Morris described QUT’sprogress towards developing a simple,cheap method to test DNA for diseasegenes, such as cystic fibrosis andmuscular dystrophy.

“We are creating quick, cheap bloodtests that can be used by pathologists totest for many diseases that currentlyrequire sophisticated and expensiveDNA analysis,” Professor Morris said.

School of Life Sciences researchersalso addressed the symposium on thediscovery of a new gene that could leadto improved diagnosis and treatment forprostate cancer.

The new gene, known as KLK4, wasidentified and cloned over the past 18

Symposium showcases gene research breakthroughsmonths by a research team headed byAssociate Professor Judith Clements.

Professor Clements and her researchteam recently won a five-year grantworth more than $1million from theNational Health and Medical ResearchCouncil to further investigate the roleof the KLK4 gene in prostate cancer.

Professor Clements said the gene could,in time, hold the key to more effectiveand accurate tests to detect prostate cancerand more successful treatments.

“The KLK4 gene is similar to theprostate-specific antigen gene, which isused in the PSA test for prostate cancer,”Professor Clements said.

“The current PSA test is not very goodat discriminating between cancer andsimply a benign enlargement of the prostate,which is relatively common in men.

“The PSA test also doesn’t discriminatebetween aggressive cancers which areimmediately life-threatening and thosecancers which grow more slowly.”

– Margaret Lawson andAmanda O’Chee

An agreement signed last month willgive up to 100,000 students, includingthose at QUT, increased flexibility inpursuing their university degreesinterstate.

Students from the Australian networkof technology (ATN) universities willbenefit from the agreement which allowsthem to more easily transfer betweeninstitutions, without the danger oflosing credit for their previous studies.

Member universities to the agreementare Curtin University of Technology,Queensland University of Technology,RMIT University, the University ofSouth Australia and the University ofTechnology, Sydney.

The agreement will allow under-graduate students at any of the fiveuniversities to complete their degree atanother institution.

The deal was signed by ATN Vice-Chancellors last month.

Transfer dealwill benefitQUT students

QUT Life Sciences Associate Professor Judith Clements (right) andPhD student Steve Myers are part of the team which hasdiscovered the new KLK4 gene.

Commencementservice drawspeople together

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Page 2 INSIDE QUT March 7 – 27, 2000

From the Inside ... by David Hawke From the Inside ... by David Hawke From the Inside ... by David HawkeFrom the Inside ... by David Hawke

A word from the Vice-Chancellor

Responses from unions to QUT’slatest round of enterprise

bargaining were expected on Tuesday,March 7 after offers were made toacademic staff and to general staff latelast month.

Academic staff received notice by mailand email of a revised offer of 12.25 percent over three years, while general staff

QUT offers 12.25 per centpay rise over three years

received initial notification of a similaroffer over the same period.

The anticipated salary increases wouldincorporate the 2.5 per cent wage riseawarded to all staff late last year andbackdated to September 1999.

Information sessions about the offerswere held on all three QUT campusesin early March while details of the offers

are available at two Web sites: http://www.qut.edu.au/admin/hrd/ebacad.htm(for academic staff) and http://www.qut.edu.au/admin/hrd/ebgen.htm(for general staff). Staff can also raisequestions related to this round ofenterprise bargaining by sending an e-mail to qut.ebas@qut.edu.au (academic)or qut.ebgs@qut.edu.au (general).

Are you always stuck in heavy traffic?Catch every red light when you’rerunning late? Do people thank you forshowing small courtesies on the road?

QUT’s Centre for Accident Researchand Road Safety researcher GrahamFraine wants to record Brisbane drivers’experiences on the road.

Mr Fraine needs 60 volunteers for astudy investigating the commonsituations that drivers face and how theythink and behave on the road.

Drivers asked for observationsVolunteers will need to complete a

“travel diary” for two days, listing thelength and purpose of trips and adescription of each day’s journeys.

“We are studying what drivers loveand hate about driving, what it is like todrive the streets of South–EastQueensland and what traffic conditionsare like,” Mr Fraine said.

“In order to improve driving anddriving conditions we want to knowthings like whether people get trapped

behind slow drivers, whether they oftendrive on the open road, or whether theyfind merge lanes a trouble spot.”

Volunteers must be regular driverswho drive most days of the week.

People interested in helping with thestudy can call 3864 4623 and leave theirname and contact details.

The study is being conducted byQUT’s Centre for Accident Research &Road Safety (CARRS-Q).

– Amanda O’Chee

QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety researcher Graham Fraine wants to hear aboutBrisbane drivers’ experiences on the road.

Renowned dance artist Cheryl Stock hasbeen appointed the new head of danceat QUT’s Academy of the Arts, bringingwith her almost 30 years of danceindustry experience.

Ms Stock takes over from ProfessorSue Street, who left QUT after 10 yearsas head of dance to take up the positionof dean of dance at the Hong KongAcademy of Performing Arts.

“I look forward to working with thehighly experienced dance staff, who, underthe leadership of Professor Street, havepositioned QUT as a leading force intertiary dance education in Australia andin the Asia-Pacific region,” Ms Stock said.

Highlights of Ms Stock’s careerinclude an Australian Artists CreativeFellowship in 1994. She was foundingartistic director of Dance North from1985 to 1995 and has been NationalPresident of Ausdance since 1996.

Ms Stock is completing her doctorateon issues arising from interculturalperformance with QUT’s Centre forInnnovation in the Arts.

She is also continuing to developcultural exchange programs betweenAustralia and Asia, particularly Vietnam.• Professor Street and former Dean of

Education Professor Alan Cumminghad the title Professor Emeritusconferred on them shortly before theyleft QUT.

Dance head bringswealth of experience

Cheryl Stock ... appointed newhead of Dance.

postgraduate information from faculty staff.Careers resource officer Cassandra

Sceresini said more than 35 employerswould participate.

The fair, to be staged on Main Drive,will run from 11am to 3pm.

For more information call MsSceresini on 3864 2695.

Employment opportunities and post-graduate options will be on display at acareers fair to be held at QUT’s GardensPoint campus on March 21.

The fair, organised by Careers andEmployment staff, will provide studentswith access to graduate employmentdisplays from external organisations and

Gardens Point careers fair

QUT is exporting its successful certificatecourse for tertiary teaching staff.

The Graduate Certif icate ofEducation (Higher Education)program has been running at QUT forseveral years, with a growing numberof tertiary academic staff adding thequalification to complement theirdiscipline degrees.

The program will be offered for the

Tertiary training course extendedfirst time in Australia outside of QUTthanks to a collaboration fostered byQUT’s Teaching and LearningDevelopment Unit and University ofSouth Australia’s Dr Ted Noonan.

TALDU lecturer Pat Kelly said that,from this semester, QUT would beginintensive delivery at the Adelaideheadquarters of the University of SouthAustralia.

As the first semester begins for the2000 academic year, it may be a goodtime to reflect on just what we meanby the “academic year”.

There was a time when universitieswere all but deserted during the longsummer holiday: closed libraries, nostudents, with only a skeleton ofacademic, research and administrativestaff on duty.

This picture perhaps lingers on as apublic stereotype, but each year itcorresponds less and less with reality.

The summer is now a busy time formany at QUT – for the increasingnumber of students and staff involvedin the summer program, for staffpreparing the applications forAustralian Research Council grantsthat are submitted early in the newyear, and for administrators preparingfor the influx of students in the newsemester.

QUT’s Summer Program hasexpanded from virtually nothing a fewyears ago to the point where more than2,500 students took units in the 1999/2000 summer program, creating extra

An all-year-rounduniversity

work for both teaching staff and staffproviding support services such aslibrary, computing and enrolments.

At the same time, increasingnumbers of staff spend time over thesummer preparing ARC andNHMRC grant applications.

The increased activity over summeris a sensible use of our staff and physicalresources; it has also changed the natureof the academic year. University life isnow a year-long reality.

– Professor Dennis Gibson

Inside QUT March 7 – 27, 2000 Page 3

By Andrea Hammond

S tudents are commanding topsalaries after training in software

technology through QUT’s InformationSystems Management Research Centre.

The university has formed an alliance withSAP, the world’s fourth-largest softwarecompany, and plans to set up a showcaseservice bureau for teaching and research.

QUT has already started to teachstudents in SAP’s cutting-edgeEnterprise Wide System (EWS)software. About 300 first-, second- andthird-year students will study EWSsoftware-related subjects this year.

Computer grads in demandProfessor Guy Gable said it was not

unusual for students studyingEnterprise Wide System software unitsto receive multiple offers fromAmerican, UK and Australian firmsbefore they graduated.

“A masters student in QUT’s firstEWS subject accepted a $150,000 a yearcontract with a manufacturing firm inSydney before graduating,” ProfessorGable said.

“The strong industry demand forEWS has resulted in a serious dearth ofrelated expertise.

While this is a problem for employers,it has created attractive possibilities for

students who have an opportunity togain expertise on EWS at QUT.”

Professor Gable said the InformationSystems Management Research Centrehad worked closely with SAP to closelyintegrate the company’s education andtraining with university subjects.

“In June, QUT was appointed as theAustralian SAP University CompetenceCentre, third in the world afterSwitzerland and Germany,” ProfessorGable said.

“As the Australian SAP UniversityCompetence Centre, QUT will receiveseveral million dollars of computerhardware, software and support from

SAP and Sun Microsystems over thenext few months to establ i sh ashowcase service bureau in support ofEWS-related teaching and researchactivities of Australian universities,”he said.

Professor Gable said EWS was nowused by businesses and governmentsaround the world.

“The acceptance and adoption ofEWS has increased dramatically in thepast five years because of globalisation,the pressure to adopt ‘best practices’ inbusiness computing and theprivatisation of government services,”Professor Gable said.

By Noel Gentner

New QUT Student Guild President is not newto the position – Sophia Tagliapietra was actingpresident for the last few months of 1999.

Describing herself as a “strong unionist”, MsTagliapietra said her interest in student affairshad snowballed in the past few years.

A third-year visual arts student, MsTagliapietra said she had been part of a studentgroup at Kelvin Grove which had lobbied theuniversity concerning visual arts issues, and thenshe had become involved with the guild.

Ms Tagliapietra said there were a number ofgoals she had set herself this year.

“Many students still don’t realise what theguild does and, as a result, a lot of them are not

New Guild president sets high goalshappy when they pay their guild fees – theydon’t feel they are getting their money’s worth,”Ms Tagliapietra said.

“It was the same problem last year. It’s hardto get the message across and let them knowwhat we are doing.

“The guild is there to advocate for studentrights. We have hundreds of students comethrough the guild every year with complaintsand problems – whether it’s an academic appealor just a problem with a lecturer – and we helpthem deal with, and resolve, their issues.

“I think any student who hasn’t had problemsdoesn’t realise how effective we can be for them.”

Ms Tagliapietra said there was a need topresent the guild as a professional organisationand re-evaluate its commercial services.

“We need to re-evaluate a lot of our servicesand how we operate,” Ms Tagliapietra said.

“We have to make sure that the services arenot only relevant to students but are asproductive as they possibly can be.

“The Guild needs to be self-supportive inthe future should voluntary student unionismor anything like that become law.

“I think one of the failures of the guild inprevious years is that it has lacked any soliddirection.

“This year I can see a very real directionemerging within the Guild for staff and office-bearers alike.

“We all want to makethe guild more effectiveand accessible. I know they are key catchwords,but this is what we are after.”

New QUT Student Guild President SophiaTagliapietra ... planning to make theorganisation more accessible.

QUT servicesets tonefor new yearA moving service to celebrate thecommencement of QUT’s academicyear was held at Albert Street UnitingChurch in Brisbane in late February.

The theme of this third annualCommencement Service was Unity inDiversity in the Pursuit of Peace –Toward a New Millennium.

Religious and community leadersfrom across the spectrum took part inthe service which combined prayer,hymns and readings. The SeventhChapter of Fine Brass and QUT’s Choirprovided musical contributions.

Aboriginal, Christian, Jewish,Hindu, Buddhist and Islamicrepresentatives gave readings at theinter-faith service while prayers wereled by supporting chaplains of QUT.

QUT music students Marian Collierand William Lebihan, equal winners ofthe Vice-Chancellor’s musiccomposition competition, performedtheir compositions at the service.

The official welcome was deliveredby the Moderator of the QueenslandSynod of the Uniting Church inAustralia, the Reverend Dr RayReddicliffe while an address was alsodelivered by Hindu nun, the ReverendPravrajika Ajayaprana Mataji.

Rev Reddicliffe said all those gatheredshared common aims.

“Such a gathering can present aninvitat ion to us to reaffirm somefundamental values exposed by persons ofgoodwill and integrity, regardless of theircreed, their race or their culture,” he said.

“This is so because of a sharedcommitment to the pursuit ofknowledge and truth, and theirapplication to enhancing the commongood – and especially in seeking topromote enivronments where justice,peace, prosperity and freedom for allcan find expression.”

University staff and students, as well as religious and community leaders attendedQUT’s third annual commencement service held at the Albert Street Uniting Church.

By Amanda O’Chee

Primary school teachers could hold a key to preventingchildren from developing mental health problems later inlife, new research suggests.

Preliminary findings from a three-year study lead byresearchers at QUT show teachers can successfully detectmany factors that put children at risk of developingbehavioural or mental health problems as teenagers or adults.

QUT research fellow Dr Jan Nicholson said the studywould enable researchers to devise a system for teachers tohelp them detect “at-risk” children and direct them tointervention programs.

“Children who experience a combination of adversefactors, such as exposure to conflict at home, poor parenting,changes in family structure and impoverished livingconditions, have an increased chance of developingbehavioural or emotional problems, such as depression andanxiety in the coming years,” Dr Nicholson said.

“Finding new methods for accurately identifying whichchildren are most at risk is important for providing help atan early stage, where there are the greatest chances for helpingthe child and his or her family.”

Data from the study’s first year showed that teacherscould accurately identify risk factors such as a family’s socio-economic status, single-parent status, or mobility, said QUTPhD researcher Sarah Dwyer.

Teachers could also identify recent adverse life events,such as whether the parents had divorced in the past year,moved house in the past year, or experienced the death of afamily member.

The study is being led by Dr Nicholson and involvesresearchers from QUT’s School of Public Health, The Centrefor Adolescent Health in Melbourne, and the Center forHealth Promotion Research and Development in Texas.

Teachers and parents of 1,620 children attendingpreschool to Year 3 at 27 state primary schools havecompleted questionnaires for the study.

Funding for the project has come from the NationalHealth Medical Research Council, the Australian ResearchCouncil and the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund.

‘Teachers canhelp detectmental healthproblems’

Page 4 INSIDE QUT March 7 – 27, 2000

O Week providesfacts and fun

Orientation Week at QUT introduced thousands of new students tothe workings of the university across the Gardens Point, KelvinGrove and Carseldine campuses.The Orientation Committee, made up of Student Administration,Student Guild and faculty representatives, arranged a host ofinformation sessions and fun events to familiarise new local andinternational students with QUT.QUT student band, Flipside, (above) entertained the crowds at theVice-Chancellor’s welcome ceremony at Gardens Point campus.

Bachelor of Arts first-year students (from left) Sarah Jones and Melinda Buchanan enjoy a taste ofOrientation Week at Carseldine.

International student Adrian Chiu was on hand at Gardens Pointcampus to inform students about the Campus Christian Movement. From left: Atle Gerhardsen, Annet Devik, Hanne Isiaelsen and Live Dokka all enjoyed the international

lunch held at Gardens Point during O Week.

QUT’s School of Accountancy has risento the challenge of the impending GSTand is offering a variety of courses whichdeal with the new tax.

One of the largest providers oftaxation education in Australia, QUTmoved quickly last year to develop bothundergraduate and postgraduate coursesin GST once it became clear the salestax would be introduced in July.

By the end of 2000, more than 400students will have completed theuniversity’s specialist GST subjects.

Hundreds of students get jump on GSTRobert Olding, a taxation partner at

KPMG, is an adjunct professor inQUT’s School of Accountancy withparticular responsibility for developingthe School’s GST knowledge and subjectofferings.

Mr Olding has headed KPMG’sQueensland indirect tax practice since1988 and has been lecturing in indirecttaxation at QUT for many years.

The school has also been involved ina national training program forAustralia’s not-for-profit sector.

QUT’s Associate Professor MylesMcGregor-Lowndes is an internationallyrecognised expert on the regulation ofthe not-for-profit sector.

Over the past year, he has assembled alarge team of experts in the fields of taxationlaw and not-for-profit law to providetraining throughout Australia’s capital citiesand country regions on how the GST is tobe applied to non-profit organisations.

This massive task is being completedwith the co-operation of the AustralianTaxation Office.

All QUT employees can now receivepayments for reimbursement ofexpenses, advances and allowances byElectronic Funds Transfer (EFT).

Finance Department Accountsmanager Trevor Poyner said the newfacility was introduced in February.

He said EFTwould gradually becomethe principal method of payment usedby Accounting and Business Services forstaff, students and creditors.

The EFT facility would be

Electronic Funds Transfer will easereimbursement of expenses

particularly useful to QUT staff whenthey travelled on official business, MrPoyner said.

“The EFT will provide immediateaccess to funds with no waiting time forcheques to clear and no possibility ofcheques being lost in the mail,” he said.

He said other advantages included areduction in the administrative processassociated with handling chequepayments, enhanced security andimproved cash management.

INSIDE QUT March 7 – 27, 2000 Page 5

QUT has opened a second childcarefacility on the Gardens Point

campus.The Gardens Point Creche, which

will be operated by the QUT StudentGuild, is open to the public, QUT staffand students, and can accommodate 30children.

Minister for Families, Youth andCommunity Care Anna Bligh and QUTChancellor Dr Cherrell Hirst officiallyopened the bright new creche last monthin X Block, the former QueenslandConservatorium of Music building.

The Queensland Department ofFamilies, Youth and Community Care,and the Commonwealth Department ofFamilies and Community Servicescontributed $530,000 towards the totalcost of $800,000 for the creche.

“The opening of the new GardensPoint Creche will provide a total of 55childcare places on the campus,” DrHirst said.

“Having childcare places available oncampus can be very important tostudents wanting to further their studies,or to staff trying to balance a career withfamily life.”

Ms Bligh congratulated QUT onopening the creche.

The Gardens Point Creche caters forchildren from birth to five years of age,but will concentrate on children underthree. There are still a limited numberof vacancies at the creche. For moreinformation, call director Richard Harton 3864 4047.

Second city creche opens at QUT

Gardens Point Creche director Richard Hart with Emily Cook (centre) and Thandi Patterson at the opening of the new childcare centre lastmonth.

Former ATSIC Commissioner and Australia’s highest rankingindigenous police officer Colin Dillon received an honorary doctoratefrom QUT on February 18.

Inspector Dillon, who chairs QUT’s Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Committee, urged young Australians to seize everyopportunity to improve their education.

“It’s very important for young people to grab opportunities withboth hands and to get a tertiary education to compete in this world,”Inspector Dillon said.

In 1990 Inspector Dillon became the first indigenous Australianto be appointed as an inspector of police and, in the same year, hewas awarded the Australian Police Medal in the Queen’s honour listfor distinguished police service to Queensland.

Inspector Dillon joined the Queensland Police Force as a constablein 1965 – a profession he says was then riddled with racism – and hasreceived commendations for his police work and bravery.

In 1996 he was appointed to the board of the Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Commission by the Federal Government, andwas given responsibility for all matters relating to the RoyalCommission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

Honorary doctoratefor former ATSICcommissioner

Inspector Colin Dillon ... honoured by QUT

Australia’s newest Aviation Academy has taken off with its firstintake of students.

The Academy for International Aviation Careers (AIAC), based atBrisbane’s Archerfield Airport, brings together QUT, the RoyalQueensland Aero Club (RQAC) and Technical and FurtherEducation (TAFE) Queensland.

Graduates who complete the 18-month course will receive a TAFEDiploma of Applied Science (aviation).

Academic programs director in the Faculty of Science Dr AlGrenfell said students who successfully completed the diploma orequivalent would gain entry to QUT’s Bachelor of Applied Sciencecourse and could be credited with an aviation co-major.

This year the AIAC plans to have two course intakes – the first wasin February and the second begins on July 17.

AIAC international marketing and careers manager Geoff Hillsaid 12 students would be trained on each course, with about equalnumbers coming from Australia and overseas.

Mr Hill said it was quite feasible for a student to complete theTAFE diploma, the QUT degree and have an Australian PrivatePilots Licence, Commercial Pilots Licence, Multi-Engine CommandInstrument Rating and an Air Transport Pilot Licence within fouryears.

– Noel Gentner

Australia’s AviationAcademy takes off

Flying instructor Mark Stelzh (left) with TanweerRehman from Pakistan who is upgrading his pilotqualifications for Australia.

A group of 50 QUT students celebrated Australia Day in China inthe most true-blue fashion – drinking beer with former Prime MinisterBob Hawke.

Their chance encounter with Mr Hawke at the AustralianConsulate in Shanghai was a diversion during a fact-finding trip forbusiness students interested in doing business with, or in, China.

The trip, undertaken as part of an elective business subject, wasdesigned to introduce students to the opportunities and challengesof doing business with China, which is one of Australia’s largest, andincreasingly important trading partners.

Management lecturer Dr Kate Hutchings and PhD student RobMcEllister co-ordinated the trip.

Dr Hutchings said 10 of the students planned to work in China.“The trip exposed the students to China’s rapidly developing

economy, which will play a pivotal role in Australia’s future economicand social future,” Dr Hutchings said.

Business students exposed toburgeoning Chinese trade

“It also gave them some idea of the career potential for businessstudents interested in working overseas.”

Mr McEllister said students were surprised by China’s economicdevelopment, but disturbed by the gap between rich and poor.

“The students were amazed by the extent of the development inChina and in particular the obvious wealth and spending power ofmany Chinese,” he said.

“At the same time, the poverty and differences in income wereobvious in the poorer housing and even the number of beggars.

“I think they were unprepared for the extent of the developmentof cities such as Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing.”

The group met with Queensland’s Trade Commissioner to ChinaScott Shephard, who outlined the current trading activity betweenQueensland and China, and future business opportunities ineducation, food and tourism.

– Amanda O’Chee

Page 6 INSIDE QUT March 7 – 27, 2000

A university for the real world

Oodgeroo Scholarships 2000The Oodgeroo Scholarships havebeen created by the Oodgeroo(Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander) Unit, QueenslandUniversity of Technology, inconsultation with the family ofOodgeroo Noonuccal.

Scholarships of up to $3,000 peryear are available to IndigenousAustralians enrolled (either ascommencing or continuing students)in the following postgraduateprograms at QUT in 2000:

■ Master of Arts within:Academy of Arts: Dance, drama,music, visual arts;

Queensland University of TechnologyVictoria Park Road Kelvin Grove Q 4059 http://www.qut.edu.au

School of Humanities: Literature,political studies; orSchool of Media and Journalism:Creative writing.■ Master of Education (Research)Applicants should demonstrate acommitment to the work and ideas ofOodgeroo Noonuccal especially inpromoting awareness of Indigenouscultures, history and contemporaryissues.

For an application form or furtherinformation concerning eligibility orother requirements, contact the

Oodgeroo Unit on (07) 38643610, fax (07) 3864 3982 ore-mail: p.tripcony@qut.edu.au

GE

N4

By Noel Gentner

Olympic athletes and the elderlycould benefit from research being

carried out at QUT to understand and solvethe riddle of the causes of muscle pain.

Dr Simon Green has developed atechnique which investigates leg crampscaused by restrictions to circulation.

A lecturer in exercise physiology inthe School of Human MovementStudies, Dr Green has already receivedinternational recognition for his work.

Dr Green’s research is unique inAustralia and only two other researchgroups in the world are developing thetechnique using active live muscle.

Dr Green said his interest in thesubject began more than18 months agoduring a visit to the Copenhagen MuscleResearch Centre in Denmark.

Since then Dr Green has received anInternational Olympic CommitteeWorld Congress on Sport Sciencesaward for excellence in biologicalsciences.

Dr Green said the research wasinvestigating a number of avenues thatcould be related to the pain, includingchemical signals originating in activemuscles.

“The nature of these muscle signals isnot well understood,” Dr Green said.

“The pain you experience if youexercise or work too hard and the fatigueyou feel may be related to these signals.”

The new Dean of QUT’s Faculty of Arts,Professor John Hartley, describes himselfas a “new Australian” looking forwardto what the country can offer.

London-born, Professor Hartley haslived and worked in Australia for manyyears but has spent the past four years inWales as Professor and head of theSchool of Journalism, Media andCultural Studies at Cardiff University.

Before that he was FoundationProfessor of Media Studies at the EdithCowan University in Western Australia,spent eleven years at the MurdochUniversity, and nine years at thePolytechnic of Wales.

He is author and co-author ofnumerous books and articles in the fieldsof contemporary media and culturalstudies, a radio broadcaster andfilmmaker.

Professor Hartley, who took up hisposition at QUT last month, said hewas looking forward to the challengeshis new position brought.

Patients are reluctant to ask nurses forstrong pain relievers because they fearthey will become addicted to painrelieving drugs, say QUT researchers.

QUT School of Nursing seniorlecturer Robyn Nash said post-operativepatients frequently waited until theirpain became severe before they wouldapproach nurses for relief.

Ms Nash and fellow-QUT School ofNursing academics Patsy Yates,Associate Professor Helen Edwards,Belinda Fentiman and Jan McDowellfound education strategies before surgerymade patients more willing to ask aboutpain relief.

Ms Nash presented a paper at thesecond Australasian Evidence-BasedNursing and Midwifery Colloquium,Getting a Grip on the Evidence, held atthe Parkroyal Brisbane last month.

The guest speaker was GeelongHospital Chief of Critical Care ServicesDr Stephen Bolsin.

QUT Conference OrganisingCommittee spokesperson DeanneGaskill said nurses from across Australiaattended the colloquium, designed as aforum for nurses to compare the resultsof their research, reduce errors andimprove health care.

A team from the School of Mathematical Sciences has wona $295,000, three-year Strategic Partnerships with Industry– Research and Training (SPIRT) grant to undertakebiostatistics research for Brisbane’s Prince Charles andPrincess Alexandra Hospitals.

Researchers will develop new statistical models toimprove the recording and interpretation of key data onpatients, medical procedures, drug use and research in thetwo hospitals.

Including in-kind support, the study is worth about$750,000 over three years.

Senior lecturer Dr Kerrie Mengersen will lead the researchteam, which includes head of School Professor Tony Pettitt,senior lecturer Dr Rodney Wolff and a consortium of stafffrom the Prince Charles and Princess Alexandra hospitals.

The School of Mathematical Sciences has reaped half ofall the latest ARC SPIRT grants awarded for maths researchacross Australia.

The school has won four of eight SPIRT grants formaths, representing approximately 25 per cent of the dollarvalue of all SPIRT grants won by QUT in the latest round.

School scoops four grantsReferring to the biostatistics research project, Dr

Mengersen said the study of biostatistics was a boomingfield in statistics.

“Hospitals are being pushed to better justify their clinicaland administrative decisions by using data. This is calledevidence-based medical practice,” Dr Mengersen said.

“In order to do that they need to gather the data and, inorder to understand the data, they need statistical methods.”

The team will develop new statistical techniques whichare tailored to the needs of the health sector, such as measuringand comparing two medical techniques or different drugregimes, predicting rare health outcomes or producing trendsor projections of hospital activities or outbreaks.

“We will develop statistical methods that are moreappropriate for the type of problems that are faced in hospitalresearch, because most statistical methods are not very goodat predicting rare events,” Dr Mengersen said.

The study complements the quantitative modelling beingconducted by the Queensland Health Care Research Group(a joint venture between Qld Health and QUT), withinQUT’s Centre in Statistical Science and IndustrialMathematics.

Research into muscle pain

Dr Green’s technique also looks at,and endeavors to identify, these signalsto quantify the extent of theirinvolvement in physiological responsesto exercise and pain.

He said the importance of his researchwas that it continued to develop the

methodological foundation for otherapproaches to be made into musclefatigue and pain.

His research had shown that potassiumis not responsible for increased pain peopleexperience when blood flow was restrictedto working muscles.

Dr Green said for more than 30years there had been a focus onpotass ium as a factor in pain-producing substances.

“We will now have to look at othersubstances as the main culprits that causepain,” he said.

Lecturer in exercise physiology in the School of Human Movement Studies Dr Simon Green isresearching the problems and causes of muscle pain.

New Dean of Arts takes the reins

“There are areas of excellence withinthe faculty that are already in a leadingposition in Australia and I would like toassist in making the whole faculty pre-eminent in what it does,” ProfessorHartley said.

He said he saw some immediateopportunities ahead.

“One challenge will be in finding afocus for a large but diverse faculty thatis spread over three campuses,” ProfessorHartley said.

“Another challenge is to make sure afaculty of arts in a university of technologypursues research and teaching in waysthat draw on the strengths of theconnection between arts and technology.

“An exciting example of whatmight be possible is the plan for thedevelopment of a creative industriesprecinct at Kelvin Grove whichwould involve several schools in thefaculty.”

Professor Hartley said the northerncorridor and the expansion of facilitiesat Carseldine also offered newopportunities for the faculty.

He said he hoped the faculty woulddevelop a distinctive identity and aninternally collaborative climate thatwould help staff and students alike toreach the highest standards in theirspecialist areas.

Arts Dean Professor John Hartley.

Patientshave fearsabout painrelief – study

A draft report on QUT students’ andstaff technological literacy skills,computer usage, access and attitudes isavailable on the Web.

The site is at http://www.ta l s .d i s .qut . edu.au/TaLSSS/TALDU/TandL.htm

The report is part of theTechnological Literacy Project, a two-year initiative funded under QUT’sLarge Teaching and Learning GrantScheme.

It brings together findings from threestudent surveys, conducted between1997 and 1999 and one staff surveyconducted in 1998.

Comments are sought from staffbefore March 17 and can be directredto Technological Literacy Projectmanager Darien Rossiter. Email her ond.rossiter@qut.edu.au or call her on3864 2993.

Technologicalliteracy reportreleased

In Japan recently, InternationalMarketing Manager Kieran O’Brienfound himself in pain and unable tokeep up with offsider Laurel Brightrunning for a train to make the nextmeeting.

The reason, he soon realised, was notthe state of his lungs, but rather his shoesfelt a size too small. In a hurried exitfrom his previous meeting – whereprotocol demanded he remove his shoesbefore entering an executive office - hehad obviously jumped into the wrongpair of shoes. It was little comfort tohim that someone else must have beenwalking around in look-alike shoes asize too large.

While an attractive solution was tobuy a new pair of shoes to match hisdark suit, a quick assessment of the costof shoes there made it easier for him todemonstrate that casual brown shoes canactually be worn with all sorts of outfits.

INSIDE QUT March 7 – 27, 2000 Page 7

S tate Health Minister WendyEdmond had an eye-opening visit

to QUT in Orientation Week as thespecial guest at the inaugural Faculty ofHealth student lecture.

Ms Edmond, who addressed 250students and staff, offeredencouragement to new studentsembarking on health careers in Australia.

Ms Edmond recalled her own careeruncertainty when, on her first day oftraining at the Queensland RadiumInstitute, the head of departmentpredicted the demise of radiography.

“The head of department told us thatwe couldn’t rely on ongoingemployment as radiographers because,he explained, ‘we all know the cure for

Minister haseye-openingexperience

cancer is imminent’,” Ms Edmond said.During her visit Ms Edmond had her

eyes examined in QUT’s OptometryClinic and toured the Health Faculty’sresearch and teaching facilities.

Ms Edmond said she was impressedby the quality of ongoing health researchat QUT and looked forward toincreasing links between the universityand Queensland Health.

“Our partnerships with QUT andother leading educational organisationsallow us to provide input into health-related courses to ensure that students… are receiving education and trainingthat is relevant to industry needs,” MsEdmond said.

– Margaret LawsonQueensland Health Minister Wendy Edmond is examined by QUT optometry student Natasha Sleepduring a tour of the Health Faculty’s research and teaching facilities.

QUT, the Department of Main Roads and theQueensland Audit Office have banded togetherfor an 18-month study investigating how tosuccessfully manage “culture change”.

Masters student Jenny Waterhouse will studyculture change within the Department of MainRoads.

QUT management lecturer and team leaderfor the project Dr Kerry Brown said the studyhighlighted the close working relationshipbetween QUT’s School of Management andvarious government departments.

“Jenny works for the Queensland AuditOffice, but they have allowed her transfer toMain Roads to complete the research,” DrBrown said.

“The study looks at the transition fromtraditional public administration to a new publicmanagement model, which has a more strategicapproach and which focuses on managingrelationships between workers.”

Dr Brown said the project was stronglysupported by Director-General of Main RoadsJim Varghese and the State Auditor-GeneralLen Scanlan.

– Amanda O’Chee

Study focuses on change inworkplace at Main Roads

QUT masters student JennyWaterhouse studing change in theDepartment of Main Roads.

Childcare centres across Queensland will play agreater role in promoting nutrition and healthyeating to young children, thanks to a bookwritten by three QUT academics.

School of Early Childhood Studies’ NadineMcCrea and Julie Appleton and Carla Pattersonfrom the Centre for Public Health Research havewritten There’s More to Food Than Eating: FoodFoundations for Children from Birth to EightYears.

The book is a comprehensive resource forfood and nutrition education in childcareservices. It has been distributed to more than2,000 childcare, school-age care and family daycare centres across the State.

Ms Appleton said the book contained easyrecipes for children.

“It focuses on involving children in planningtheir diet, hands-on food experiences and showsthat food education can also boost numeracyand literacy learning,” she said.

The project received a State Governmentgrant of $100,000 and was officially launchedlast year by Minister for Families, Youth andCommunity Care Anna Bligh.

– Andrea Hammond

Healthy eatingpromoted at Statechildcare centres

By Amanda O’Chee

QUT education lecturer AssociateProfessor John Lidstone has receivedinternational recognition for excellencein teaching and research in the field ofgeographical and environmentaleducation.

Professor Lidstone was last yearawarded the University of Helsinkimedal, bestowed on distinguishedvisiting teachers of internationalprominence.

He was approached to spend a monthas a visiting lecturer at the University ofHelsinki, where all seven of the bookshe has written or edited are held andused as teaching resources atundergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Professor Lidstone, from the Schoolof Professional Studies, has become aninternationally recognised figure in hisfield.

He founded the InternationalResearch in Geographical and

Education lecturer wins medalfrom University of Helsinki

Environmental Education journal andhas been co-editor for the past decade.

Professor Lidstone said he washonoured to receive the award,particularly from a university with sucha long history.

“The University of Helsinki wasfounded in 1640 and moved to Helsinkiin 1828 when Turku was burned down,”said Professor Lidstone, who has a specialinterest in teaching and learning aboutdisasters.

“The university is centred on Senatesquare, in the centre of Helsinki, aroundwhich the four pillars of Russian society(Finland was a Grand Duchy of Russiafor more than a hundred years) arerepresented by the church, the civilgovernment, education and commerce.

“Inviting teachers and researchersfrom a wide range of countries seems tobe part of the university culture inScandinavia.

“One of the great joys was sharingbreakfast with a theoretical physicist

from Russia, a statistician from Poland,an education professor from the UK andan environmental aesthetics professorfrom the US. Such interaction enabledme to view my own areas from totallydifferent perspectives and to learn somuch.”

Comparing Australian and Finnishuniversities, Professor Lidstone saidFinnish students in education regardeda master’s degree as the basicqualification and few left immediatelyafter finishing a bachelor’s degree.

“Students are very quiet in class,listen avidly and reflect before enteringinto a conversation or question/answerdebate with the lecturer,” he said.

“When they do speak, their questionsare then very pertinent and reflective.It was rarely possible to give a briefanswer to their questions.

“There seemed to be a much greateremphasis on exploring deep meaningsin the context of traditional philosophythan in Australia.”Professor John Lidstone has been awarded the University of

Helsinki medal.

Page 8 INSIDE QUT March 7 – 27, 2000

Check out What’s On and post you entries at

http://www.whatson.qut.edu.au/

Inside QUT is published by QUT’s Corporate Communication Department.Readership includes staff, students and members of the QUT community.

It is also circulated to business, industry, government and the media. Eachstory has been checked with the source prior to publication.

Letters to the editor are welcome via mail or email c.ryanclur@qut.edu.au. TheCorporate Communication address: Level 5, M Block, Room 514, GardensPoint or GPO Box 2434 Brisbane 4001.

Opinions expressed in Inside QUT do not necessarily represent those of theuniversity or the editorial team.Colleen Ryan Clur (editor) 3864 1150.Andrea Hammond 3864 4494.Noel Gentner (part-time) 3864 1841.Fax 3210 0474.Photography: Tony Phillips, Suzie PrestwidgeAdvertising: David Lloyd-Jones 3864 1840.

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Faculty of Science Dean’s Scholar Melanie Simpson officially opened the new, state-of-the art StudentCentre at QUT’s Gardens Point campus last month. A new one-stop centre is almost complete atCarseldine while a new centre for Kelvin Grove will be launched later this year.

Competent and confident people arebeing sought by the QUT Student GuildSport and Recreation department to takepart in the 2000 National AUS Gamesin Ballarat and various championshipsthis year.

The people the guild is looking forwon’t be competitors, rather managers forparticular sports at the venues.

Guild sports officer Karen Bucholzsaid the department was seekingvolunteers with a thoroughunderstanding of the sport they will

Guild seeks help with Gamesmanage, as well as confidence in dealingwith the management of a large sportingevent.

“The successful applicants will beworking as a team with the Sport andRecreation staff.”

The Australian Universities Sport(AUS) northern games this year arebeing hosted by the Central QueenslandUniversity in Rockhampton from July2 to 6.

Athletes will compete in 13 sports,including netball, squash, soccer,

cycling, basketball, hockey, rugby union,softball and volleyball.

Ms Bucholz said the games wouldprovide sport managers with anopportunity to enhance theiradministration skills.

She said volunteer managers were alsorequired for the Australian Swimmingshort course championships beinghosted by QUT at the Gardens Pointcampus from April 27 to 28.

For more information call MsBucholz on 3864 3708.

– Noel Gentner

Sport scholarships worth almost$10,000 are available to QUT students.

Student Guild Sport officer KarenBucholz said the scholarships would helpQUT students complete their universityeducation while still competing in theirchosen sport.

“Most of the cost of participating in sportis borne by the students who representQUT in inter-university championshipsand games,” Ms Bucholz said.

“As one of the largest universities inAustralia and one with an illustrioushistory of participation and achievement,we would like to be able to continue tohave our best athletes represent us.

Scholarships on offer“Faced with rising university costs,

students need all the help they can getjust to be able to go onto the field.”

Ms Bucholz said the ability tocombine sport and education should notbe limited to those who could afford it.

She said scholarships availableincluded four worth $1,200 each andeight worth $600 each.

“Last year, the scholarships attracted150 applicants,” Ms Bucholz said.

Applications close on March 15 andthe winners will be announced at aluncheon on Friday March 31.

For more information call MsBucholz on 3864 3708.

Former Senator Margaret Reynolds willbe the guest speaker at a lunch tocelebrate International Women’s Dayat QUT.

The free lunch and seminar are being

organised by the Equity Section and willbe held at Old Government House at12.45pm on Friday March 10.

For more information contact LilijanaSimic on (07) 3864 5601.

Margaret Reynolds is guest speaker

During the summer 12 Academy of Artsstudents worked with two of Australia’sleading directors, Steven Grives andAnatoly Frusin, as they prepared for theirfirst full-length productions.

Mike Leigh’s edgy black comedySmelling a Rat will be the first Academyperformance for 2000, running fromMarch 2 to 11 in Kelvin Grove’sWoodward Theatre from 7pm.

Come Back to the Five and Dime,Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean runs fromMarch 23 to April 1. It was made famousby the 1982 film of the same name.

For theatre-goers coming straightfrom work, a $15 ticket available fromBeadles Café on the Quad will entitlethem to pasta and a glass of wine beforethe show.

These exclusive dinner-theatre ticketsare available only on March 3, 9, 10,24, 30 and 31 by calling Beadles Caféon 3864 9701.

Holidays cutshort for actors

FROM THE ACADEMY

Mar 9 - 10 Movie: Election. Kelvin Grove campus - Mar 9, 4pm,L101; Gardens Point campus – Mar 10, 12noon and 4pm,Gardens Point Club; 7pm at Kindler Theatre.

Mar 11 Disorientation Festival 2000 . Cost is $10 for students,$12 for the public, $15 for both shows, 5pm, Arena –Fortitude Valley. Line-up includes Sprung Monkey,Lunachicks and ZBD.

Tickets are available from Rocking Horse, Skinny’s, QUTStudent Guild Help Desks or call Arena on 3252 5690.

FROM THE ACADEMY

Mar 2-11 Smelling a Rat. An edgy black comedy directed by StevenGrives and written by Mike Leigh. Contact Karen Willey atk.willey@qut.edu.au or call her on 3864 3453.

Mar 22 – Apr 1 Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean,Jimmy Dean. Directed by Anatoly Frusin, this play is set ina small town in West Texas where members of a localJames Dean fan club gather for a 20-year reunion. ContactKaren Willey at k.willey@qut.edu.au or call 3864 3453.

Daily free lunchtime music at Beadles Café at Kelvin Grove.

SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES

CAREERS AND EMPLOYMENT

Mar 21 QUT Careers Fair. Information for students aboutgraduate career opportunities and postgraduate study,11am-3pm, Main Drive, GP. Contact Cassandra Sceresiniat c.sceresini@qut.edu.au or call her on 3864 2695.

ATEM BREAKFAST

Mar 27 Breakfast with Professor Vicki Sara. Cost is $25 forATEM members and $30 for non-members, 7.15-8.45am,Hotel Grand Chancellor. Professor Vicki Sara is the Chair ofthe Australian Research Council. Register with PaulAbernethy at p.abernethy@qut.edu.au or call himon 3864 2693.

STAFF WELLNESS PROGRAM

Mar 9 Breast Self-Examination Forum. Campus nurse MarieKappel will lead you through all you need to know aboutbreast self-examination. Morning tea will be provided.Contact Sheree Richmond at s.richmond@qut.edu.au orcall her on 3864 9704.

Weekly Walking for Wellness. Carseldine campus – L Block,Monday, 5-6pm; Kelvin Grove campus – Wellness Centre(P102A), Tuesday and Thursday, 7-8am. For furtherinformation email Sheree Richmond ats.richmond@qut.edu.au or call her on 3864 9704.

Weekly Stretch/Yoga classes. Gardens Point campus – from 20March; Kelvin Grove campus – from 23 March. Times vary -contact Sheree Richmond at s.richmond@qut.edu.au or callher on 386 49704.