US Consul General visits Wallumattagal Campus

Earlier this month, the University was pleased to welcome US Consul General Christine Elder to campus for a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor and Executive Group members. A broad range of mutual interests and opportunities were discussed, including student exchange, study abroad, research collaboration and partnership projects with US-based entities.

Engineering Expo showcases opportunities for Research-Industry Collaboration

The Vice-Chancellor welcomed around 300 visitors to the School of Engineering’s Industry Expo on 8 November. In his opening speech, Professor Aman Oo, Head of the School of Engineering (pictured above, left) cited the importance of industry collaboration to advance such projects as photovoltaic cells for indoor light harvesting and innovative technologies for cancer diagnosis. Professor Grant Hose moderated a panel discussion on industry-academia collaboration featuring Professor Lucy Marshall (Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering) in conversation with representatives from SmartCrete CRC, Beca Group, Multigate Medical Products and City of Ryde Council.

The Expo showcased innovative industry-collaboration projects, from dynamic virtual power plants and waste-to-resources thermochemical conversion, to high-performing IoT drones, human respiratory devices and artificial inner-ear hair sensors.

“We are committed to industry collaboration, not only to partner on producing quality research and timely solutions but also to support the research-teaching nexus,” says Professor Oo.

“This approach ensures that the academic knowledge gained is directly imparted to students, preparing them for a globally connected world.”

Pictured L to R: Dr Matt van Breugel, Research Partnerships; Dr Ondrej Kitzler, Macquarie Photonics Research Centre; Professor Helen Pask, Macquarie Photonics Research Centre and Professor Dan Johnson, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise).

Macquarie attends Indo Pacific 2023

Macquarie participated in the 2023 Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition held recently in Sydney. This three-day trade and conference event for Australian and international defence, industry, government, academia and technology leaders included 832 exhibitors and a specialist conference program. Over 27,000 people attended the event, representing 52 nations.

Macquarie undertakes research and development activities with Australia’s defence research community through the Australian Defence Science and Universities Network (ADSUN) which is aligned with Australia’s Defence priorities.

“Macquarie is a research leader across a range of defence, science and technology strategic areas with core research and development themes including cybersecurity, future communications, space systems and enhanced human performance,” says Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise) Professor Dan Johnson.

“This event is a great opportunity to showcase the breadth of our research and capability to an international network.”

Pictured L to R: Professor Surya Deva, Director of the Centre for Environmental Law; Professor Donna Craig, founding director; Professor Ben Boer, founding director; Dr Constantinos Yiallourides, Deputy Director

Australia’s longest-running environmental law centre celebrates 40 years of impact 

Established in 1983, Macquarie University’s Centre for Environmental Law (CEL) is Australia’s longest-running environmental law centre, celebrating 40 years of transformative change across law reform, research and education.

Over the last 40 years, the centre has maintained a strong interdisciplinary education focus across both undergraduate and postgraduate offerings, while strengthening its focus on research excellence. With expertise across sustainable development, business and human rights, environmental law, climate change, ecocide, food systems, ocean governance and biodiversity law, CEL conducts cutting-edge research to address the triple planetary crisis: environmental pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss.

CEL marked its 40^th anniversary with an international conference on 1 and 2 November 2023, bringing together leading scholars and practitioners to discuss pathways to just transitions. Read more here.

Macquarie Law School’s annual Blackshield Lecture 2023 

The Honourable Justice Brian J Preston FRSN SC, Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court in New South Wales (pictured above, left), recently delivered Macquarie Law School’s 2023 Blackshield Lecture at the University’s City Campus.

Justice Preston presented an insightful framework for understanding the nature of our right to a healthy environment, and how states can better respect, protect and fulfil this right.

This year’s Blackshield Lecture concluded a two-day international conference celebrating the 40^th anniversary of Macquarie’s Centre for Environmental Law – Australia’s oldest and longest-running environmental law centre.

Old meets new: Macquarie Business School researchers visit world-class ancient coin collection on campus

Recently, a group from Macquarie Business School was hosted by Associate Professor Ken Sheedy, Director of the Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies (ACANS) in the Faculty of Arts. Numismatics is the study of ancient coins, and ACANS has one of the largest and most valuable collections of ancient coins at any university in the world – over 6500 Greek, Roman and Byzantine gold, silver and bronze pieces.

Macquarie Business School visitors handled examples of Lydian electrum – the earliest coin issues known (over 2500 years old), the silver tetradrachms of Alexander the Great, and large Roman bronze coins with the portrait of the great emperor Hadrian, among other coins.

Macquarie University hosts Ghent University Delegation

Macquarie University was delighted to welcome a delegation from Ghent University last week. The delegation met with Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton and members of Macquarie’s DVCR Portfolio to discuss cross-institutional support for this partnership. The visit culminated in the signing of a joint PhD framework agreement in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium as part of the Belgian Economic Mission to Australia. A strategic partnership agreement was also signed by the Vice-Chancellor and Ghent University Rector Professor Rik Van de Walle, which will provide a roadmap for future research collaboration.

Doctor of Medicine alumni back for first reunion

Alumni Relations and the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences hosted the first reunion for Doctor of Medicine (MD) alumni recently, supported by the Medical Indemnity Protection Society. Around 50 alumni attended the event, as well as clinicians from MQ Health and Northern Beaches Hospital who taught and supervised the new doctors throughout their studies. Dean of Medicine, Professor Clement Loy, acknowledged the influence of these clinicians in inspiring the future clinical workforce. The Macquarie MD began in 2018, and so far, 106 students have graduated in two cohorts.

2023 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science

Dr Gabrielle Oslington, from the School of Education, received a Highly Commended recognition for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools at the 2023 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science. The award was presented in the Shine Dome (Australian Academy of Science) at the Australian National University on 17 October 2023. Dr Oslington joined Macquarie as a PhD student in 2016 looking to further explore and understand the mathematical development of young primary school students. Under the guidance of her supervisor, Honorary Professor Joanne Mulligan, Dr Oslington has conducted several research projects exploring new ways of assessing mathematical ability at Arden Anglican School, where she currently teaches. Dr Oslington and Honorary Professor Mulligan are currently working on an ARC Discovery Project focused on spatial reasoning.

Moyal Medal Prize and Lecture

Honouring former Macquarie University Professor of Mathematics José Enrique Moyal, the annual Moyal Medal Prize and Lecture was held on Thursday 26 October.  

The Moyal Medal recognises significant contributions in mathematics, physics or statistics. This year Professor Kate Smith-Miles, Laureate Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Melbourne, became the 23rd Moyal Medallist, in recognition of her research on neural networks and combinatorial optimisation. 

Professor Smith-Miles delivered the 2023 Moyal Lecture, titled ‘Optimisation in the Darkness of Uncertainty: When you don’t know what you don’t know, and what you do know isn’t much!’  

Her lecture considered the challenge of finding the optimal solution for a constrained multi-objective optimisation problem, with no analytical expression for the objective functions and very limited function evaluations within the huge search space due to the expense of measuring the objective functions.  

Born in Jerusalem in 1910, Professor Moyal studied engineering in France, mathematics at Cambridge in the UK then statistics and physics in Paris, where he worked with the Allied Forces during World War II on aeronautical engineering. A true polymath and the originator of the ‘Moyal bracket’ in quantum mechanics, Professor Moyal was Professor of Mathematics at Macquarie University from 1973 to 1977.  

Industry forum at the City Campus

Last week, the Future Communications Research Centre hosted an industry forum at Macquarie University’s City Campus and welcomed around 100 researchers and industry representatives to a series of panel discussions, research summaries, poster presentations and networking opportunities. 

Professor Dali Kaafar, from Macquarie’s School of Computing, introduced the sessions, which saw New South Wales Chief Scientist Hugh Durrant-Whyte join a lineup of speakers and panellists to provide important insights into the convergence of new and emerging technologies in physical devices applied within software and data-driven networks to shape the future of communication.  

Topics ranged across universal secure connectivity, satellites and wireless communications, quantum and cybersecurity, smart sensing technologies and the ‘internet of things’.

“The event gave us the opportunity to hear from the industry experts about their real-life challenges,” says Professor Kaafar.

“Consilience centres allow us to build multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research programs that connect across all sectors, so we can address the challenges, concentrate potential avenues for deployment and have a real impact on creating the next generation of communication, in a way that connects to what the industry and ultimately the future users, envision.” 

Professor Judith Dawes from the School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences presented a series of awards at the event. Dr Ian Wood from Macquarie’s School of Computing won the Forum Research Pitch competition with his presentation of the scam-baiting Apate platform, while cybersecurity PhD candidate  Michal Kepkowski won the Research Poster Competition, for his display on using the FIDO system (which stores private keys locally) to improve security and privacy with password free authentication.  

Organisations represented across industry, government and academia included CSIRO, Defence Science Technology Group, nbn Australia, IBM, Fujitsu, Telstra, Rakuten, SmartSat CRC and Ernst and Young. 

Pictured L-R: Professor Vladimir Strezov, Co-Director of the Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre; Alex Trajkov, H2U – The Hydrogen Utility; Professor Brent Kaiser, University of Sydney; Dr Madeline Taylor, Transforming Energy Markets Co-Director and Deputy Director of CENRIT; Dr Cameron Kelly, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA); Professor Tina Soliman-Hunter, Transforming Energy Markets Co-Director and Director of CENRIT; Dr Ruven Fleming, University of Groningen; and Professor Stefan Trueck, Transforming Energy Markets Director. Photo Credit: Pushkar Anand 

TEM and CENRIT seminar with Dr Ruven Fleming

On 25 October, the Transforming Energy Markets (TEM) Research Centre and the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Innovation and Transformation (CENRIT) jointly hosted Dr Ruven Fleming from the University of Groningen, to share his work on EU Hydrogen Regulation.

Dr Madeline Taylor opened the session at the Macquarie University City Campus, followed by Dr Fleming’s seminar. Attendees were then led into a panel discussion, chaired by Transforming Energy Markets Director Professor Stefan Trueck, with panellists from the University of Sydney, Macquarie University, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and green hydrogen infrastructure developer H2U. Professor Tina Soliman Hunter closed the event and thanked all the contributors for their invigorating discussions on hydrogen regulation.

Financial Risk Day 2023 

The uptake of solar panels and batteries by households, lessons in electricity market design and distributional impacts of the energy transition were all discussed at this year’s Financial Risk Day on 20 October.

The event, co-hosted by the Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre and Macquarie Business School’s Centre for Risk Analytics, provided a platform for experts from industry, regulatory authorities and academia to discuss risks, opportunities and solutions for the transformation of energy markets, as well as ideas on how to facilitate a smooth transition. It featured keynote speakers from various energy agencies and industry, and featured presentations by Dr Rohan Best, Professor Tina Soliman-Hunter, Dr Madeline Taylor and Professor Stefan Trueck.

“The day showed that the transformation of the energy sector still has a long way to go and will pose many challenges for market participants and policymakers,” says Professor Trueck, Director of the Macquarie University Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre and one of the organisers of the event. “However, we also saw that many excellent initiatives, innovative technologies, regulatory changes and new economic models are being developed and applied to facilitate Australia’s transition to a low carbon economy.”

Professor Peter Greste hosted a dynamic panel discussion

Arts After Dark

Members of the public and Macquarie University recently came together for the inaugural Arts After Dark event, exploring the world of Artificial Intelligence and the vital role humans play as this technology advances. Guests were propelled into the fascinating world of AI and the need for humans to evaluate and analyse the decisions made by AI to ensure it serves the common good.

Dr Richard Savery, developer of artificial intelligence and robotics, kick-started the night with Keirzo, a drumming, rapping robot, before guests were led into an immersive panel discussion with some of the nation’s leading thinkers in film, culture and education. The discussion was hosted by internationally renowned journalist, Professor Peter Greste.

Journalist Gabrielle Chan addressed attendees at the Macquarie Food Symposium

Macquarie hosts food symposium

On 15 September, more than 70 researchers from Macquarie and other universities, industry experts and community activists, came together for the Macquarie Food Symposium – an interdisciplinary event tackling the complex challenges of modern food systems.

Hosted by Professor Cathy Sherry from Macquarie Law School, the Centre for Smart Green Cities and Centre for Environmental Law, the event aimed to bring together individuals working on food-related topics in disparate disciplines and to generate informed, robust discussion.

The event began with a keynote address from Gabrielle Chan, Rural and Regional Editor of Guardian Australia, leading into a series of six-minute pitches by researchers from all four of Macquarie’s faculties as well as industry professionals. Topics included the future of meat in Australian agriculture and diets, urban agriculture, food and environmental literacy, food labelling and traceability, food insecurity and a Macquarie food policy.

“People really enjoyed the mix of research that was presented at the Food Symposium and understood that the solutions to problems in modern food systems cannot be found in one discipline alone,” says Professor Sherry. “The symposium gave people in natural, human and health sciences, nutrition, marketing, actuarial studies, law, urban planning and geography, a chance to hear about each other’s research and foster connections. Most importantly, they had a chance to meet each other and begin the process of research collaboration.”

Sextember Success 

‘Sextember’ is Macquarie’s annual sex-positive festival which embraces and educates our community on safe, healthy and respectful relationships with themselves and others. Held at the beginning of last month, this year’s Sextember festival included a sexual health clinic delivered by our MQ Health GP Clinic, an erotic-writing class and, of course, drag queen trivia at Ubar. Educating our student community about sexual health and wellbeing is very important to the University. Find out more about the resources we provide for students on our website.

Right to development a focus at 54^th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva

Professor Surya Deva, from Macquarie Law School, recently presented his vision report on reinvigorating the right to development at the 54^th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The right to development is the right of every human being to participate in, contribute to and benefit from economic, social, cultural and political development. Professor Deva, who took up the position of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to development on 1 May 2023, called for a new model of ‘planet-centred participatory development’ as the current model of development is neither inclusive nor sustainable. He said the new model should leverage the role of multiple actors to contribute towards holistic development within planetary boundaries and ensure bottom-up participation of people in decision-making.

Professor Deva also proposed strategies to overcome several challenges, including conceptual confusion, limited capacities, polarisation, lack of participation and inequalities, which undermine the ability of states, businesses and other actors to realise the right to development.

“The right to development is a pathway to the fulfilment of all other human rights and fundamental freedoms,” said Professor Deva. The full media release can be accessed here.

Great Book Swap for Indigenous Literacy 

To align with Indigenous Literacy Day on Wednesday 6 September, our Library held a ‘Great Book Swap’ from Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 September. During the event, Library visitors had a chance to ‘swap’ a book from the display in the foyer for the price of a gold coin donation.

The event raised $672 for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, a cause our Library has supported since 2010. Funds will go towards buying selected children’s books for remote communities. If you missed the event, it’s not too late to make a donation and help the Library reach its $1000 fundraising goal.

Macquarie Law School HDR Annual Conference

Higher degree research (HDR) students, academics and industry experts came together for the annual Macquarie Law School HDR Future Shaping Research Conference on 1 September. This conference provides a platform for emerging scholars pursuing a research degree to showcase their cutting-edge research to peers, academics and industry professionals.

Professor Simon Handley, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research, delivered a welcome address, emphasising that the true legacy of distinctive and impactful research is about its potential to continue unfolding into the future. Twelve HDR students then presented on an array of research topics, including the legal rights of rivers, green hydrogen, ecovoltaics, intellectual property litigation, the rights of women in Afghanistan, fisheries law and AI in medical devices. Twelve industry and academic experts also provided valuable commentary on each presentation, offering important insights and feedback for students.

The Macquarie Law School Annual HDR Conference report can be accessed here.  

International Society for Quality in Healthcare conference in Seoul

Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite, Founding Director of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, hosted Ban Ki-moon, eighth Secretary General of the United Nations (2007-2016), at the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) Conference in Seoul, Korea, in September.

Professor Braithwaite is President of ISQua, a member-based not-for-profit organisation for low-, middle- and high-income countries to promote improvement in the safety and quality of healthcare around the world. The ISQua network of healthcare professionals spans more than 70 countries.

During the conference, Ban Ki-moon complimented ISQua on the development of a green paper to guide health systems approaches to climate change.

“The healthcare sector needs to cope with an influx of new patients from the impact of climate change across the world, while simultaneously trying to reduce its own significant carbon footprint,” says Professor Braithwaite.

Research Directors Forum

In September, the Research Directors Forum held its third event of the year. Co-ordinated by the Research Grants and Awards team, these events keep the research community up to date with the latest developments in research funding opportunities and supporting teams, administration of research and researcher development at Macquarie, as well as updates to the policy landscape that help shape research support at Macquarie. At the most recent event, members from the Research Integrity, Research Ethics and Research Data Management Teams presented on a range of topics, including revisions to the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and ongoing updates to the data management ecosystem at Macquarie.

“The event provides a platform to share insights and learnings to support our researchers and provide a regular forum to maintain strong ties with the research leaders across campus,” says Erin Semon, Director of Research Grants and Awards.

Celebrating unity and diversity: A recap of Wear It Purple Day on campus

On Friday 25 August,  inclusivity and acceptance took centre stage at Campus Life’s annual Colour the Campus event for Wear It Purple Day.

Since starting in 2010, the Wear It Purple movement has stood as a beacon for rainbow youth, combating the pain of bullying and exclusion. This event is a heartwarming celebration of diversity, love and support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Attendees at the Macquarie event enthusiastically embraced the Colour the Campus track, a two-kilometre circuit including game checkpoints along the way and live music.

Colour the Campus for Wear It Purple Day went beyond being an event; it stood as a collective declaration that everyone deserves a world where pride in one’s identity thrives. It celebrated progress made while acknowledging the ongoing effort to create inclusive spaces. The legacy of the Wear It Purple movement remains vibrant, fuelled by individuals committed to love and acceptance. As the sun set on the campus, vibrant purple hues lingered, reminding us of the diverse spectrum of identities that enrich our world.

Pictured L-R: Professor S Bruce Dowton; Bettina Schaller, President, World Employment Confederation; Johnny C Taylor Jr, President and Chief Executive Officer, Society for Human Resource Management; Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals; Renate Hornung-Draus, Managing Director, European and International Affairs, Confederation of German Employers’ Associations; Allen Blue, Co-founder, LinkedIn.

Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton attends @B20 Summit in India

Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton joined global political and business leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, as a speaker at the @B20 Summit in India last week. The B20 is the official forum for the business community ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi next month.

Professor Dowton contributed his thoughts on ‘Strengthening social protection for future of work, skilling and mobility’. Among the issues discussed by the panel was the important role of upskilling and reskilling to support employment as economies are rapidly transformed by digital technology.

Dean’s Excellence Awards

Students, industry partners, donors and staff gathered in July to make the Dean’s Excellence Awards a fantastic celebration of academic achievement.

The Dean’s Excellence Awards is an annual event that shines a spotlight on the remarkable accomplishments of students within the Macquarie Business School. It is also a moment to express our gratitude to the generous prize donors and industry partners who have been instrumental in supporting our students’ journey towards success.

This year’s theme was ‘supporting together is succeeding together’, which emphasised the importance of seeking help and acknowledging that success is a result of support.

Speaking at the event, Professor Eric Knight said, “Today’s really important to celebrate the achievement of students because when they have achieved incredible success, as they have today, it’s nice to be able to show gratitude and thanks, and to be able to celebrate what makes Macquarie Business School special.”

Robyn Denholm, Chair of the Board of Directors of Tesla and the Tech Council of Australia, was  keynote speaker at the event. Robyn spoke about Australia’s potential to build the next generation of economic prosperity, by leveraging both our natural abilities and resources. She congratulated Macquarie Business School for pushing the curriculum and focus towards the tech/business interface, with strength in sustainability. Robyn reinforced our belief in building a prosperous and competitive Australia for future generations.

Congratulations to all our award winners and we wish you all the best for your future endeavours.

Watch highlights of the event.

China Scholarship Council and Macquarie University extend Memorandum of Understanding 

In August, Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton and Mr Sheng Jianxue, Secretary-General of the China Scholarship Council (CSC) signed an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between Macquarie University and the CSC. Top-performing CSC scholarship awardees will now be jointly funded through the scheme until 2028. Scholarships for MRes Year 2 and PhD bundle offers have now been included.  

During his visit, the Secretary-General had the opportunity to meet with current Macquarie CSC co-funded PhD candidates to discuss their experience of researching at Macquarie and living in Sydney. In late October, the Graduate Research Academy will attend the CSC Fair in China to build on this visit and promote Macquarie University to future candidates.

Tax clinic sessions attract more than 100 attendees

On Friday 25 August, the Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance convened three two-hour tax clinics to provide accessible tax knowledge to small business owners, community members and undergraduate and postgraduate students seeking assistance with their tax matters.

More than 100 people with various backgrounds and levels of knowledge attended, which allowed for conversations about core concepts of individual and company tax returns, lodgement via paper and digital forms, debt management, and tips and hints to make tax time easier. Participants left with more knowledge and confidence, with one attendee saying, “I would like to say a big thank you to Macquarie Business School for hosting a fantastic tax clinic. Despite having a general understanding of the topic, I was still able to benefit from the valuable hints and tips shared during the session. The fact that the information came from an informed and knowledgeable tax expert gave me a sense of assurance and helped consolidate my prior understanding. I look forward to attending such clinics again in the future.”

Professor Rahat Munir, Head of the Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance at Macquarie Business School said, “The interactive tax clinic helped participants understand core tax concepts needed to prepare and lodge a tax return using the ATO’s tax portal. The clinic was the perfect way to engage with the community, and all the organisers found it extremely rewarding. We are always delighted to share our excellence in this space with the wider world.”

Sydney Awards 2023

Macquarie Business School was a proud major partner of the 2023 Sydney Awards, announced at a gala ceremony on 16 August.

With Sydney’s government, culture and corporate leaders in attendance, the incredible achievements of Sydneysiders were celebrated. The evening began with a moving Welcome to Country from Aunty Joan Bell and an address from Professor Eric Knight, Executive Dean of Macquarie Business School, in which he spoke about the power of potential – the potential of our great city, the potential to make an impact, and the potential of emerging leaders across Sydney.

Reflecting on the event, Professor Knight said: “At Macquarie Business School, we pride ourselves on educating future leaders to rethink, reimagine and rewrite the world as we know it. The stories of the incredible Sydney Award winners embody the enthusiasm, determination, social responsibility and strength we instil in our students.

“The evening was a great opportunity to recognise those seeking to make our city fairer, more affordable and accessible to all, with a strong theme of social equity this year.

“We are incredibly proud major partners of the 2023 Sydney Awards, and our gratitude goes to the Committee for Sydney and everyone who made the celebration special.”

The science behind lasers

Macquarie  hosted over 250 attendees at the 2023 Australian Institute of Physics Einstein Lecture on 21 August, with Deputy Dean Professor David Coutts from the Faculty of Science and Engineering delivering an action-filled presentation that explored the science behind lasers and showcased the astonishing capabilities of these powerful beams of light.

Last month, Professor Sakkie Pretorius, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), warmly welcomed Nopraenue Sajjarax Dhirathiti, Vice President for International Relations and Corporate Communication at Mahidol University, Thailand. They came together to sign the Cotutelle Framework Agreement.

This new agreement builds on the existing research collaborations between the two universities and the joint research initiatives led by Macquarie’s Graduate Research Academy. Under this agreement, doctoral candidates from both universities may continue to apply and enrol in the cotutelle program, fostering academic exchange. While visiting Macquarie, the delegation from Mahidol University also attended the Australian Newborn Hearing Screening workshop organised by the Australian Hearing Hub.

From L to R: Michael Newman, Investment NSW; Georgina Beattie, Department of Regional NSW; David Gainsford, NSW Department of Planning and Environment; the Honourable Anoulack Chanthivong MP, Minister for Industry and Trade; Mr Taewoo Lee, Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea; Liz Livingstone, NSW Treasury; Dr Sung-Young Kim, Macquarie School of Social Sciences; Injae Hwang, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency Sydney; Tim Wong, Investment NSW

Collaboration at the Korea-NSW Business Forum

On 19 July, the Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea in Sydney, in collaboration with Investment NSW, organised the 2023 Korea-NSW Business Forum in Sydney. Dr Sung-Young Kim from the Macquarie School of Social Sciences moderated the panel, which featured senior members of the NSW Government discussing the topic ‘Economic Policy, Trade and Investment under the new NSW Government’. Consulate-General Taewoo Lee opened the forum, and the keynote address was delivered by Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong. The forum provided an opportunity to find out about the latest developments in the NSW economy and engage in discussions about promising areas of collaboration between Korea and New South Wales.

Noel Pearson leads discussion at Macquarie University on the Voice to Parliament

On 27 July, the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School hosted a Q&A discussion on the upcoming referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament.

Noel Pearson, one of Australia’s most eminent orators and authors, initiated the conversation with an opening keynote address covering the historical and political journey for constitutional recognition, the Uluru Statement from the Heart and an explanation of what Australians are being asked to vote on via the referendum later this year.

For a Q&A discussion on the topic, Mr Pearson was joined by Dr Shireen Morris, Senior Lecturer at the Macquarie Law School and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab, and Gary Field, a proud Wiradjuri man and Operations Manager at Barang Regional Alliance (pictured above). The event was hosted by Professor Leanne Holt, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Strategy, and partnered with the Macquarie Business School and the Macquarie Minds and Intelligence Initiative. The in-person event was also live-streamed.

Click here to watch the recording.

Macquarie hosts important discussions about the road to net zero

On 26 July, Professor Myles Allen from the University of Oxford, often referred to as “the physicist behind net zero”, was hosted by the Macquarie University’s Transforming Energy Markets (TEM) Research Centre and Smart Green Cities Research Centre.

Professor Allen was the guest of honour at a fascinating event titled ‘Geological Net Zero: How to stop fossil fuels from causing global warming’.

After a welcome by Professor Eric Knight, Executive Dean of the Macquarie Business School, and TEM Director Professor Stefan Trueck, Professor Allen outlined his ideas for a pathway to geological net zero – a state in which, for every tonne of carbon dioxide still generated from fossil sources, one tonne is permanently restored to the geosphere or solid earth.

The presentation was followed by the panel discussion ‘Net Zero and the Transition of Australian Electricity Markets’ hosted by Emeritus Professor Lesley Hughes. The panel included views from Professor Allen and three Australian energy market experts: Dani Alexander, CEO of UNSW Energy Institute; Professor Vladimir Strezov, Macquarie School of Natural Sciences; and Dr Madeline Taylor, Co-Director of TEM and Director of Research Training at the Macquarie Law School.

The panel discussed various aspects of how Australia will be able to achieve net zero, as well as challenges such as energy justice and the fossil fuel lobby. They also explored what individuals can do to contribute to a successful transition.

“The takeaway for me,” said Professor Trueck, “is that we need a carbon management approach to stop fossil fuels from causing global warming, and we need it before the world stops using fossil fuels if we are to achieve net zero.”

Thank you to everyone who attended the event and made it a success.

Staff engaging with a presentation at the Learning and Teaching Festival

Professional development at Learning and Teaching Festival

At Macquarie University College’s recent Learning and Teaching Festival, staff from the offices and faculties gathered to share their wisdom on the first year of teaching and transition. Professor Taryn Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) opened the festival, which focussed on belonging, confidence, defining academic and personal success, support within and beyond the classroom, and cultivating independence.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

In the lead-up to National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day on 4 August, Aunty Trish and Carol Dixon from Walanga Muru enjoyed engaging with early childhood educational centres, where they shared Creation (Dreaming) stories. This week’s story was The Brolga and the Frog from the Purnululu community in Western Australia. The story was followed by an activity where the children made puppets featuring the Brolga and the Frog characters.

Ella, an early childhood teacher from the Morning Buds Early Learning Centre, reports that the children “displayed great interest during the story and were eager to participate in creating their puppets of the characters in the story. In fact, the whole day, the children continued to use their puppets to re-enact the dreamtime narrative.”

Congratulations to Dr Alexandra Carthey, conservation ecologist and lecturer in natural sciences, who was announced as the winner of the 2023 Taronga Conservation Society Australia’s HATCH Accelerator Program last month.

The $50,000 prize was awarded for her pop-up ‘habitat pods’ – clever cardboard shelters to hide ground-dwelling wildlife from predators after bushfires. Dr Carthey also won the $5000 People’s Choice prize. Both grants will fund more than 7000 pods to be produced in time for the coming bushfire season. Dr Carthey spoke to multiple media outlets about her win, including the Sydney Morning Herald.

 (L-R): Dr Louise Brown, CEO and founder HydGene Renewables; Dr Tom Williams, CEO and co-founder, Number 8 Bio; Professor Roger Chung, Professor of Neurobiology and Neurochemistry; and Dr Brenton Hamdorf, Executive Director and CEO Celosia Therapeutics.

2023 Demo Day at the Macquarie University Incubator brought together startups, scaleups, founders and mentors to share insights and learn more about residents’ innovative products and services, including an instructional exercise mat designed to reduce falls in elderly and vulnerable patients, a personalised grocery concierge service and an intuitive employee performance management platform.

Melissa Ryan, Director of Incubation and Entrepreneurship joined experts for the keynote biotech panel event, with successful entrepreneurs sharing their experiences of commercialisation and discussing topics including intellectual property and securing capital, grants and government support. The day wrapped with a pitching session where six emerging companies shared their ideas and vision with the public.

Dr Kelvin Kong, Worimi man and Macquarie Medical School Honorary Professor, was honoured as NAIDOC Person of the Year at the 2023 National NAIDOC Week Awards.

Dr Kong is an ear, nose and throat surgeon and is widely considered to be Australia’s first Aboriginal surgeon. He spends a significant proportion of his time working with remote Australian communities, providing access to quality healthcare that would otherwise be limited or unavailable.

Experts from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific came together at Macquarie University’s City Campus in early June for the 2023 Australasian Development Economics Workshop.

Organised by the Department of Economics, with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Global Labor Organization, the conference saw attendees discuss a variety of topics relating to equity, sustainability and inclusion in development economics. A record number of submissions were received from international researchers in countries including Bangladesh, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, New Zealand and the US. Presentations were made by Nobel laureate Professor Esther Duflo from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Chicago Professor of Computation and Behavioural Science Sendhil Mullainathan; and DFAT’s Dr Robert Christie, who emphasised the importance of focusing on gender in economic development in the Asia-Pacific.

Associate Professor Noushin Nasiri from the School of Engineering and Dr Vanessa Pirotta from the School of Natural Sciences joined the stage alongside some of the biggest names in science, technology, engineering, finance and business at the 2023 Vogue Codes Summit on 24 June. The summit highlighted Australian women who are changing the world for the better, with this year’s focus on the positive impacts of technology.

Twelve Indigenous students proudly represented Macquarie University and Walanga Muru at the 2023 UniSport Indigenous Nationals held at Monash University (Kulin Country) in June. Team captains Olivia Anderson and Jonathon Morrison (pictured, left) led the Macquarie team, which competed in the basketball, netball, touch football and volleyball events. Macquarie placed 13th overall among the 33 participating institutions, while the Macquarie touch football team reached the quarterfinals.

Macquarie University welcomes University of Valencia delegates 

Last week, Macquarie was delighted to welcome a delegation from the University of Valencia led by Rector Professor Maria Vicenta Mestre Escrivà, in recognition of the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed between the two institutions. The Graduate Research Academy hosted meetings with faculties and researchers to explore and engage in common research strengths for future dual doctoral program collaborations. The delegation was also accompanied by the General-Consul of Spain in Sydney, Rebeca Chantal Guinea Stal.  

2022 graduates celebrate with Walanga Muru 

Walanga Muru held a celebration in May for the 56 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who completed their Macquarie University degree in 2022. Among them was Bachelor of Marketing and Media graduate Bronte Charles (pictured above, far left) who delivered a moving address at her official graduation ceremony. The grateful scholarship recipient is now flexing her impressive storytelling prowess as a journalist at NITV and SBS. 

“Education means different things to different people,” Bronte said in her address. “I want to tell you all what it means to me – a young Aboriginal girl who grew up in Redfern housing commission. Education means everything to me. It means having a type of freedom that is so powerful, you are able to not only change your own life but your family’s life as well.” 

Participants of the Researchers IMPACT Program (L–R), David Chapman; Yazi Ke; Lara Moroko, Program Facilitator, Fisher Folk; Nicola Dew, Incubator Manager; Ayse Bilgin; Behrouz Aghajanloo; Susan Caldis; Ian Wood; Connor Atkins. 

The Researchers IMPACT Program kicks off with on-site workshop  

Last week, the Researchers IMPACT Program had its initial workshop, aimed at bringing participants together to explore ideas for commercialisation. This workshop provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to connect and uncover innovative concepts that can be further developed for commercial purposes. For the first time, the program has welcomed external participants from the Heart Research Institute and the University of Sydney. Over the course of the next five months, participants will embark on a journey of customer discovery, focusing on developing their impact and value proposition canvas, which will help them gain clarity about, and articulate the potential impact and  unique value of, their ideas to the market. 

“This program empowers innovative researchers and higher-degree research candidates to explore commercialisation of their ideas, identify opportunities for industry collaboration and seek alternative funding sources,” says Incubator Manager Nicola Dew. 

“It is great to see such a wide range of participants from across the faculties for our fifth cohort. The creativity and innovation of participants continue to surprise us,” she says. 

Invaluable experience for students at Exercise Right Week 

Students in the new Exercise and Sports Science degree had a chance to gain hands-on experience during the University’s Exercise Right Week activations at the end of May. A collaboration between Campus Life and the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, activities included Zumba, ultimate frisbee and cheerleading demonstrations, as well as a visit from the NSW Waratahs, and screening assessments led by Exercise and Sports Science students. 

Crowds gather at the Croatian Studies Centre Open Day 

Pictured (L–R): Mark Matic, Faculty of Arts; Anthony Gurlica, Croatian Studies Foundation President; Ivica Glasnovic, Consul General of Republic of Croatia; Dr Jasna Novak Milic, Croatian Studies Centre Director; Joseph Williams and Peter Pecotic, film directors; Her Excellency Betty Pavelich, Ambassador of Republic of Croatia to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji; Dr Jane Hanley, Languages and Cultures Discipline Chair; Professor Hsu-Ming Teo, Head of the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature; Marcus Zanetic, Croatian Studies Foundation Secretary; Andrew Gurlica, Croatian Studies Foundation Treasurer 

Countryman film screening and Croatian Studies Centre Open Day 

The Croatian Studies Centre at Macquarie University recently celebrated its 40th anniversary with two key events. On Friday 26 May a screening of the film Countryman by Australian filmmaker Peter Pecotić and Aboriginal artist Joseph Williams, both of whom have Croatian heritage, took place. The audience, which included the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia, Her Excellency Betty Pavelich, Ivica Glasnović, the Consul General in Sydney; Croatian community leaders and Macquarie staff, students and the broader community; had the opportunity to engage in discussions with the filmmakers following the screening.  

The celebration continued on Saturday 27 May with the Croatian Studies Centre Open Day. Members of the Croatian-Australian community, Croatian community language teachers and their students, and members of the University community had an opportunity to visit the Faculty of Arts facilities, including the Croatian Studies Library. The Open Day provided a platform to highlight the Croatian Studies program through language and culture workshops, traditional folkloric dances, musical performances, Croatian wine and spirit tastings and Croatian food. The Croatian Studies Centre at Macquarie is one of only two such centres in the world and the only tertiary Croatian program in Australia. 

Safe spaces training 

As an institution we are committed to providing a respectful, safe and inclusive campus for everyone. The Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging team recently ran its first safe spaces training program for the Service Connect team. Service Connect staff now have the skills and framework to help foster a safe space for our students and the Macquarie community. To learn the skills that support the safety of our community and to be eligible to register your workspace as a safe space, register now for Safe Spaces Training. 

Experts gather at the Ear Summit 

The Ear Summit was held recently at Macquarie University’s Australian Hearing Hub. The event was hosted by Dawn Casey AO, Deputy CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Professor Kelvin Kong from Macquarie University Hearing’s HEAR Centre, and the Djurali Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and Education Centre. It was facilitated by Katrina Fanning AO PSM. The Ear Summit included policymakers, researchers, clinicians and leaders in Aboriginal health, and ear and hearing health, all exploring opportunities to transform ear and hearing health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through collective thinking, partnerships and structural reform.

Attendees watch on at the annual public lecture from the Ethics and Agency Research Centre.

Pictured (L–R): Professor Paul Formosa, Head of the Department of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Macquarie University Ethics and Agency Research Centre; Associate Professor Kate Rossmanith, Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature; Professor Susan Bandes, DePaul University, Chicago; Distinguished Professor Wendy Rogers, Co-Director of the Ethics and Agency Research Centre; Professor Richard Weisman, York University, Canada 

Law and emotion: A misunderstood relation – the annual public lecture from the Ethics and Agency Research Centre 

On 16 May, around 150 people gathered at Banco Court in the Supreme Court of New South Wales for an annual public lecture held by the Macquarie University Ethics and Agency Research Centre. 

Leading international thinkers Professor Susan Bandes (DePaul University, Chicago) and Professor Richard Weisman (York University, Canada) explored the role that emotion plays, doesn’t play and is expected to play in law and legal processes. The event was organised and chaired by Associate Professor Kate Rossmanith, ARC Future Fellow from the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature. 

The audience comprised judges and magistrates from NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, barristers and senior counsel, lawyers, coroners, police, representatives from legal support organisations, academics from NSW and interstate, and members of the public. This unique and significant event provided an opportunity for judicial decision-makers, legal practitioners, scholars and the public to come together and explore how emotion pervades the law in expected and unexpected ways. 

International Women’s Day 2023

A series of inspiring events was held across Macquarie University to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD). The UN Women Australia’s IWD theme this year was ‘Cracking the code: Innovation for a gender equal future’, highlighting the role that bold, transformative ideas, inclusive technologies and accessible education can play in combating discrimination and the marginalisation of women globally.

Nicole Gower, Vice-President, Professional Services, and Diversity Council of Australia CEO Lisa Annese shared an insightful conversation highlighting the part men play in supporting gender equity. They do this by sharing the workload and caring responsibilities at home, by fostering an inclusive environment at work and by challenging gender bias and everyday sexism when it happens. In response to a question about what she would change if given a magic wand, Annese shared three ideas:

• Eradicate online content that depicts women in degrading and disrespectful ways as it creates negative attitudes towards women.
• Create equitable division of physical and mental workloads around caring and family responsibilities.
• Remove defensiveness around gender equity and fairness, making it safer and easier to speak out about gender inequality without judgment or backlash.

Pictured L to R: Professor Farah Magrabi, Centre for Health Informatics; Associate Professor Bonny Parkinson, Centre for Health Economy; Dr Samantha Spanos, Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science; and Khalia Ackermann, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research

The Australian Institute of Health Innovation’s IWD event The future of females: Finance and family invited panellists to share their experiences of working in an academic environment while managing family responsibilities, career development and financial planning.

Nandini Krishna Kumar, Lecturer in Accounting and Corporate Governance; Associate Professor Stephanie Huang, Associate Dean Curriculum and Learning; Rebecca Young, Head of Faculty Operations 

The Macquarie Business School Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee held a morning tea with guest speakers. The interactive dialogue was moderated by co-chair of the EDI Committee Dr Hector Viveros Tapia and showcased many personal stories and reflections on the relevance of IWD. It also explored the challenges women still face and discussed ways to inspire and support female colleagues.

Pictured L to R: Professor Lucy Marshall, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering; David Ward, Chief People Officer; Associate Professor Noushin Nasiri, School of Engineering; Rebecca Brown, Optical Engineer, Australian Astronomical Optics

The Faculty of Science and Engineering EDI Committee hosted a screening of Picture a Scientist, a powerful documentary profiling women scientists across a range of fields and career stages and exploring the challenges women face in STEM. It was followed by a Q&A session and a panel discussion, which touched on initiatives that support students and staff, what can be done in the face of gender discrimination or bullying, and the current gender equity statistics at Macquarie. The panelists also shared some of their aspirations for improving gender equity.

Pictured L to R: Dr Negin Sedaghat, Lecturer, Macquarie Medical School; Natalie Sequeira, Director, Strategy and Planning, MQ Health; Dr Erica Jacobson, Head of Neurosurgery at Sydney Children’s Hospital

MQ Health’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee hosted the Celebrating women in surgery talk. Panellists shared the challenges they faced at different stages in their careers, while a Q&A session included advice on how others may be able to overcome these hurdles in the future. A fundraising barbecue was held in addition to this presentation, raising $575 for the charity Fitted for Work, which is dedicated to helping women experiencing disadvantage to regain their confidence and secure and maintain employment.

Commencing MD students take their oaths

Adorned with stethoscopes – symbolising the values they will exemplify as medical professionals – Macquarie’s 2023 Doctor of Medicine students were officially welcomed to the University with a ceremony on 18 March in the Michael Egan Hall.

The event has become a cherished ritual, with 69 of the 71 commencing students attending. They received sage advice from leaders in the University’s medical community, before receiving their stethoscopes and taking a self-written oath in front of their families and Macquarie faculty.

Drawing on his experience as a young boy in rural NSW who went on to achieve his dream of becoming a physician, Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton MD urged the students to remember that medicine is ‘both art and science’ and highlighted the importance of listening and compassion in medical practice.

Watch the ceremony >>

Pictured L to R: Professor Ezequiel Garcia-Elorrio, President-elect, International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua); Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite, ISQua President and Founding Director of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI); Professor Johanna Westbrook, ISQua Expert and Director, AIHI; Dr Carsten Engel, CEO, ISQua.

Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite and Professor Johanna Westbrook visit the World Health Organisation

Experts recently gathered at the World Health Organization in Geneva where Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite and Professor Johanna Westbrook from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) were invited to further the quality and safety in healthcare agenda.

Westbrook, Director of the Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research at AIHI, shared research on advances in the monitoring, evaluation and improvement of electronic medication management systems in hospitals and aged-care settings.

Braithwaite, who is the founding director of AIHI and President of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), is a leading health services and systems researcher with an international reputation for his work investigating and contributing to systems improvement. Professor Ezequiel Garcia-Elorrio, ISQua President-elect, and Dr Carsten Engel, ISQua CEO, both AIHI honorary fellows, also attended the event.

Pictured L to R: Enrico Tam, Macquarie University Incubator Expert-in-Residence; Reece Aquilina, Founder of Xerobrush; Carla Vanessa Alves Lopes, Co-founder of Videmia; Anna Stackpool, Founder of Stopfalls; Trent Alleyne, Founder of Ox Debt; Sam Li, Co-founder of DataEco Lab; Perry Chen, Co-founder of DataEco Lab

New year, new cohort at the Incubator

Congratulations to the 12 new startups and scale-ups that will form Macquarie University Incubator’s 2023 cohort. The cohort will work with Macquarie researchers, mentors and investors as they grow and develop their businesses through the Startup Educate Program. The program focuses on the key knowledge areas founders need to build sustainable, high-growth organisations.

SmartCompany recently profiled the new cohort and Director, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Melissa Ryan, who says “Macquarie University Incubator is designed to drive the development of sustainable, scalable and investable companies.”

View the full interview here.

Pictured L to R: Matthew Kocx, Rabia Rasul, Chief Justice Susan Kiefel, Taylor McCoy, Kyle McIndoe

Jessup competition success for Macquarie students

Macquarie was recently crowned national champions at the prestigious 2023 Philip C Jessup International Moot Court Competition in Canberra.

This year’s team comprised students Taylor McCoy, Kyle McIndoe, Rabia Rasul and Matthew Kocx. They competed against 11 universities before advocating in front of the highest judicial officer in the country, Chief Justice Susan Kiefel, in the grand final.

The Jessup is the largest, oldest and most prestigious law student competition in the world. It involves the simulation of a dispute between countries, argued before the International Court of Justice. This year’s topics included attacks in allegedly occupied territory, unilateral economic sanctions, the treatment of detainees and the transfer of hazardous waste. Students have spent months intensively researching, writing and practicing their advocacy skills under the guidance of faculty advisor Dr Shireen Daft and coach Fareed Qureshi.

The team will compete in the international rounds in Washington DC in April.

Dr Diana Tan, Research Fellow from the Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie student Katarina Aldeguer and Macquarie Faculty Librarian Kirsten McDermid at ‘DiversiTEA’.

‘DiversiTEA’ morning tea at Macquarie University Art Gallery

A morning tea at Macquarie University Art Gallery was hosted by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The group led a discussion about celebrating neurodiversity and creating a safer space for those with invisible disabilities to flourish in our University community.

ARC Linkage Project: The power of public spaces launch

Last month, researchers from Macquarie’s School of Social Sciences, together with Transport for NSW, hosted the official launch event for their ARC Linkage Project: The power of public spaces.

Macquarie staff, expert advisory panel members and the project team welcomed guests to Macquarie’s Wallumattagal Campus. The event featured an opening address from The Hon Rob Stokes, Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport. Associate Professor Donna Houston followed with an overview of the project, before leading into a series of provocations by Dr Miriam Williams from the Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Professor Kurt Iveson from the University of Sydney and New South Wales 24-hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues.

The project adopts an innovative model of government–university–community collaboration to investigate, discuss and co-create new approaches to public space design, management and use. The social benefits include a better understanding of how public spaces positively contribute to place-based social connectivity and mitigate the negative impacts of challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a changing climate. The project will also enhance current understandings of diverse community connections to public spaces through the promotion of Indigenous leadership in place design, placemaking and caring for Country.

Pictured L to R: Maria Souris, Head of Domestic Student Recruitment; Susan Clarke, Executive Officer to the Vice-Chancellor; Gill Kirk, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic – Operations; Svetlana Martynovich, Executive Manager, Vice-President Professional Services

Universities Australia Conference 2023

The recent Universities Australia Annual Conference 2023 was a valuable forum to hear leaders address the big issues facing the university sector, link with colleagues from other institutions and internally benchmark Macquarie against other institutions. This year’s program included addresses from Professor Dr Megan Davis, Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at UNSW, about the Voice to Parliament; Professor Mary O’Kane AC, who is leading the Australian Universities Accord; The Hon Jason Clare MP, Federal Minister for Education; Professor Margaret Sheil AO, QUT Vice-Chancellor, about the Australian Research Council review; and Professor Tanya Monro AC, Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist.

Justus Liebig Medal Awarded to Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton

Macquarie University was pleased to welcome a delegation from the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) to Wallumattagal Campus last week. One of the oldest higher education institutions in the German-speaking world, JLU has been a valued partner of Macquarie since 2011 when Professor Emerita Martina Möllering established formal ties between the two institutions.

A highlight of the visit was the awarding of the Justus Liebig Medal to Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton by JLU President Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee. The honour recognises Professor Dowton’s outstanding services to JLU and to the partnership.

After receiving a guided tour of the Arts Precinct, the delegation met with faculty and Graduate Research Academy representatives to discuss deepening collaboration across research, student mobility and joint doctoral programs.

Alumni gathering in Hong Kong  

After much anticipation, the University was pleased to welcome Hong Kong-based Macquarie alumni to a gathering hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton in early February.  

The event – which was carefully planned to accommodate fluctuating local COVID restrictions – was also the first opportunity for Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Rorden Wilkinson to formally meet with international Macquarie alumni, including graduates of the University’s Hong Kong MBA program.     

“The Hong Kong Macquarie Alumni Chapter has been growing in strength for more than 20 years and its members are such wonderful advocates for our University,” says Susan Mills, Head of Alumni Relations. “We greatly value these opportunities to connect with our international alumni and hear about the impact they are making in the world.” 

Pictured (L-R): Dr Jane Hanley, Discipline Chair for Languages and Cultures; Professor Hsu-Ming Teo, Head of MCALL; Mr Richard Rodgers, Australian Ambassador-designate to Croatia and Kosovo; and Dr Jasna Novak Milic, Director of Croatian Studies 

A visit from the Australian Ambassador-designate to Croatia and Kosovo 

Earlier this month, Mr Richard Rodgers, Australian Ambassador-designate to Croatia and Kosovo, visited the Croatian Studies Centre in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature (MCCALL) to learn about the programs, research outputs and partnerships conducted by the centre.  

Mr Rodgers toured the Arts Precinct, including the language labs and Croatian Studies Centre library. He was impressed with the long tradition of Croatian studies at Macquarie, key ongoing projects such as Easy Croatian (a news podcast in collaboration with SBS), and the fruitful, ongoing staff and student exchanges with Croatian universities in Zagreb and Split. 

The Croatian Studies Centre at Macquarie is one of only three such centres in the world and the only tertiary Croatian program in Australia. The centre celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. 

Pictured (L-R): The Very Reverend Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Fr Christophoros Krikelis, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia; Dr Patricia Koromvokis, Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature (MCCALL) and Head of the Examination Centre for the Greek Language Certificate; Mr Yannis Mallikourtis, Consul General of Greece in Sydney; His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis representing His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia; Mr Yiannis Theodoridis, Secretary of the Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation Ltd.; Ms Sophie Cotsis, MP, Member of Canterbury and Macquarie University Alumni; Dr Jane Hanley, Discipline Chair of Languages and Cultures;  Mr Theophilos Premetis, President of the Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation Ltd.; Professor Hsu-Ming Teo, Head of MCCALL 

Macquarie hosts Certificate of Attainment in the Greek Language ceremony 

On 9 February 2023, the International Day of Greek Language, Macquarie University hosted the official award ceremony for school students receiving their 2022 Certificates of Attainment in the Greek Language. 

The Certificate of Attainment in the Greek Language is the only official certification of proficiency, and Macquarie University is the only certified examination centre in NSW, a direct result of an ongoing partnership between the Modern Greek Studies Program at Macquarie and the Centre for Greek Language in Greece. This strengthens the University’s position as a renowned provider of language education, including a successful and extensive Greek Studies Program.  

Approximately 170 people attended the ceremony, including recipients and their families, Greek language teachers from NSW schools, Greek community media, and various distinguished guests including His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis, the Very Reverend Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Fr Christophoros Krikelis and Mr Yannis Mallikourtis, Consul General of Greece in Sydney. Mr Niki Kerameus (Minister of Education and Religious Affairs in Greece) and Mr Theodoros Papaggelis (President of the Centre for the Greek Language in Greece) delivered messages via video.  

Parents and Carers Information Evening 

Held on Thursday 9 February, the Parents and Carers Information Evening saw more than 460 parents and carers of commencing students visit campus. Hosted by one of our current students, the event provided plenty of opportunities for parents and carers to ask questions and engage with staff. To round out the experience, a panel of expert Macquarie staff provided information about key areas that support student success such as wellbeing, careers, engagement and academic support. To continue to engage these important members of our community, a dedicated parents and carers webpage is available. 

Pictured (L-R): Associate Professor John De Nobile, Dr Maria Lobystyna and Dr Robyn Moloney from the School of Education 

Book launch at the State Library of New South Wales  

More than 50 teachers and education leaders attended a recent professional learning session and launch of a new book Interculturality in Schools: Practice and Research, written by Dr Robyn Moloney, Dr Maria Lobystyna and Associate Professor John de Nobile from the School of Education in the Faculty of Arts. 

The event, hosted at the State Library of New South Wales, had a diverse program of speakers from schools, government departments and organisations who explored key themes regarding culturally responsive teachers, the importance of embracing language diversity in schools, dealing with racism in school contexts, and the significance of social cohesion and resilience. 

The new book, published by Routledge, explores the design and delivery of a professional learning program in five Sydney schools and provides a practical professional development template for schools wishing to develop their intercultural capabilities. The book was commended in a message of support from the Hon. Mark Coure, NSW State Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Seniors.  

“Schools that purchase this book are essentially also buying a professional development program. The strategies described from the research project can be applied or adapted in any school context,” said lead author Dr Robyn Moloney.   

The book is available from Routledge and through other booksellers such as Booktopia.    

GRAfest 2022 

The Macquarie Graduate Research Academy held its second GRAfest (main image), a networking and development conference for the research degree community at Macquarie University. This year’s theme was Looking after yourself and your future with speakers and guests sharing ideas and strategies to address employment challenges, graduate researcher recruitment and wellbeing. Find out more by reading the Graduate Research Matters Newsletter.

Macquarie University and MIT-World Peace University enter MoU

Left to right: Peter Truswell, Australian Consul-General in Mumbai; Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton; Dr RM Chitnis, Vice Chancellor, MIT-World Peace University; Pravin Patil, Senior Director Internationalization, MIT-World Peace University; Dr. Nirupama Kocherlakota, Associate Director, Centre for Global Academic Partnerships, MIT-World Peace University

Macquarie has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s MIT-World Peace University that seeks to boost joint research programs, staff exchanges and study tours. The MoU was signed in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton and Dr RM Chitnis, Vice Chancellor, MIT-World Peace University, Pune, India, on 29 November 2022 in Mumbai.

The MoU covers credit transfers and articulations in STEM and Management programs to support the next generation of executives by enhancing their managerial skills and technological expertise in tandem. Apart from the benefits of student exchange, study tours and joint research programs, students will also be eligible for direct admission to one-year masters or integrated undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Macquarie.

Incubator Pitch Final 2022 winners

Anne Thompson

James Reilly

Alistair Gee

Macquarie University Incubator celebrated its much-anticipated 2022 Pitch Final last month. The resident startups took to the stage and delivered a three-minute pitch to a panel of industry-led judges, including Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise) Dan Johnson.

Congratulations to all the winners:

• Best Pitch: Anne Thompson from Worn Up
• Most Appealing Investment: James Reilly from Latent Knowledge
• Researchers Engagement: Alistair Gee from Centre for Armed Violence Reduction

21^st anniversary of the Master of Speech and Language Pathology

Left to right: Professor Beth Armstrong, Edith Cowan University; Dr Scott Barnes, Department of Linguistics; Professor Patrick McNeil, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Medicine and Health) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences

The Master of Speech and Language Pathology (MSLP) course marked its 21st anniversary on Thursday 3 November, with course founder Professor Beth Armstrong, who is now at Edith Cowan University, returning to Macquarie to give a keynote address on the history and early years of the course. The MSLP was the first postgraduate speech pathology course in New South Wales, and one of the first in Australia. To date, the MSLP has graduated around 600 practising speech pathologists, and is a leading provider of speech pathology education in Australia.

16 Days of Activism Morning Tea

Left to right: Lance Islip, Manager, Workplace Health and Safety; Sherrie Santos, Procurement and Contracts Coordinator; Pritika Nischal, Senior Financial Planning and Analysis Analyst; Magda Poulin, Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Consultant; Pete Boyle, Chief Executive Officer U@MQ Limited (Campus Life); Melissa Barhy, University Solicitor; Lotus Rana, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Consultant

The Finance and Resources and Office of the General Counsel Diversity and Inclusion Committee organised a morning tea to support the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Staff were asked to donate their time and learn more about gender-based violence and/or domestic and family violence. Staff also engaged with Macquarie resources available to support colleagues affected by domestic and family violence. Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Magda Poulin gave a presentation on the significance of the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign and the many ways that staff at Macquarie can find support and resources.

 Visit from the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia 

Left to right: Dr Francesco Stolfi, School of Social Sciences; Jovica Pavlović, visiting Researcher from the Belgrade Institute of European Studies; Professor Miša Đurković, visiting researcher from the Belgrade Institute of European Studies; Dr Nina Markovic Khaze, School of Social Sciences; Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton; His Excellency Rade Stefanovic, Serbian Ambassador to Australia; Professor Greg Downey, Interim Dean, School of Social Sciences; Associate Professor Ian Tregenza, School of Social Sciences; Dr Jonathan Symons, Discipline Chair, Politics and International Relations, School of Social Sciences

Last month, researchers from the discipline of politics and international relations welcomed His Excellency Rade Stefanovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Australia, to the Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus. The Ambassador met with staff for lunch, before delivering a guest lecture and Q&A session with Master of International Relations students, where he discussed Serbia’s foreign policy in a changing world and international diplomacy in times of crisis.