Black Snapper International Film Festival (BSIFF)

20 November – 1 December, Wallumattagal Campus

The inaugural Black Snapper International Film Festival, in partnership with the CDRC, is Australia’s first major international student film festival celebrating the talents of young, emerging filmmakers from around the world. With over 1000 film submissions and 35 audio submissions received from 85 countries, guests will explore the future of audio-visual storytelling through free on-campus film screenings, audio events, exclusive workshops, riveting panel discussions and a grand award ceremony at the State Library of NSW. This is a unique opportunity to celebrate global storytelling, connect with cutting-edge works, media thinkers, industry leaders and esteemed practitioners from across Australia and beyond. Register here.

CDRC23: Conversations and Connections Documentary Festival

28 November – 1 December, State Library of NSW

Doco-makers, industry professionals, academics and the public are invited to explore the power of today’s creative documentary forms across a comprehensive four-day program of screenings (including select works from BSIFF), interactive workshops and captivating panel discussions. Consider challenging contemporary ideas by joining sessions focusing on Australian natural history during times of climate crisis, strategies for collecting engaging oral history, Indigenous narrative practices, documenting families and communities, the emergence of cutting-edge technologies such as deep fake and virtual reality, and the art of documentary practice. Visit the CDRC23: Conversations and Connections Documentary Festival webpage for the full program or register here.

Attendees can join the symposium all day from 9.30am to 4pm or drop in for certain sessions. Full details of the symposium’s schedule will available closer to the date. Please register for the event below to receive updates on the agenda. 

The symposium will include keynote speakers from Indigenous leadership and engagement experts from two other tertiary institutions, as well as presentations, case studies and demonstrations from Macquarie academics who have successfully embedded indigenous learning and teaching content into their curriculum. 

For any questions about the symposium please contact Carol Dixon: carol.dixon@mq.edu.au

Event details

Date: Tuesday 7 November 2023 (RSVP 1 November)
Time: 9.30am – 4pm (refreshments provided)
Location: C122 Function Centre 

Register for the Symposium 

For catering and event management purposes, please register your attendance in advance. 

Sydney Science Trail Excursions
Saturday to Sunday, 12–20 August, 9.30am – 2.30pm
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney,  Australian Museum and Mount Annan

Tickets: $18

Dr Alescia Cullen, Dr Vaheesan Rajabal and PhD candidates Pamela Tsoumbris, Dominic Scopelliti, Darshika Dissawe Mudiyanselage, Dani Montoya-Londoño and Jariya Chanachai will be at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology stall. This week-long event is aimed at primary, secondary and diverse-learner school students.

Register to attend >>

Science in the Scrub
Sunday 13 August, 11am – 3pm
Lizard Log Amphitheatre, Abbotsbury

Associate Professor Joanne Jamie, Dr Ian Jamie and PACE Engaging the Community in Science students will be presenting bush medicines and sustainable energy activities for the public during this family-friendly event.

Find out more >>

Using Ancient Knowledge for Environmental Sustainability
Healthcare and Cultural Revitalisation
Monday 14 August, 7pm – 8pm
Webinar

Associate Professor Joanne Jamie will host this webinar featuring founders of fully-Indigenous owned organisations South Coast Seaweed and Native Secrets. Find out how they are reviving customary knowledge and creating new products, working alongside industry and academic scientists.

Register to attend >>

Getting to Know Your Friendly Neighbourhood Microbiologist
Tuesday 15 August to Sunday 20 August
Online

Dr Amy Cain hosts JAMSpod, a series of microbiology-themed podcasts jointly run by Macquarie University, Western Sydney University, the Department of Primary Industries and Joint Academic Microbiology Seminars (JAMS). Each episode reveals a researcher behind the microscope, providing insights into their research, challenges and career journey, and a glimpse into their workday. The podcast also encourages the public to participate by submitting questions via Twitter (X) @jamsorgau.

Register to attend >>

Climate Solutions You Wish You Knew About
Tuesday 15 August, 6pm – 7.45pm
The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Tickets: $22

Professor Michelle Leishman and Professor Neil Saintilan will be panellists at this event, sharing research into the innovative ways in which plants can be part of the climate change solution.

Register to attend >>

Microscopy and Aboriginal Art
Tuesday 15 August, 7pm – 8pm
Webinar

Associate Professor Joanne Jamie will host this webinar featuring Aboriginal artist Graham Toomey and science communicator Jenny Whiting discussing how microscopy can add a creative new dimension for Aboriginal artists in connecting to Country.

Register to attend >>

An Introduction to Observing the Night Sky
Wednesday 16 August, 7pm – 8pm
Mosman Library Service/Barry O’Keefe Library
605 Military Road, Mosman

Astrophysicist Dr Angel Rafael Lopez Sanchez will present an illustrated talk on observing the night sky.

Register to attend >> 

Virtual tour of CSIRO’s RV Investigator
Thursday 17 August, 11.30am – 12.15pm
Online

Dr Vanessa Pirotta will join CSIRO marine biologist Dr Ben Arthur on a virtual tour of the National Science Agency’s blue-water super-science ship, the ocean-going research vessel, RV Investigator, and show you how scientists live and work on the ship for weeks at a time.

Register to attend >>

Remediate: Test out a new card game at the pub
Friday 18 August, 6pm – 8pm
Royal Hotel Darlington, Sydney

Professor Ian Paulsen and ARC Synthetic Biology researcher Dr Vaheesan Rajabal will run an in-person event that uses a card game to teach the science and strategy behind genetic selection. They will also discuss the potential for a burgeoning bioeconomy to establish rural hubs for transforming waste into useful products. 

Find out more >>

Family Science Day
Saturday 19 August, 10am – 3pm
Parramatta Square and PHIVE

Professor Mohsen Asadniaye Fard Jahromi, Dr June Ho and Associate Professor Sorn Vimonsatit will run an engineering challenge for kids, who can learn how to build their own paper bridge and make it strong, and experience the world of aerodynamics via a virtual reality experience. The event also offers science-based art and craft activities for children.

Find out more >>

Indigenous Science Experience @ Redfern Community Day
Saturday 19 August, 10am – 3pm
Redfern Community Centre

Associate Professor Joanne Jamie is host of this key event for the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP). Macquarie academics and students from School of Natural Sciences, Engineering, Walanga Muru, Chiropractic Sciences and the Numeracy Centre are contributing to the many activities. Find out what Aboriginal astronomy can tell us about the night sky, how our native flora are used in bush medicine and what over 60 thousand years of Indigenous culture can teach us about sustainable living.

Find out more >>

Science in the Swamp
Sunday 20 August, 10am – 3pm
Centennial Park

Dr Lindsay Parker will be joined by academics and HDR students from the School of Computing. At this family day out, there will be hands-on science experiments, displays and meet-the-scientist activities.

Find out more >>

National Science Quiz
Sunday 27 August, 3.30pm
The Capitol, Melbourne and live-streamed online

Dr Paige Erpf from Macquarie’s ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology will compete in this live-broadcast science quiz hosted by ABC personality Charlie Pickering. Anyone can join the fun and play via the live stream. There are cash prizes up for grabs.

Register to attend >>

Academic Senate is the principal academic governing body in the University. For information about Senate, its activities and recent decisions, see the website or check out the Chair’s blog of the top five things at the last meeting here.

If you have any questions, please contact the Manager, Governance Secretariat at senate@mq.edu.au.

This event will take place on Thursday 3 August 2023 from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at Macquarie University City Campus, Angel Place, Level 24, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney. It will bring together Macquarie researchers, government stakeholders, industry partners, funding bodies and project participants who have contributed to the successful completion of this pilot program. The event will share the transition journey of African women who participated in the program to acquire financial literacy, social enterprise and leadership skills.

The ‘Food moves skills into migrant women’ project was conducted over two years to significantly impact the lives of African women with refugee backgrounds residing in regional Australia. With the generous support of Ecstra Foundation through its Women’s Economic Security Project Grant program, the project focused on: 

• creating and providing culturally appropriate financial literacy training in co-creation with participants 
• creating mentorship manuals and resources for refugees on sustainability leadership 
• mentoring on project management skills and social enterprise business creation 
• creating a culturally safe space for developing leadership, social enterprise and financial management skills.

Join the Centre for Risk Analytics to hear from mentees and mentors about their transition journey, and learn about the resources created.

The event will provide a valuable opportunity for researchers, project alumni, philanthropy bodies, government and community stakeholders to come together, celebrate and hear about impactful strategies to address financial literacy, leadership and sustainable food systems for regional populations. 

There is no registration fee for the event, but we ask participants to register for catering purposes. 

For more information about the event, email Dr Fabiola Barba Ponce, Centre for Risk Analytics, at fabiola.barba-ponce@mq.edu.au.
 

Register to join Professor Pretorius at the Macquarie Theatre for this year’s Weather Forecast, where he will provide an update on Macquarie University’s research excellence, engagement and impact. He will also explore how we will maximise our research potential by building excellence at scale, outline the connection of our research strategy to our multiple futures, and introduce our Macquarie University Research Centres.

Register here.

Speed and convenience, increased collaboration and endless possibilities – that is the future of knowledge creation, according to Mel Silva, Managing Director of Google Australia and New Zealand. But with artificial intelligence an increasing presence in our lives, we also need to balance boldness with a sense of responsibility.

Speaking to a packed room at Macquarie University’s City Campus as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Speakers Series, Silva shared insights from Google to explain her views on how artificial intelligence (AI) interacts with knowledge creation to drive increased collaboration and convenience.

“A lot of you have been using artificial intelligence in your Google products for many years, although you may not know it,” Silva explained. “When your calendar tells you it’s time to leave because of traffic, that’s AI. When you open Google and start typing and it finishes your sentence, that’s AI. When you use the smart reply at the bottom of your email, that’s AI. Even the captions on your YouTube video are AI.”

Silva highlighted the importance of open-source approaches to AI and the need for ethical responsibility frameworks as the next step in its development and application.

“We have invested heavily in the research of AI for many years. As part of that research, you realise that there is an enormous ethical responsibility that comes with that knowledge.

“In about 2018, we came out with AI principles about how we will use the technology we create and how we are going to put some guardrails around it. I would define Google’s strategy around AI as ‘boldness underpinned with a sense of responsibility’, because when you are putting a product in the hands of billions of people, not all of them are good. We see this in bank scams, emails, texts and in people coming and knocking on your door.”

Silva also shared the story of her career pathway, from an economics degree at Macquarie Business School to becoming the head of the Australian division of one of the biggest technology companies in the world.

“When I walked into Macquarie University, I couldn’t have even dreamed of the job that I have now. The internet was something that existed on one computer in the library, and it was only two or three years into my journey that I got my first dial-up modem at home,” she recalled.

“I was always fascinated by the banking and finance services industry, and for most of my degree I was actually working part-time while studying. I had various roles and did so many things, and I think that is the hallmark of my career – I never really said ‘no’ to an opportunity that came across my desk.”

A pivotal moment in Silva’s early career came while working at AMP, during her university days. “I overheard a team talking about a project that they were working on called the ‘unified web strategy’. This would have been about 1999 when they were working on AMP’s first website. I was just like a meerkat; my head popped out of my little cubicle and I said, ‘I’ll help’.”

Silva explained that it wasn’t the formal start to a lifelong career that most people imagine, but within a year or two greater responsibilities came across her desk, and Silva was asked to lead complex and exciting projects as an internet expert. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, however, and it took time and agility to navigate the various roles that would ultimately lead her to Google.

To the students and alumni in the room, and industry partners looking for inspiration, this provided a unique and refreshing insight into how success can come from being curious and eager for new opportunities.

Silva closed her conversation with Professor Eric Knight, Executive Dean of Macquarie Business School, and Professor Lucy Marshall, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, by providing some advice. The recipe for success, she explained, is “being authentic, being really open and willing to collaborate with people, and being inclusive.”

Macquarie University is proud of its diverse community. It aims to support staff and students from all cultural identities and backgrounds to fully participate in University life, to openly share their unique perspectives and to respectfully express their opinions.

To acknowledge Harmony Day, and to coincide with the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, everyone is invited to the Central Courtyard from 10am on Tuesday 21 March where there will be:

• a DJ playing world music
• free gelato and Belgian cookies
• a drumming demonstration and food stall courtesy of the Lebanese Student Society
• additional food stalls
• art workshops and Indigenous games workshops at 10am, 1pm and 3pm, hosted by Walanga Muru.

There will also be a two-for-one coffee deal at participating Campus Life outlets (Esc Café, Crunch Café, Library Café and Wally’s Café) during café opening hours. Simply visit these locations and complete a quiz about racial discrimination to take advantage of the deal.

Other activities

World Trivia at Ubar, Thursday 23 March 4pm – 6pm. Entry is free but booking is essential so please email ubar@mq.edu.au to reserve your place.

Academic Senate is the principal academic governing body in the University. For information about the Senate, its activities and recent decisions, see the website or check out the Chair’s blog of the top five things at the last meeting here.

If you have any questions, please contact the Manager, Governance Secretariat at senate@mq.edu.au.

Sydney WorldPride will incorporate all Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras events, plus a broad offering of over 200 events across arts, sport, theatre, concerts, parties, and the Sydney WorldPride Human Rights conference.  

Macquarie University is proud to host a program of events, created by the MQ Ally Network Steering Committee, Campus Life, Student Diversity & Inclusion and Workplace Diversity & Inclusion. Everyone is invited to show their support for our LGBTQIA+ community and take part in the celebrations.  

A number of these events will be donating their profits to Black Rainbow. Black Rainbow is a national volunteer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBQTIA+SB social enterprise to pursue positive health and wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBQTIA+SB community.  

Check out Macquarie’s Pride events 

You can also show your support by saving the email banner below and adding it to your email signature, or by saving the Zoom banner and adding it to the background of your meetings. 

Email signatures 

Add a ‘learn about pronouns’ link after your pro-nouns. https://www.transhub.org.au/pronouns 

Zoom banners

Pride Chalkboard Wall  

If you want to share a message of support, draw a picture or write a poem and help celebrate WorldPride at Macquarie then come to the chalkboard wall located between 16 and 18 Wally’s Walk and be inspired. 

Additional resources  

• Pronouns – read here about why you should not say ‘preferred gender pronouns’ 
• History of the rainbow flag