Macquarie Matters » Arts & culture https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters Your Macquarie Alumni News Sun, 11 Feb 2024 23:40:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 2024 Graduate Outcome Survey (GOS) – November 2023 Round https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/2023-graduate-outcomes-survey-gos/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/2023-graduate-outcomes-survey-gos/#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:30:26 +0000 Yue Zhang http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3470 GOS Wordpress Carousel 1170x350 (2)

DVCA607510_743x431px (1) Did you graduate in October 2023? Keep an eye on your email inbox for your unique invitation to participate in the Australia-wide Graduate Outcome Survey (GOS).
The GOS is a national survey being conducted for the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills, and Employment. Your feedback is important and will contribute directly to the experience of current and future students at Macquarie University. Results from the survey are used to gain insight and make improvements to teaching and learning, and services for students. Please see the highlights from the 2023 GOS and initiatives undertaken by the University.
All responses are confidential and aggregated for reporting purposes. Summary results from this national survey are published on the Compare Ed Website.
As an incentive for your participation, you will have the chance to enter the weekly prize draw to win a $1,000, or $500 or $250 pre-paid VISA gift card. Prize draws take place at the end of each week over the four-week survey period. Additional prize information, including terms and conditions, can be found on the GOS website.
We encourage you to participate and complete this important survey.
* Go to http://www.srcentre.com.au/qilt/gostcsb for prize draw term and conditions Results from previous Graduate Outcome Survey 123 https://students.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1278973/Graduate-Outcomes-Survey-Nov2023.pdf]]> GOS Wordpress Carousel 1170x350 (2)

DVCA607510_743x431px (1) Did you graduate in October 2023? Keep an eye on your email inbox for your unique invitation to participate in the Australia-wide Graduate Outcome Survey (GOS).
The GOS is a national survey being conducted for the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills, and Employment. Your feedback is important and will contribute directly to the experience of current and future students at Macquarie University. Results from the survey are used to gain insight and make improvements to teaching and learning, and services for students. Please see the highlights from the 2023 GOS and initiatives undertaken by the University.
All responses are confidential and aggregated for reporting purposes. Summary results from this national survey are published on the Compare Ed Website.
As an incentive for your participation, you will have the chance to enter the weekly prize draw to win a $1,000, or $500 or $250 pre-paid VISA gift card. Prize draws take place at the end of each week over the four-week survey period. Additional prize information, including terms and conditions, can be found on the GOS website.
We encourage you to participate and complete this important survey.
* Go to http://www.srcentre.com.au/qilt/gostcsb for prize draw term and conditions Results from previous Graduate Outcome Survey 123 https://students.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1278973/Graduate-Outcomes-Survey-Nov2023.pdf]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/2023-graduate-outcomes-survey-gos/feed/ 2 Owning (hi)story https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/owning-history/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/owning-history/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2022 02:55:24 +0000 Larissa Moore http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=4830 Craig Wordpress Carousel 1170x350 (1)

[caption id="attachment_4831" align="alignnone" width="743"]Craig Middleton Craig Middleton[/caption] There’s no doubt the world of work has changed. Obviously, more of us are working from home, but there’s another significant shift that is much more subtle. Who we are as a person, our background and our values, is not only enriching the work we do, it’s having an impact on the world around us and how we see ourselves as a society. For Craig Middleton – who credits being able to follow his interests in the Masters of Museum Studies at Macquarie University with setting his career in motion – as Senior Curator at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, he brings his whole self to work. And we, and the collection, are richer for it. ‘Absolutely, my Masters of Museum Studies at Macquarie University is what led me to where I am today,” says Craig Middleton from his office in Canberra. Currently Senior Curator at the National Museum of Australia, it’s not a career he would have seen for himself as a young boy growing up in Adelaide but, as a series of work opportunities have unfolded in his life, the recurrent theme of following what you’re interested in has served him well. Middleton always enjoyed history at school and university, but it wasn’t until he was at the end of his undergraduate degree in arts and international studies and he had the opportunity to study in Rome, Italy, that the subject really came to life for him. ‘Museums and galleries weren’t really on my radar when I was growing up,’ recalls Middleton, ‘but in Rome, I was engaging almost daily with these amazing buildings and monuments. What really struck me was how they were being cared for and communicated; people were really proud of them. ‘It was a fascinating cultural experience and helped me realise there were career pathways in history, and that museum studies was what I wanted to do – I wanted to look after my place, my home; I wanted to care for our history.’ One of the few masters degrees in museum studies at the time, Macquarie University also offered the course by distance, which meant Middleton didn’t have to give up his position at the National Motor Museum in the Adelaide Hills to move to Sydney. ‘Museum jobs are hard to come by,’ he affirms, ‘so the flexibility of being able to study externally was perfect. Plus, there weren’t any other courses at the time that allowed me to pursue social history, art history and science – with so many museums on campus, they could offer a really diverse course.’ Still, what Middleton liked most was that the course was heavily research-focused and self-directed in terms of content. ‘The structure of the course meant I was able to follow my own interests in the sector,’ he says of his masters project, which focused on political ephemera collections from the Bob Hawke era. ‘Things that are created for a moment in time and then meant to be chucked out, such as what you see in the bins outside polling booths at elections. I was really interested in how and what to collect in those spaces,’ he explains. Middleton has drawn on this focus on contemporary collecting throughout his career ever since, building on it over time through various positions in Adelaide, such as with the History Trust of South Australia, the Migration Museum and the State Library, as well as the Centre of Democracy, where he was the inaugural curator. Joining the National Museum of Australia in August 2019, Middleton was on the run from the beginning. ‘One of the first things I did was go to the climate strikes – there was the big one in Melbourne with 150 000 people – and then the bushfires started. I was ready with the skills to do contemporary collecting around those issues,’ he notes. Then, of course, COVID happened. ‘I’ve led the COVID collecting at the museum through an online project called Momentous, which pulls together stories of COVID-19 and the 2019–2020 bushfire season and gets people reflecting on profound change and how we as a nation respond to it.’ How we see ourselves, and seeing ourselves in our national collections, is a driving force in Middleton’s career. ‘It’s important to me that museums are not just rooms full of objects, but they’re world-making, so what you see in a museum and what is reflected back to you informs how you understand the world. ‘If you think about a young person who goes into the museum and can’t see themselves or their perspectives or their story, they’re not going to want to come back – but it could also say to that person that their story doesn’t matter, or they don’t matter. ‘That’s why I’m so passionate about being in this sector, breaking that apart to ensure that diversity and complexity exist within these spaces so that people can either see themselves quite literally in a museum, or they can find ways to see themselves through the tools of display and labelling, and can engage more deeply.’ Another area of interest in Middleton’s professional practice is the intersection between the LGBTIQ+ community and museums, which covers everything from audiences to collections and content. ‘I started that journey in South Australia,’ he explains. ‘I was noticing a lack of queer stories across the board, so started working on building better representation for LGBTIQ+ communities in museums with my colleague Dr Nikki Sullivan, who coincidentally had been an associate professor at MQ in cultural studies. ‘This led to many different projects, including community history projects, and exhibition projects where we invited community members into the museum to relook at existing collections from the perspective of gender and sexuality. We also wrote a book called Queering the museum, which is still having an impact in the sector nationally and internationally.’ It’s almost difficult to keep up with the number of projects Middleton has been and is currently involved in, reflecting his energy and bright, enquiring mind that is open to the world around him; one that sees others and the myriad possibilities of life. No less, there’s a sense of joyful purpose as he explains his most exciting current project is a targeted collecting project around the LGBTIQ+ community aimed at diversifying representation in the National Museum’s collection. ‘It covers everything from the kinds and number of stories that are told, so we don’t rely on recycling the same ones over and over, and then moving out of the cities and into the regions, thinking about what life is like and has been like in regional Australia, which just hasn’t been represented.’ It’s clear talking to Craig just how important museums are not just to remember the past but to reflect on the present moment and inform the future too. And, as institutions lean into the current moment, the crucial role they play in society. ‘It’s commonly understood that a visitor comes to a museum with their own lived experience,’ offers Middleton. ‘They come with their own perspective, and with a background of class, race, gender, ethnicity, and that influences how they understand the world, how they operate in the world, as does their privilege or their lack of privilege, and their marginalisation. ‘There’s an acknowledgment now that all these things play into how people understand their experience of museums, how they look at objects, and what they will and won’t engage with. Because of that, museums have had to make a shift away from the grand narrative history that privileges the conquerors. ‘Those stories are real, they happened, but particularly in the last decade or two with the inclusion of First Nations voices, the different perspectives that are told within a museum are now giving a multi-dimensional story, which leans into the complexity of life and the world. ‘So, we’re not just distilling history into a single, very easy-to-read narrative, we’re saying the world’s more complicated than that, and we’re more complicated than that, and there are lots of different ways to look at history – the museum sector has changed enormously.’ It’s a shift that also extends to those working in the arts and cultural sector. ‘There’s an acknowledgement that these institutions are made up of people with particular skill sets and expertise, and institutions should draw on that so people can contribute in purposeful ways. ‘I’ve been fortunate throughout my career that I’ve been enabled to do that,’ says Middleton, who often refers to himself as a community-engaged professional. ‘I do what I do not for the sake of art or history, but so I can have a meaningful impact on people’s lives through representation, a moment of joy, or a sense of belonging that this work can give someone.’ Craig Middleton (he/him/his) graduated from Macquarie University with a Masters in Museum Studies (2014). He is a curator and creative producer with wide-ranging interests in Australian social history, histories of LGBTIQ+ people and communities, and critical museology. Across his career, he has been responsible for collection management and development, content and creative production, exhibition project management, digital innovation, community engagement, public programming, marketing and more. His commitment to LGBTIQ+ representation has informed his work in museums, including through the creation of tours, programs, exhibitions and research. He is a widely published author. His book Queering the museum, co-authored with Dr Nikki Sullivan and published by Routledge in 2019, develops a queer analysis of how museums construct themselves, their core business and their publics through the often-unconscious use of inherited ways of knowing and doing. Middleton believes in the role of arts and culture to strengthen communities, combat social exclusion and support a healthy and active democracy. Middleton tweets.]]> Craig Wordpress Carousel 1170x350 (1)

[caption id="attachment_4831" align="alignnone" width="743"]Craig Middleton Craig Middleton[/caption] There’s no doubt the world of work has changed. Obviously, more of us are working from home, but there’s another significant shift that is much more subtle. Who we are as a person, our background and our values, is not only enriching the work we do, it’s having an impact on the world around us and how we see ourselves as a society. For Craig Middleton – who credits being able to follow his interests in the Masters of Museum Studies at Macquarie University with setting his career in motion – as Senior Curator at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, he brings his whole self to work. And we, and the collection, are richer for it. ‘Absolutely, my Masters of Museum Studies at Macquarie University is what led me to where I am today,” says Craig Middleton from his office in Canberra. Currently Senior Curator at the National Museum of Australia, it’s not a career he would have seen for himself as a young boy growing up in Adelaide but, as a series of work opportunities have unfolded in his life, the recurrent theme of following what you’re interested in has served him well. Middleton always enjoyed history at school and university, but it wasn’t until he was at the end of his undergraduate degree in arts and international studies and he had the opportunity to study in Rome, Italy, that the subject really came to life for him. ‘Museums and galleries weren’t really on my radar when I was growing up,’ recalls Middleton, ‘but in Rome, I was engaging almost daily with these amazing buildings and monuments. What really struck me was how they were being cared for and communicated; people were really proud of them. ‘It was a fascinating cultural experience and helped me realise there were career pathways in history, and that museum studies was what I wanted to do – I wanted to look after my place, my home; I wanted to care for our history.’ One of the few masters degrees in museum studies at the time, Macquarie University also offered the course by distance, which meant Middleton didn’t have to give up his position at the National Motor Museum in the Adelaide Hills to move to Sydney. ‘Museum jobs are hard to come by,’ he affirms, ‘so the flexibility of being able to study externally was perfect. Plus, there weren’t any other courses at the time that allowed me to pursue social history, art history and science – with so many museums on campus, they could offer a really diverse course.’ Still, what Middleton liked most was that the course was heavily research-focused and self-directed in terms of content. ‘The structure of the course meant I was able to follow my own interests in the sector,’ he says of his masters project, which focused on political ephemera collections from the Bob Hawke era. ‘Things that are created for a moment in time and then meant to be chucked out, such as what you see in the bins outside polling booths at elections. I was really interested in how and what to collect in those spaces,’ he explains. Middleton has drawn on this focus on contemporary collecting throughout his career ever since, building on it over time through various positions in Adelaide, such as with the History Trust of South Australia, the Migration Museum and the State Library, as well as the Centre of Democracy, where he was the inaugural curator. Joining the National Museum of Australia in August 2019, Middleton was on the run from the beginning. ‘One of the first things I did was go to the climate strikes – there was the big one in Melbourne with 150 000 people – and then the bushfires started. I was ready with the skills to do contemporary collecting around those issues,’ he notes. Then, of course, COVID happened. ‘I’ve led the COVID collecting at the museum through an online project called Momentous, which pulls together stories of COVID-19 and the 2019–2020 bushfire season and gets people reflecting on profound change and how we as a nation respond to it.’ How we see ourselves, and seeing ourselves in our national collections, is a driving force in Middleton’s career. ‘It’s important to me that museums are not just rooms full of objects, but they’re world-making, so what you see in a museum and what is reflected back to you informs how you understand the world. ‘If you think about a young person who goes into the museum and can’t see themselves or their perspectives or their story, they’re not going to want to come back – but it could also say to that person that their story doesn’t matter, or they don’t matter. ‘That’s why I’m so passionate about being in this sector, breaking that apart to ensure that diversity and complexity exist within these spaces so that people can either see themselves quite literally in a museum, or they can find ways to see themselves through the tools of display and labelling, and can engage more deeply.’ Another area of interest in Middleton’s professional practice is the intersection between the LGBTIQ+ community and museums, which covers everything from audiences to collections and content. ‘I started that journey in South Australia,’ he explains. ‘I was noticing a lack of queer stories across the board, so started working on building better representation for LGBTIQ+ communities in museums with my colleague Dr Nikki Sullivan, who coincidentally had been an associate professor at MQ in cultural studies. ‘This led to many different projects, including community history projects, and exhibition projects where we invited community members into the museum to relook at existing collections from the perspective of gender and sexuality. We also wrote a book called Queering the museum, which is still having an impact in the sector nationally and internationally.’ It’s almost difficult to keep up with the number of projects Middleton has been and is currently involved in, reflecting his energy and bright, enquiring mind that is open to the world around him; one that sees others and the myriad possibilities of life. No less, there’s a sense of joyful purpose as he explains his most exciting current project is a targeted collecting project around the LGBTIQ+ community aimed at diversifying representation in the National Museum’s collection. ‘It covers everything from the kinds and number of stories that are told, so we don’t rely on recycling the same ones over and over, and then moving out of the cities and into the regions, thinking about what life is like and has been like in regional Australia, which just hasn’t been represented.’ It’s clear talking to Craig just how important museums are not just to remember the past but to reflect on the present moment and inform the future too. And, as institutions lean into the current moment, the crucial role they play in society. ‘It’s commonly understood that a visitor comes to a museum with their own lived experience,’ offers Middleton. ‘They come with their own perspective, and with a background of class, race, gender, ethnicity, and that influences how they understand the world, how they operate in the world, as does their privilege or their lack of privilege, and their marginalisation. ‘There’s an acknowledgment now that all these things play into how people understand their experience of museums, how they look at objects, and what they will and won’t engage with. Because of that, museums have had to make a shift away from the grand narrative history that privileges the conquerors. ‘Those stories are real, they happened, but particularly in the last decade or two with the inclusion of First Nations voices, the different perspectives that are told within a museum are now giving a multi-dimensional story, which leans into the complexity of life and the world. ‘So, we’re not just distilling history into a single, very easy-to-read narrative, we’re saying the world’s more complicated than that, and we’re more complicated than that, and there are lots of different ways to look at history – the museum sector has changed enormously.’ It’s a shift that also extends to those working in the arts and cultural sector. ‘There’s an acknowledgement that these institutions are made up of people with particular skill sets and expertise, and institutions should draw on that so people can contribute in purposeful ways. ‘I’ve been fortunate throughout my career that I’ve been enabled to do that,’ says Middleton, who often refers to himself as a community-engaged professional. ‘I do what I do not for the sake of art or history, but so I can have a meaningful impact on people’s lives through representation, a moment of joy, or a sense of belonging that this work can give someone.’ Craig Middleton (he/him/his) graduated from Macquarie University with a Masters in Museum Studies (2014). He is a curator and creative producer with wide-ranging interests in Australian social history, histories of LGBTIQ+ people and communities, and critical museology. Across his career, he has been responsible for collection management and development, content and creative production, exhibition project management, digital innovation, community engagement, public programming, marketing and more. His commitment to LGBTIQ+ representation has informed his work in museums, including through the creation of tours, programs, exhibitions and research. He is a widely published author. His book Queering the museum, co-authored with Dr Nikki Sullivan and published by Routledge in 2019, develops a queer analysis of how museums construct themselves, their core business and their publics through the often-unconscious use of inherited ways of knowing and doing. Middleton believes in the role of arts and culture to strengthen communities, combat social exclusion and support a healthy and active democracy. Middleton tweets.]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/owning-history/feed/ 0 From high school drop out to high-achieving mentor – Jessica Sarkis Unleashed https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/from-high-school-drop-out-to-high-achieving-mentor-jessica-sarkis-unleashed/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/from-high-school-drop-out-to-high-achieving-mentor-jessica-sarkis-unleashed/#comments Wed, 04 Sep 2019 01:44:20 +0000 Jackie Gent http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3656 From high school drop out to high-achieving mentor – Jessica Sarkis Unleashed

Jessica Sarkis At 17, Jessica Sarkis (BA 2016) was living out of home as a high school drop-out and working three jobs to survive. By 22, she was university-educated and had launched and sold two successful companies. Today, Jessica regularly speaks at schools and is passionate about instilling a sense of self belief in young Australians. She is the Founder of ‘Unleash You’ - an innovative youth careers expo that has captured the attention of market leading companies and high-profile business leaders from all over Australia. Jessica’s unwavering dedication to making a difference has led her to consult to large corporations internationally, sit with global leaders and change agents and play an active role mentoring and empowering young people to successfully start and launch businesses through her expertise and vast array of connections. She has been asked to sit on a variety of boards ranging from multi-million dollar companies right through to not-for-profit companies with huge community impact. Her life-long aim is to reduce the mental limitations of people who are willing to change and unlock their true potential. We sat down with Jessica to ask her a little bit more about her life and aspirations… Jessica, we understand you were homeless as a teenager which must have been a traumatic experience, was there a person or a situation that encouraged you to pursue a tertiary education? There was no one in particular. It was me who drove me to pursue a degree at Macquarie University. I was on a path to become successful and at the time I thought pursuing a degree would help put me on the right path. Do you have any distinct memories from your time here at Macquarie University? I do have some fond memories at Macquarie University, especially harassing my lecturers and tutors! I would constantly challenge them to demonstrate to me the link between the textbook and the real world out there.  I had gained a lot of real-world experience, so I was constantly finding the link between the real world and text-book learning to make the connection. What did you study at Macquarie University? I studied a degree in Arts with a major in Media & Communication. Did you have a mentor when you began your first company (considering you were so young!)? No, I didn’t have a mentor per se, but a few strong figures in my mind who I wanted to be like. I was constantly thinking of them, and modelling them through my actions, my thoughts and my behaviours. I was modelling their behaviour, their business plans etc to pave my own way to reach success like them. Now you are a mentor and coach. What words of inspiration would you give your younger self? I don’t believe in pre-warning myself to look out for anything. I believe that everything we go through makes us who we are. The only advice I would want me to adopt is to be patient. Be patient and understand that everything is working out in your favour whether you can see that or not. Can you tell me a little about Unleash You 19 on Saturday September 7? Unleash You 19 is a one-day life changing event designed to give 14-25 year-olds the tools they need to successfully pursue any career/life/study option they want. It took place at The Venue in Alexandria. We teamed up with celebrities, entrepreneurs and business owners to educate the teens on the future of work and how they can use these tools to help them in the future. See the video here. Visit Jessica's website. Jess is a great example of a BA grad who has used the transferable skills in communications, presentation and critical analysis afforded by a Bachelor of Arts to blossom in industry and forge her own career path.  Learn more about the new Bachelor of Arts 2020. Words: Deanna Antcliff]]> From high school drop out to high-achieving mentor – Jessica Sarkis Unleashed

Jessica Sarkis At 17, Jessica Sarkis (BA 2016) was living out of home as a high school drop-out and working three jobs to survive. By 22, she was university-educated and had launched and sold two successful companies. Today, Jessica regularly speaks at schools and is passionate about instilling a sense of self belief in young Australians. She is the Founder of ‘Unleash You’ - an innovative youth careers expo that has captured the attention of market leading companies and high-profile business leaders from all over Australia. Jessica’s unwavering dedication to making a difference has led her to consult to large corporations internationally, sit with global leaders and change agents and play an active role mentoring and empowering young people to successfully start and launch businesses through her expertise and vast array of connections. She has been asked to sit on a variety of boards ranging from multi-million dollar companies right through to not-for-profit companies with huge community impact. Her life-long aim is to reduce the mental limitations of people who are willing to change and unlock their true potential. We sat down with Jessica to ask her a little bit more about her life and aspirations… Jessica, we understand you were homeless as a teenager which must have been a traumatic experience, was there a person or a situation that encouraged you to pursue a tertiary education? There was no one in particular. It was me who drove me to pursue a degree at Macquarie University. I was on a path to become successful and at the time I thought pursuing a degree would help put me on the right path. Do you have any distinct memories from your time here at Macquarie University? I do have some fond memories at Macquarie University, especially harassing my lecturers and tutors! I would constantly challenge them to demonstrate to me the link between the textbook and the real world out there.  I had gained a lot of real-world experience, so I was constantly finding the link between the real world and text-book learning to make the connection. What did you study at Macquarie University? I studied a degree in Arts with a major in Media & Communication. Did you have a mentor when you began your first company (considering you were so young!)? No, I didn’t have a mentor per se, but a few strong figures in my mind who I wanted to be like. I was constantly thinking of them, and modelling them through my actions, my thoughts and my behaviours. I was modelling their behaviour, their business plans etc to pave my own way to reach success like them. Now you are a mentor and coach. What words of inspiration would you give your younger self? I don’t believe in pre-warning myself to look out for anything. I believe that everything we go through makes us who we are. The only advice I would want me to adopt is to be patient. Be patient and understand that everything is working out in your favour whether you can see that or not. Can you tell me a little about Unleash You 19 on Saturday September 7? Unleash You 19 is a one-day life changing event designed to give 14-25 year-olds the tools they need to successfully pursue any career/life/study option they want. It took place at The Venue in Alexandria. We teamed up with celebrities, entrepreneurs and business owners to educate the teens on the future of work and how they can use these tools to help them in the future. See the video here. Visit Jessica's website. Jess is a great example of a BA grad who has used the transferable skills in communications, presentation and critical analysis afforded by a Bachelor of Arts to blossom in industry and forge her own career path.  Learn more about the new Bachelor of Arts 2020. Words: Deanna Antcliff]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/from-high-school-drop-out-to-high-achieving-mentor-jessica-sarkis-unleashed/feed/ 0 Win a double pass to Archibald Prize 2018 https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/archibald-prize-2018/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/archibald-prize-2018/#comments Mon, 25 Jun 2018 01:03:34 +0000 David Han http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3465 Facebook Archibald Prize Competition
  “Is a selfie the modern-day self-portrait?” For your chance to win one of thirty double passes to the Archibald Prize 2018, post a creative selfie of yourself with #mqalumni on our Facebook post and like our page by midnight Friday 13 July AEST. Prize winners will be judged and notified via private messenger. Conditions apply. Please […]]]> Facebook Archibald Prize Competition
  "Is a selfie the modern-day self-portrait?" For your chance to win one of thirty double passes to the Archibald Prize 2018, post a creative selfie of yourself with #mqalumni on our Facebook post and like our page by midnight Friday 13 July AEST. Prize winners will be judged and notified via private messenger.
Conditions apply. Please refer to terms and conditions: mq.edu.au/connect/alumni/faqs
]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/archibald-prize-2018/feed/ 0 It’s the same campus, just not as you know it https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/its-the-same-campus-just-not-as-you-know-it/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/its-the-same-campus-just-not-as-you-know-it/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:40:57 +0000 David Han http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3347 Artist's impression of the new Atrium at 25 Wally's Walk
To prepare for the next 50 years of growth, we are investing heavily in our campus with two major projects – the Central Courtyard Precinct and the Arts Precinct. Within the Central Courtyard Precinct, the University is building state-of-the-art facilities for staff and students. Designed by leading design studio Architectus, the new buildings will serve […]]]> Artist's impression of the new Atrium at 25 Wally's Walk
To prepare for the next 50 years of growth, we are investing heavily in our campus with two major projects – the Central Courtyard Precinct and the Arts Precinct. Within the Central Courtyard Precinct, the University is building state-of-the-art facilities for staff and students. Designed by leading design studio Architectus, the new buildings will serve a variety of functions, delivering social and educational infrastructure to the very heart of the campus. Existing structures will be redeveloped to be lighter and brighter than their predecessors, creating vibrant and dynamic spaces for all to enjoy. Significantly, new accommodation for students will be created right at the heart of the campus. Macquarie is also investing in a new Arts Precinct. This transformational project will consolidate 10 of 12 departments, highlighting the unique nature and focus of each. In addition, the project will deliver a new building with offices, showcase areas and a museum. PART OF THE PLAN Both projects are part of Macquarie’s Campus Development Plan, which is helping future-proof the University by building a dynamic, sustainable world-class campus. “The University’s Campus Development Plan is connecting people and enhancing their collaboration, as well as learning and research outcomes, so that Macquarie continues to play a leading role as a place-maker, education provider, research institute and employer, both now and into the future,” says Professor S Bruce Dowton, Vice-Chancellor. The overarching plan includes several other projects focused on improving convenience, connectivity and accessibility, green spaces and sustainability. Some are already complete, such as the Macquarie University Incubator, which opened in 2017 and promptly received four awards at the Australian Timber Design Awards. Created for students, researchers, staff, small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs and start-ups who are working on research or ideas that can be commercialised, a number of concepts have already been nurtured at the Incubator through to the commercialisation stage. The Macquarie Active Zone Experience (MAZE) also opened for business and is now the new hub for student clubs and societies, with the purpose-built space above the Macquarie University Spatial Experience (MUSE) featuring a number of large areas, as well as a variety of smaller meeting rooms and event spaces. Removal of buildings C9A and C10A (the former Campus Hub) also began at the end of 2017 to make way for an innovative new learning and teaching building, food and beverage outlets, and the first two of five student housing buildings. In place of the Campus Hub is the Campus Common, an exciting new social precinct in the centre of campus, where it will become the epicentre of student life over the next few years.   Law School of the future Plans to redevelop the Macquarie Law School that will re-imagine the University’s campus by establishing a new purpose-designed Law School building at its centre were announced in November 2017. Construction on the new building is anticipated to begin in early 2020, with completion in 2022. “This venue will provide unparalleled facilities for contemporary modes of learning and teaching,” explains Professor Dowton. “The Law School has a rich history of contribution to Macquarie University, the lives of its students and alumni, and the legal profession. This new facility will provide a home for the Law School to ensure its trajectory as an Australian leader.” The new Law School building will be known as the Michael Kirby Building in recognition of the contributions the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG has made to the University, and his commitment to advancing social justice both in Australia and around the world. He served as Macquarie University Chancellor from 1984 to 1993 before going on to serve as a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1996 to 2009. Both the Macquarie Law School and Michael Kirby are committed to social justice as a key component of legal education, and the new Law School building will house the Macquarie Social Justice Clinic, a new initiative that allows law students to partner with public interest legal practices to service pro-bono cases, helping the most vulnerable in society.]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/its-the-same-campus-just-not-as-you-know-it/feed/ 0 From Conception to RE:Conception https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/from-conception-to-reconception/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/from-conception-to-reconception/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:40:19 +0000 David Han http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3305 While the Great Garden Gnome Hunt of 1971 still shines bright in the collective memories of Macquarie’s earliest alumni, it was just one of a riotous program of activities that launched the infamous Conception Day – an event that over the years has been recognised as one of the best student festivals in the world.
The widely acknowledged father of Conception Day was pioneer alumnus Phil Gibbs (Bachelor of Arts, 1977). “We had a bit of an inferiority complex back in 1969 because of our moonscape campus and the lack of a student muck-up day to rival UNSW’s Commemoration Day or Sydney’s Foundation Day,” says Gibbs. According to Gibbs, they […]]]> While the Great Garden Gnome Hunt of 1971 still shines bright in the collective memories of Macquarie’s earliest alumni, it was just one of a riotous program of activities that launched the infamous Conception Day – an event that over the years has been recognised as one of the best student festivals in the world.
The widely acknowledged father of Conception Day was pioneer alumnus Phil Gibbs (Bachelor of Arts, 1977). “We had a bit of an inferiority complex back in 1969 because of our moonscape campus and the lack of a student muck-up day to rival UNSW’s Commemoration Day or Sydney’s Foundation Day,” says Gibbs. According to Gibbs, they looked at different dates to hold a celebratory event, but every official date was at the wrong time – in the holidays, for example. “We couldn’t use Lachlan Macquarie’s birthday because it fell during exams, but at a drunken party we joked that we could have it nine months earlier and call it Conception Day. Unfortunately, someone got the date wrong and it ended up in September.” A SPIRITED BEGINNING The first Conception Day was a half-day event involving rain, flour fights and a student band on the roof of the union building that upset the academics. Although they weren’t quite as upset as the hardworking students who wanted to spend the day studying – and had the fire hoses turned on them for their lack of festival spirit. The following year, organisers decided they needed to lift the bar, and the great gnome hunt was initiated on the eve of Conception Day. (See the 2015 edition of Sirius for Dr Brian Spencer’s account of the evening.) “The gnome hunters exceeded their brief and stole everything not nailed down,” Gibbs reminisces. “In the end, it was a mass heist of garden kitsch. Initially we tried to hide them in the forest, but only their heads stuck out, so we decided they would line the path between the library and the union building. They provided a 1000-strong guard of honour that greeted students for the main event.” Gibbs says the gnomes were transported to Eastwood and Epping police stations where they were categorised according to type – frogs, storks, statues and hundreds of pouting gnomes. There were so many they had to move the police bikes out, and little old ladies argued vigorously over which concrete frog belonged to them. “I was made to go to the police station and apologise formally on behalf of the gnome-nappers to the very stern sergeant on duty,” says Gibbs. Things did not end there though. THE CAMEL OF CONCEPTION In the interest of creating a memorable festival, the organising committee had decided to hold an old-fashioned colonial garden party to formally mark Conception Day. It was felt that a camel would lend the right tone to the event, so one was hired from a local farm. “The deal was that we had to look after Egypt the camel for two days, and we planned to keep her at the rugby house behind the university,” Gibbs says. “Unfortunately, boys being boys, the rugby team decided to give the camel some celebratory drinks and cheese, so in the middle of Conception Night we had to rescue Egypt and take her to a safe house further along Epping Road. “There’s no easy way to make a drunken camel go where you need it to. In the end, I decided to ride her along Epping Road and past El Rancho, now known as The Ranch, where earlier that day students were offering moonshine brewed in a toilet they called the ‘seat of learning’ to truck drivers who stopped at their roadside stall.” As Gibbs inconspicuously plodded along on the inside lane, he was spotted by a police car that ordered them to pull over. “When I eventually managed to stop the camel, who should emerge from the car but the same police sergeant that I’d had to apologise to about the gnome hunt. He was not amused.” RE: INVENTED The night of mayhem marked the beginning of a much-loved tradition. “In the years that followed, there were religious statue hunts, conducted with all the irreverence you would expect from a bunch of larrikin students, and gala balls with very non-PC prizes awarded to Mis Conception, Mis Hap and Mis Behaviour,” Gibbs says, adding that to celebrate Conception Day’s 40th anniversary in 2009, he was invited to give a talk about the festival’s history. “I thought I would be speaking to a genteel audience, but it was more like Woodstock – 10,000 students were in a range of levels of sobriety, impatiently waiting for the next act, Wolf mother, to hit the stage.” Conception Day ran until 2014. It became Australia’s longest-running music festival, with a record of producing great line-ups and attracting huge crowds to the three stages around the lake. Over the years there were mass streakings, while in 2003 more than 1000 festival goers broke the world record for the most tequila shots in a row. Unfortunately, owing to concerns about increasing drug and alcohol abuse, Conception Day had to be stopped in 2015. It has since been replaced with RE:Conception Day, an event that still features a great musical line-up, just without some of the other excesses. “I’m just so grateful to the University for keeping my baby alive all these years,” Gibbs says. “Even now, students and alumni approach me and tell me how great it is.” What's your favourite MQ moment?  Share it with other alumni at awc.alumni.mq.edu.au/experiences]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/from-conception-to-reconception/feed/ 4 2018 Macquarie University Alumni Awards – Adam Hills https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/alumniawards-adamhills/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/alumniawards-adamhills/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:30:31 +0000 David Han http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3307 “The last time I drove past Macquarie University, it made me think how far I’d come and how much of what I’d learned there was still with me.” - Adam Hills
  CATEGORY: ARTS AND CULTURE Ah, Adam Hills. We all know and like this cheeky and talented comedian, but many may be surprised to learn that beneath the jokes is a sensitive soul with a humble heart. Genuinely thrilled to receive this award from Macquarie University, Hills says, “This award means more than I can […]]]> “The last time I drove past Macquarie University, it made me think how far I’d come and how much of what I’d learned there was still with me.” - Adam Hills
  CATEGORY: ARTS AND CULTURE Ah, Adam Hills. We all know and like this cheeky and talented comedian, but many may be surprised to learn that beneath the jokes is a sensitive soul with a humble heart. Genuinely thrilled to receive this award from Macquarie University, Hills says, “This award means more than I can express, especially when I consider the calibre of people who have passed through Macquarie’s hallowed halls. I mean, to be thought of in the same breath as The Wiggles is high praise indeed.” High it may be, but warranted. Described as ‘effortless’ and ‘brilliant’ by The Guardian (London), and internationally awarded for his work in arts and culture, Hills graduated from Macquarie with a Bachelor of Arts and with some “incredibly strong friendships” that are with him to this day. “It was an excellent place to grow and learn, and from which to head out into the world.  It was a time to find out who I really was, and it gave me the confidence to try comedy.” Hills still recalls his uni days as an “exceedingly positive experience”, an experience that has not left him. “The last time I drove past Macquarie University, it made me think how far I’d come and how much of what I’d learned there was still with me. I remember working with audio engineering tutor Dave Clark-Duff, who said he worked best when he was passionate about what he was doing. That still rings in my ears, and I always try to follow my passion.” So, any advice for our current students? “I’d say, soak it all in. Every little drop. Because you never know which bits will be useful in the future,” says Hills. Sound advice indeed. Gold Logie nominated host of the hit TV series Spicks and Specks, Adam Hills has a string of international awards to his credit. When Hills is not hosting his UK talk show, The Last Leg, he can be found globetrotting as a stand-up comedian and advocating for the rights of people with disability. Hills graduated from Macquarie with a Bachelor of Arts (1991) majoring in Media and Communications. Words: Megan English View other 2018 Macquarie University Alumni Awards winners here Alumni Awards Macquarie University is extremely proud of every one of its 184,000 graduates – their achievements and their contributions in our local and global communities. Our alumni are a source of pride and motivation, and they embody the University’s association with excellence. The Macquarie University Alumni Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of alumni. The awards provide a platform for sharing their inspirational stories with other alumni, staff, students and the wider community. We are now accepting nominations in the following award categories:
  • Arts and Culture
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Innovation and Enterprise
  • International Achievement
  • Medicine and Health
  • Public and Community Service
  • Rising Star (aged 30 years under)
  • Science and Technology
  • Sport
Nominations close 31 October 2018. Nomination forms and details are available at mq.edu.au/alumni/awards]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/alumniawards-adamhills/feed/ 0 The gift of reading https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/the-gift-of-reading/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/the-gift-of-reading/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:25:02 +0000 David Han http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3355 William and Dr Erin Banales, Clinic Coordinator at the Macquarie University leading Clinic (Photo: Chris Stacey)
Most of us take the ability to read for granted, but it’s something too many school children have difficulty with – and something their parents cannot always afford to change. It’s heartbreaking to see children struggling with something so fundamental to achieving in all areas of life. At the Macquarie University Reading Clinic, experts know […]]]> William and Dr Erin Banales, Clinic Coordinator at the Macquarie University leading Clinic (Photo: Chris Stacey)
Most of us take the ability to read for granted, but it’s something too many school children have difficulty with – and something their parents cannot always afford to change. It’s heartbreaking to see children struggling with something so fundamental to achieving in all areas of life. At the Macquarie University Reading Clinic, experts know what these children need and what works – evidence-based assessment and treatment, and support for parents and carers in partnership with schools. “The Reading Clinic provides assessments and treatment for children, adolescents and adults with reading and spelling difficulties to help improve educational, emotional and vocational outcomes,” says Dr Saskia Kohnen, Deputy Director, Macquarie University Reading Clinic. “About 15 per cent of the child population have severe difficulties in literacy. Unfortunately, compared to their peers, children with dyslexia are four times more likely to drop out of school, show lower academic achievements and have poorer long-term vocational outcomes,” adds Kohnen. Experts at the clinic assess each child individually and, with the child’s family and teachers, develop a tailored program that delivers life-changing improvements for children like William. Two years ago, William came to the clinic unable to read. “He went from not reading at all – not willing to even try – to giving it a go and actually reading,” says his mother, Carolyn. While it’s been a long road, Carolyn adds, “It has definitely been worth it. In fact, it’s been the only thing that has ever worked to get him to read. He doesn’t feel as excluded at school and can join in more in class. It’s given him hope that he can achieve something.” In William’s own words, he went from “lonly and mishroboll” to “happy and confident” with help from the clinic. The Macquarie University Reading Clinic is not restricted to face-to-face assessments. Children with poor literacy who live far away from literacy specialists and are unable to access high-quality interventions are not only disadvantaged but also more likely to remain poor readers. The clinic’s team of experts recognise these difficulties and deliver internet-based interventions via programs such as Skype. The clinic is in the early stages of delivering these assessments and services, and is conducting detailed research to optimise the effectiveness of live-stream versus standard face-to-face intervention for children with poor literacy skills. Reading seems so simple and is a gateway to so much. Yet, it is out of reach for some children. The clinic and its committed team want to change that – even for just one child. The Reading Clinic Scholarship Fund supports children whose parents or carers cannot afford treatment. To make a donation, visit mq.edu.au/connect/reading-clinic For more information about the clinic, visit mq.edu.au/about/campus-services-and-facilities/hospital-and-clinics/reading-clinic]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/the-gift-of-reading/feed/ 1 A shared wisdom https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/a-shared-wisdom/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/a-shared-wisdom/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:09:18 +0000 David Han http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3345 Ngukkurr children
The Ngukurr Wi Stadi Bla Kantri (meaning ‘we study the country’ in Kriol) research team is a unique collaboration between Ens, Ngandi Elder Cherry Wulumirr Daniels, the Yugul Mangi rangers, Ngukurr School and community members from the remote Aboriginal community of Ngukurr. The team is discovering new species; finding new populations of threatened species; preserving […]]]> Ngukkurr children
The Ngukurr Wi Stadi Bla Kantri (meaning ‘we study the country’ in Kriol) research team is a unique collaboration between Ens, Ngandi Elder Cherry Wulumirr Daniels, the Yugul Mangi rangers, Ngukurr School and community members from the remote Aboriginal community of Ngukurr. The team is discovering new species; finding new populations of threatened species; preserving culturally significant wetlands; bringing people back to country; and maintaining traditional, endangered languages. Ens works closely with elders, rangers and young people to “meaningfully combine local Aboriginal and Western science while raising awareness of environmental threats in the remote south-eastern Arnhem Land region.” “This initiative is increasing Western understanding of regional biodiversity and helping find common ground with local people about significant plants and ecological communities. From there we develop projects and monitoring tools.” TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE Children from Ngukurr School are involved in the project through classes, holidays camps, field research and sample collection. They document information via technology and use traps to find small mammals, reptiles and frogs out in the field. But not only school children are involved. The Ngukurr community is also helping save a newly discovered population of Leichhardt’s grasshopper. Found during a biodiversity survey that has since become part of a field guide to the local flora and fauna, this bright orange and blue grasshopper is culturally significant to the Ngandi people, but it had not been seen in many, many years. The near-threatened species eats a single species of mint (Pityrodia) that is at risk from current fire regimes, but Ens says that “rangers are now looking more closely at how they burn the remote area where these grasshoppers live.” It is exactly this type of hands-on scientific research that helps those involved connect to country, which increases investment in the management and protection of the environment and helps transfer knowledge between generations – much of which has been lost. RECLAIMING COUNTRY “A lot of people have been living off country. They’ve lost both cultural knowledge and language; they don’t know how to use available bush tucker or medicinal plants,” says Ens. She gives the example of cheeky yams (Dioscorea bulbifera), which need to be cooked, and then leached of any residual toxins by placing them in running water for five days before being eaten. Not only has much of this knowledge been lost, but this culturally significant plant is under threat from wild pigs. Yet Ens is hopeful. “If people can start to think about how a significant plant is being impacted, they can also start to think about the wider threats to country posed by the pigs, and they may then welcome feral animal control measures.” It is all interconnected – and one more way the Ngukurr Wi Stadi Bla Kantri project is having a positive, tangible effect on both people and country.]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/a-shared-wisdom/feed/ 0 Power and the past https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/power-and-the-past/ https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/power-and-the-past/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:04:23 +0000 David Han http://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/?p=3343 “Events from the distant past can still offer an insight into the modern world,” enthuses Dr Karin Sowada
“Events from the distant past can still offer an insight into the modern world,” enthuses Dr Karin Sowada, an expert in the interaction between Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean during the Early Bronze Age (3100–2000 BC). Citing the economic development of five land and sea routes out of China, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the […]]]> “Events from the distant past can still offer an insight into the modern world,” enthuses Dr Karin Sowada
“Events from the distant past can still offer an insight into the modern world,” enthuses Dr Karin Sowada, an expert in the interaction between Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean during the Early Bronze Age (3100–2000 BC). Citing the economic development of five land and sea routes out of China, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Department of Ancient History’s Sowada says, “China is pursuing its own interests through trade, political influence, and infrastructure investment.” The huge impact on neighbours and trade relationships of a project like this is something that has often played out over time, but until now, the precise impact of power plays, trade and social instability on societies like ancient Egypt and their neighbours has been difficult to know. But that’s all about to change. Sowada, recently recognised with an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, is leading the project ‘Pyramids, power and the dynamics of states in crisis’, which she says will allow her team to track the progress of a state as influential as modern-day China – in the ancient world. Inspired by the work of the late Professor Basil Hennessy AO, who was a leading scholar in the archaeology of the Levant (eastern Mediterranean) and whose work set the found evidence within a broader international context, Sowada will be exploring how Egypt, during the third millennium BC, was a major player and driver of economic, political and social change in the wider region. “We know, for example, that the kings of Egypt had a voracious appetite for imported luxury goods and that economic exchange mechanisms are a catalyst for cultural and social change. But what we don’t know is how the internal politics play out, or how leadership responds to threats and challenges, or how this drives decision-making and economic policy settings.” One of these challenges, says Sowada, was climate variation. “The Nile River was the lifeblood of the Egyptian economy, and low floods had a huge impact both economically and politically. “Knowing how Egypt dealt with such stress during this period will help inform the role of politics, climate change, trade and the movement of people across a wide geographic area over a long chronological range. “It will also help us understand the broader environment in which the Egyptian state operated and what impact its engagement had on the rest of the Levant.” It would seem the wisdom of the pyramids has yet more secrets to unleash. With a doctorate in Egyptian archaeology, Dr Karin Sowada has worked in politics, public policy and archaeology while holding leadership positions in charitable organisations. In the early 1990s, she broke new ground as the youngest-ever female senator in New South Wales, before spending almost a decade as the assistant curator of the Nicholson Museum.]]> https://www.mq.edu.au/macquariematters/power-and-the-past/feed/ 0