Issue 6 Summer 2006

w w w.vu.edu.au

VIVA MEXICO
MUSCLE MANIFESTO
HIGH IN THE SKY
PRACTICAL DISASTER

AUSTRALIAN
APPRENTICE
OF THE YEAR
 Jac Boyle spent
2006 as an
exchange student
in Mexico. Living
in a remote village,
she taught English
and lived on less
than $20 a week.
In a two-page
feature, she tells her
incredible story.

CONTENTS
4 VC welcome
2006 has been an exceptional
year for VU. The Vice-Chancellor
writes about new plans which will
shape the University’s future.
20
4 In brief
A new multimedia facility, the
opening of a $1.8 million youth
hub, and a champion chef are just
three of the in brief stories in this
issue.
8 Practical disaster
The skills of two trainee
paramedics are put to the test
during a virtual medical emergency
on the St Albans Campus.
10 Multicultural media
Multimedia students have created
a DVD offering practical advice to
job seekers in the western suburbs.

15 Tokyo todai 16 Reclaiming water 18 Know fear 19 Online crime

Professor Les Terry looks back at a
year teaching at the University of
Tokyo as Chair/Visiting Professor
of Australian Studies.
As Australia faces its worst
drought on record, researchers are
examining water’s next frontier –
recycling – to combat the country’s
worsening water shortage.
Martin Fluker knows the dangers of
adventure sports, which is why he’s
writing his thesis on what motivates
people to do them.
Online auction fraud is big and
growing, but consumer awareness
is lagging. A new report examines
the experiences of Australian
consumers at online auctions.

25 Health competence 26 High as the sky 28 Executive resource 29 Project reputation

The Institute for Health and
Diversity is addressing the impact
that social and cultural diversity is
having on the health of western
region communities.
Two Tourism Management students
are flying high following a Co-op
year at Los Angeles International
Airport.
Helena Steel has spent 20 years in
Human Resources. At the top of her
game, she has come back to VU to
share what she’s learnt.
Michael Jackson has ‘built’
some of Melbourne’s finest
buildings. He’s now back at VU
to deliver a master-class in project
management.

2

8
11 Muscle manifesto
Football expert Nathan Buckley
has published a new book on
weight training, and it’s already
having an impact on the Magpies.
20 Viva Mexico
Exchange student Jac Boyle has
kept a diary of her adventures
while living in a remote Mexican
village. She teaches English,
carpentry and massage.
30 My life as a blog
Stefan Schutt examines the gobal
craze of blogging – online diaries
which have popped up all over the
internet in recent years.
26
10
30
12 Building a country
Student Ismenio Martins da Silva
reflects on his time in East Timor
and explains how VU’s scholarship
program will help with future work.
23 Winner
Kevin Baker has been crowned
Australian Apprentice of the Year
2006. We take a look at his rise
to the top.
31 VU books
Sporting moments which changed
football forever and how
technology is changing the way
children learn are among the topics
in new books by VU authors.
14 Animal attraction
Greg Gordon teaches students
at VU’s Werribee Campus to be
animal technicians – the often
misunderstood job of caring for
animals used in research.
24 Legendary letters
The University received letters,
emails and phone calls expressing
gratitude and thanks following its
90th year celebrations. Here are
some extracts.
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY
CONNECTIONS
PUBLISHER
Marketing and Communications Dept.
Victoria University, Australia
PO Box 14428
Melbourne VIC 8001, Australia
© Victoria University
CONTACT US
Phil Kofoed – Managing Editor
PHONE: +61 3 9919 4956
EMAIL: publications@vu.edu.au
www.vu.edu.au
CONCEPT DESIGN
Perks Design Partners
ART DIRECTION AND LAYOUT
Victoria University Graphic Services
COVER PHOTO
Sharon Walker
ALL PHOTOS
Sharon Walker except where noted
3
 VC Welcome

VU’s future is taking shape, and it has not gone unnoticed. We might even claim to being the talk of the
town when our differentiation statement was announced.

As part of this vision for the future, we have made five bold commitments which include: students
spending 25 per cent of their learning on the job and in the community; two new TAFE faculties;
personalised learning programs; the creation of 12 industry and community focused roundtables; and
projects specifically targeted at the western region.

These moves will strengthen our links with industry and ensure that job readiness becomes an even
stronger part of our ‘New School of Thought’.

In sport, we have joined forces with The Western Bulldogs, Maribyrnong Secondary College, and
the Victoria Institute of Sport to create the State’s first government sports school. The school will attract
talented athletes from the western suburbs and from across Victoria.

The shape of the City Flinders Campus is changing and the relocation of the South Melbourne Campus
to the CBD has been a huge success.

In this issue you can also read more about the changing shape of VU and our new facilities. These
include the launch of the $5 million Department of Visual Arts, Design and Multimedia.

On the research front, Associate Professor Zou is working on the removal of colour from recycled water,
which is of major importance to the region.
STRONG
Congratulations go to Kevin Baker, the 2006 Australian Apprentice of the Year. This is an outstanding FOUNDATIONS
achievement and a credit to his hard work and dedication.
Three philanthropic foundations have
Special thanks goes to all of the friends, family, and Legends themselves, who took the time to write to donated a total of $138,000 to fund
me personally, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for the events VU organised to celebrate its three VU Foundation student scholarship
90th year. You can read many extracts from these letters in this issue. programs over the next three years.

2006 has been an exceptional year for VU, but watch this space as 2007 takes shape! The Bennelong Foundation has given
$48,000 to establish the Transition
Professor Elizabeth Harman Scholarships Program. Four three-year
Vice-Chancellor and President scholarships of $4000 each per
December 2006 year are being offered to secondary
school students experiencing financial
hardship, and who want to attend
TAFE and/or higher education at VU
in 2007.

The Invergowrie Foundation has

donated a total of $45,000 to females
experiencing disadvantage who wish
to advance to VU TAFE and/or higher
education studies. This program is
offering six $1500 TAFE scholarships
and three $3000 higher education
scholarships.

The Pratt Foundation is dedicating

$45,000 to support three VU
Foundation East Timor Scholarships.
The Scholarships are awarded to East
Timorese students who can provide a
significant contribution to their country.

VU and the VU Foundation welcome

our new philanthropic partners.

For more information: 03 9919 5568,

www.vu.edu.au/scholarships

Interested in establishing a VU
scholarship, award or prize?
Left to right: Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Harman, Minister for Manufacturing and Export André Haermeyer and Chancellor Hon. Justice Frank Vincent. Contact Julie Tester: 03 9919 1207,
julie.tester@vu.edu.au

4
 Villagers in East
Timor perform live
music in the street.
RECIPE FOR
SUCCESS
Pancakes and pork aren’t the most
obvious choices when cooking up an
award-winning dish.
Ester Penaflorida, a Victoria University
third-year apprentice chef, chose the
ingredients when preparing for the four-
day Melbourne Culinary Challenge at
this year’s Fine Food Australia exhibition
at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
Competing against 60 apprentices from
across the state, Ester had to prepare
two dishes for the cook-off competition.
She created an Asian-infused pork
dish with shitake mushrooms for a main
course and a pear clafoutis, a cross
between a pancake and a pudding,
for dessert.
Ester, who works as an apprentice in
the kitchens of Melbourne’s exclusive
Westin Hotel, was awarded the gold
medal in the Third Year Apprentice
category.
“It was an incredibly intimidating
experience and I didn’t expect to win,
but it was well worth it,” Ester says.
Four other VU apprentice chefs also
won medals during the heated cook-off.
VU apprentice chef
and gold medal
winner, Ester
Penaflorida.
DIVERSITY
AWARE
A teaching and diversity forum to help
raise awareness of Victoria University’s
culturally diverse student population was
held at Footscray Nicholson Campus in
June as part of the University’s ongoing
efforts to strengthen links with its
multicultural student body.
A range of community and academic
speakers presented their thoughts
on issues, including education and
resettlement faced by our international
students.
The morning schedule included a
welcome from Karen Jackson, of VU’s
Department of Equity and Social Justice.
Ms Jackson is a Yorta Yorta woman
strongly committed to Indigenous
issues, particularly in Victoria, and is
co-ordinator of VU’s Koori Development
and Support unit.
As one of Australia’s most multicultural
universities, VU continues to excel with
innovative pathways in education for
migrants and the emerging African
community in Melbourne.
The Sudanese Dambai Dance Group
provided a colourful and artistic
addition to the proceedings.
A member of the
Sudanese Dambai
In Brief
Dance Group.
A student at work
in one of the art
studios at VU’s
new $5 million
Department of
Visual Arts, Design
and Multimedia
at City Flinders
Campus.
MULTIMEDIA
NIRVANA
VU’s new $5 million Department of
Visual Arts, Design and Multimedia
facilities were opened in October
by André Haermeyer, Minister for
Manufacturing and Export.
Spanning three floors of the City
Flinders Campus’ Flinders Street
building, the facilities include an open
plan studio, fully-equipped computer
labs, teaching studios and a video
production facility.
Mr Haermeyer said the challenge
ahead was to harness Victoria’s design
capabilities and to develop more
creative ways of doing things.
“Meeting this challenge will require
a highly skilled and design-aware
workforce, and this new art space will
help supply that need,” he said.
Multimedia student Nino Aniceto won
two awards at this year’s prestigious
ATOM awards. His work ‘Good Evil
Deeds’ won him the Best Tertiary
Interactive Game and Best Tertiary
Multimedia.
VU held all five finalist spots in the Best
Tertiary Multimedia category and four
out of five finalist spots in the Tertiary
Interactive Game category.
5
 In Brief
ON BRAND
BULLDOGS
VU took its partnership with the Western
Bulldogs to a new level when it took
‘ownership’ of Melbourne’s Telstra
Dome one Saturday in June.
While the Bulldogs took on Hawthorn,
VU dominated all manner of on and
off-field promotions. VU messages
streamed across large screens and
Bulldogs players ran through a VU
banner.
“It was a really good way for us to
strengthen our partnership with the
Bulldogs and to raise VU’s profile
with the public,” said Christine
Mountford, manager of VU’s Centre for
Commencing Students.
Samantha Kerr, aged 5, was the day’s
heart-warming highlight.
As the winner of the Mascot prize
competition, Samantha – great
grand-daughter of the 1954 Footscray
Premiership team’s legendary rover,
John Kerr – touched the sentiments of
thousands as she ran through the VU
banner with the Bulldogs.
More events with the Bulldogs are in the
pipeline for 2007, so watch this space.
6
VU took ‘ownership’
of Melbourne’s
Telstra Dome
at a Western
Bulldogs–Hawthorn
game in June.
TEACHING
PASSION
Two Victoria University academics
were awarded Carrick Citations for
Outstanding Contributions to Student
Learning in August.
Associate Professor Steve Selig and
senior lecturer Dennis Hemphill, both
from the School of Human Movement,
Recreation and Performance, received
the nationally-contested awards.
Belinda McLennan, VU’s Pro Vice-
Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)
said the citations show VU has excellent
teachers and that the University’s current
efforts to promote a focus on student-
centred learning are being recognised
nationally.
Associate Professor Selig received the
award for “sustained passion, vision,
creativity, energy and engagement
in the leadership of a postgraduate
program that is under a continuous
cycle of review and improvement”.
Dr Hemphill received his award for
“a decade of institutional leadership
in curriculum development and
educational support for student learning
in the Faculty of Arts, Education and
Human Development.”
Associate Professor
Steve Selig and
senior lecturer
Dennis Hemphill.
Students at work in
the new Problem-
Based Learning
(PBL) facilities at
Footscray Park
Campus.
PROBLEM
BASED
Victoria University opened its new
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) facilities on
at Footscray Park Campus in August. The
custom-designed engineering training
facility has a $1.98 million budget.
PBL is learner-centred rather than teacher-
centred, and focuses on developing
capabilities rather than covering content.
“Our PBL initiatives will underpin the
University for the future,” said Vice-
Chancellor Professor Elizabeth Harman.
“Our strong links with industry will be
re-configured and built upon – and job
readiness will become an even stronger
part of our definition.”
PBL project director Alec Simcock
said: “Graduates need to have good
interpersonal and communication skills;
to work effectively in teams; to think
creatively, laterally and flexibly; and
to interact with other disciplines and
cultures. This is what we are giving our
students with Problem-Based Learning.”
This year, VU introduced Problem-
Based Learning to all its Bachelor of
Engineering programs in Architectural,
Civil and Mechanical Engineering, and
Electrical Engineering.
Web: www.vu.edu.ai/pbl

NEW SCHOOL
RECYCLING
A new recycling awareness project is to
be launched by VU and Brimbank City
Council.
The project will see students at dozens of
schools across Brimbank learning more
about the benefits of recycling.
The Council and the Iramoo Discovery
Centre at VU’s St Albans Campus have
agreed to combine their resources,
expertise and networks to hold practical
classes on the subject.
VU will provide classroom space at
Iramoo, while Brimbank Council will
donate demonstration recycling, green
waste and compost bins, in addition
to a worm farm and standard landfill
rubbish bins.
The formal partnership was signed by
VU and Brimbank Councillor, Dr Kathryn
Eriksson in August.
“Encouraging school students to become
enthusiastic recyclers helps Council
to promote waste minimisation and
education to the wider community,”
Eriksson said. “We strongly believe
that if young people practice recycling
at school, they will encourage and
influence other family members to
recycle at home.”
VU’s Professor
Ian Rouse and
Brimbank Councillor
Dr Kathryn
Eriksson sign the
recycling education
partnership at the
Iramoo Discovery
Centre.
SUNBURY
HIGH NOTE
Victoria University’s new $4.75 million
Sunbury Music School was opened by
Lynne Kosky, Minister for Education and
Training in May.
And as the birthplace of Australia’s
legendary rock music festival, where
better than Sunbury to set up a
contemporary music school?
Facilities include extensive sound-
production equipment, seven studios
and a comprehensive computer
laboratory.
The school is already thriving, training
the next generation of musicians,
singers, songwriters, composers, studio
technicians, audio engineers and
managers.
Some of Australia’s top musicians teach
at the school, including Kiernan Box
(keyboard/piano), a former member of
the The Blackeyed Susans; Karl Lewis
(drums), who played with Bachelor
Girl; and Nicola Eveleigh (flute), who is
a member of the group, Coco’s Lunch.
VU’s Music department offers courses
starting at Certificate IV and continuing
through to diploma and degree level.
VU’s new $4.75
million Sunbury In Brief
Music School is
training the next
generation of
professionals for the
music industry.
VU Chancellor
Hon. Justice
Frank Vincent
(left) and Hon.
John Thwaites,
Deputy Premier
of Victoria, open
the Hub.
YOUTH HUB
SHINES
Victoria University has celebrated its
part in the opening of a new $1.8
million youth ‘hub’ in Sunshine in
October. The Visy Cares Youth Hub will
deliver educational, employment, health
and justice services support to young
people aged 12–24.
The Hub is built inside one of the
remaining old MV Harvester buildings
and will include VU’s TAFE Youth
Transitions Unit. The unit will house
computers and will be supported by
engagement programs developed by
VU Youth Studies students.
VU lecturer Dr Robyn Broadbent spent
the past seven years working towards
the creation of the Hub alongside VU
Chancellor Frank Vincent.
“We hope it will offer young people,
who may not traditionally have thought
about going to university, a gateway to
finding out more about further education
and the opportunities on offer at VU,”
Dr Broadbent said.
The Hub is the result of a partnership
between government, local business
and not-for-profit organisations,
including VU.
7

DEVI ABRAHAM
When Sophie Faulkner and Sarah Field arrived at
St Albans Campus last May, they stepped into a
catastrophe. There appeared to have been a workshop
explosion. Twenty-one victims were waiting for help.
8
Faulkner and Field arrived at their paramedic clinical
class expecting to pick up a few skills by practicing on
mannequins. But they and 28 other second-year Bachelor
of Health (Paramedics) students had walked onto a
simulated disaster site.
Victims grabbed at them pleading for help, others
moaned or screamed. They were directed to attend to a
man covered in extensive burn injuries who had difficulty
 Paramedics

breathing. Their task was to provide emergency care and

get him to the hospital. It was mayhem, with high noise
levels and billowing smoke making visibility low.

“We had a patient in obvious agony that was depending

on us,” Sophie said. “We forced ourselves to go back to
what we learnt in the classroom and put it into practice.”

Overcoming their initial confusion, Sophie and Sarah

assessed their patient’s injuries, gave him pain relief and
covered him with wet towels. “We were performing as
though it were a real disaster,” Sophie said. “There was
no one there to help us or make sure that we were doing
it correctly.”

It was the University’s first Multi-Casualty Incident Day.

Organised by the Department of Paramedic Science, it
was to give the students a taste of what a real disaster
could be like. First-year students and representatives from
Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV) and the Metropolitan
Ambulance Service (MAS) acted as victims.

Lecturers took great pains to ensure that the site looked

like an authentic disaster. Casualties ranged from an
amputated arm and leg to a penetrating chest injury and Right: Student Skye
Dennler attends to
an eviscerated abdomen. Props and make-up created a ‘patient’ at the
chilling effects. scene.

Left: Patient Stan

The medical equipment was identical to what is used by
ambulance crews, and a radio dispatcher deployed the
paramedic crews one at a time, making the event even
more authentic. Faulkner and her partner were the fourth
crew to arrive on the scene. The ambulance commander,
also a second-year student, assigned the pair to their
burns victim, a representative from RAV.
A multi-casualty incident is one that paramedic
professionals will face at some time in their career, said
lecturer and event organiser Susan Furness. It involves
multiple casualties, injuries both serious and minor, and
several emergency and support agencies on site.
Furness and lecturer Tina Ivanov conceptualised and
organised the Multi-Casualty Incident Day to prepare
VU’s future paramedics for the realities they would face
on the job. It took place over three days and none of the
students knew about it beforehand.
Burtt receives
treatment.
“It was one of the best simulations I’ve been to,” Kenyon
said. “It was run very well and run in real time, which is
the best way to experience it.” Acting as the victim with a
penetrating chest injury, he said he was impressed by the
care he received. “They got past being overwhelmed. It
showed that they remembered the things they were taught
in the classroom.”
More than anything else, Furness, Ivanov and the other
lecturers in the department wanted the Multi-Casualty
Incident Day to equip and empower their students to be
excellent paramedics when they leave Victoria University.
Judging from the students’ responses, they are achieving
that objective.

“It’s important to give it to them now while they can make “You can do skills over and over again in a classroom
mistakes and not kill anybody,” Furness said. “Multi- setting, but when there is a patient and no one looking
casualty incidents are highly stressful events and require a over your shoulder, you have to rely completely on
great deal of concentration.” yourself and on your partner,” Sophie said.

But she need not have worried. The students faced the VU is one of two universities in the state that offers the
emergency like professionals. “It made me stop and think, paramedics course. The lecturers are all practising
‘Gee, I’d really feel comfortable being looked after by paramedics. The students also do compulsory on road
these guys’.” clinical placements.

She wasn’t the only one. Brad Kenyon is Senior
Operations Officer, RAV Area 5. As a paramedic for the
Bendigo region and other parts of rural Victoria, dealing
with real multi-casualty incidents are a part of his job.
“Our aim is not to provide students with a piece of
paper,” Furness said. “Rather to ensure that they are able
to work on the road as paramedic professionals.”
Web: www.vu.edu.au/courses

9
 Multimedia
Futura Light 13.5pt, aligned right. 100% Black.

MULTICULTURAL MULTIMEDIA
FUTURA EXTRA
“We wanted it to be a local initiative as far as possible,”
DEVI ABRAHAM
says Elmo Perera, Multicultural Service Officer for
Centrelink Area West. “Victoria University plays an

BOLD CONDENSED
Victoria University’s TAFE multimedia students aren’t just
gamers and aspiring filmmakers. They have a heart to
important role in the lives of residents in Brimbank, so we
thought they would be best suited for the project.”
STACKED, JUSTIFIED TYPE
make a difference. They are using their skills to make an
impact in Melbourne’s multicultural west. VU multimedia lecturer Ben Dudding started on the
project with second-year Advanced Diploma in
Body Copy: Futura Light 8.5pt/12pt, 8pt space Multimedia students enrolled in his Video and Sound III
The students have put together a DVD for the Brimbank
after paragraph,
City Council and aligned left.Connecting
Centrelink. 100% Black.Communities subject during first term.
in Brimbank – A Guide to Employment & Education
Pull-Out
offers advice Copy:
to BrimbankFutura Light
residents who face barriers Putting the DVD together involved all the elements of a
in finding suitable employment. Its focus is on migrants real job. The students had to understand the expectations
13.5pt/18.5pt, +20 tracking,
and refugees, many of whom are overseas-qualified and needs of their customer, design and author the DVD
and work as a team.
10pt space
professionals, afterliving
and people paragraph,
with disabilities.
The DVD needed to be usable in four languages: Arabic,
alignedandleft.
Centrelink Type
Brimbank colour
Council to match
approached VU’s
Dinka (a Sudanese dialect), English and Vietnamese. This
Department of Visual Arts, Design and Multimedia at St
feature headline
Albans Campus colourway.
about the project last year. meant finding people who could translate all the text and
the spoken parts, and finding narrators who could speak
the language.

Arabic in particular presented a unique problem – it is

read from right to left. The DVD template had to be turned
around to accommodate the language. Second-year
multimedia student Ali Qazim, a native Arabic speaker
originally from Iraq, came on board to translate.

The DVD contains information about the Brimbank area,

opportunities for education and training, and how to look
for jobs and services offered by Brimbank Council and
Centrelink.

Because of the overall breadth of the project, it needed

more than a single term to complete. A group of five
dedicated students took time out of their final-semester
projects to see the project through to its completion.

Dudding was impressed with his students’ attitude. “They

had to squeeze the DVD in with their other work, without
which they couldn’t graduate,” he says.

Student Ben Fenech says: “If I start something, I want to

see it right through to the end. I wanted to be there when
it was finished.”
Futura Condensed
Bold & Medium The project was a win-win situation for all involved.
7pt/8pt, 7pt space Centrelink and Brimbank Council received an excellent,
after paragraph,
professional product at low cost, the students received
aligned left, 3mm
inset. Reverses white some compensation for their work, and they experienced
out of background. working for a commercial client before they formally
Caption box colour entered the workforce.
to match feature
headline colourway. Iudita Trifa, Community Programs Co-ordinator with Aged
and Disability Services for Brimbank Council, says it was
fantastic working with the University and the students.

“I found them to be very professional,” Trifa says. “They

did everything they could to develop a DVD that is
accessible to the wider community. They understood the
concept, what we actually wanted and our target group.”

Student Karl Ervine considers the project an eye-

opener. It has given him insight into the realities of the
multimedia industry. “It was like working on a large-scale,
Front: Student Ben Fenech. Back (left to right): Students Tamara Ramljak, Karl Ervine and teacher Ben Dudding. commercial project,” he says.
10
 Human Movement, Recreation and Performance
MUSCLE
MANIFESTO
DEVI ABRAHAM
A Victoria University professor is part of a team that is
creating a new holy grail for Australian Rules footballers.
Dr Con Hrysomallis, a lecturer in the School of Human
Movement, Recreation and Performance, joined
Collingwood Football Club’s star captain Nathan Buckley
and the team’s head conditioning coach Dr David
Buttifant to write Weight Training for Australian Football.
The book is a comprehensive look at weight training for
footballers of all levels, from junior to senior and elite-
level athletes. The programs are tailored specifically for
football players, and contain the latest evidence-based
information.
“There haven’t been any recent books like this,”
Hrysomallis says. “The last one was probably 10 years
ago, and there have been many new developments in
the field.”
Each of the book’s author’s: Hrysomallis the researcher;
Buttifant the conditioning coach; and Buckley the football
player, brought their unique perspective on weight
training to the table. The result is a holistic look at the
subject for Aussie Rules players.
“The major attraction the book should hold is the
opportunity for players of all ages and abilities to improve
their on-field performance by using the up-to-date strength
and conditioning concepts detailed in the book,” says
Buckley. “I know it would have been a helpful resource to
me when I was younger.”
The book is already making an impact on the Magpies.
“We use this book,” says Buttifant. “We tried the
exercises out on the Collingwood players. It’s all positive.
We also give them to all of our younger players. They’re
doing a lot of these exercises.”
Club players feature prominently throughout the book in
photos demonstrating the exercises.
The three men met at Victoria University a number of
years ago. Hrysomallis has lectured in the School of
Human Movement, Recreation and Performance for the
past 10 years and has an avid interest in weight training,
specifically how it applies to football. Buttifant met
Hrysomallis while doing his PhD in Exercise Physiology.
Buckley studied Human Movement full time during
1995–96. Hrysomallis was one of his lecturers.
“The knowledge I gained from my studies has been
invaluable in understanding my body and the systems
most important to high performance,” Buckley says.
“In that regard, I consider my study has proven to
be an integral part of my football preparation and
performance.”
Because of his interest in conditioning and football,
Hrysomallis keeps in contact with Collingwood and tries
to get involved with projects involving weight training and
sports science.
“I was teaching but also wanted some involvement in
the practical side of the profession, because I’ve always
had an interest in weight training,” Hrysomallis says. “The
team is well resourced and interested in science, and
how it applies to physical training.”
His experiences in the industry gives him a favourable
edge with his students. “I want to teach aspects as they
apply in the field,” he says. “It enhances interest and
credibility with my students.”
It has even affected his own team preferences. “I followed
Carlton all my life, but now I follow Collingwood. Once
you start getting involved, you can’t help but wish the
guys well.”
Left to right: Dr
David Buttifant,
Nathan Buckley and
Dr Con Hrysomallis.
11
 Scholarships

“We had an opportunity DEVI ABRAHAM

to rebuild our country, The ground in the small East Timor village of Ferik-Sare
is lush and green. The villagers make their living from
seasonal crops, such as maize, upland rice and cassava.

and we took it,” da Silva It is innocent and picturesque. But not long ago, the
people of Ferik-Sare had a serious problem. They had no
running water.

says. “I felt so happy. If Ismenio Martins da Silva found himself in Ferik-Sare

in April 2003. He was the fund co-ordinator with the

you can help others, it’s Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and
his mission was to find a sustainable source of water for
the people of this 2000-strong community.

a blessing.” The project was extensive and took months to complete.

But after a stream of consultants, designers, engineers
and workers, Ferik-Sare’s citizens were the proud new
owners of a community first – tap water.

They had public toilets, a drainage system and clean

drinking water – all sanitised. As a sign of their gratitude,
the villagers welcomed da Silva, community officials and
others from CIDA with flowers at the inauguration.

12

Two boys water a village crop in East Timor.
Photo courtesy of Oxfam Australia www.oxfam.org.au
Left: Ismenio Martins da Silva.
Right: Ismenio at village water source.
“We had an opportunity to rebuild our country, and we
took it,” da Silva says. “I felt so happy. If you can help
others, it’s a blessing.”
The prosperity of East Timor and its people is a driving
force in da Silva’s life, and Victoria University is a key
partner in furthering his dreams.
He is the second recipient of the Victoria University
Foundation East Timor Scholarship. The scholarship
supports an East Timorese student who can provide a
significant contribution to their country’s development.
The scholarship includes a living and travel allowance,
and the University waives tuition fees. Da Silva is
studying his Masters in Asia-Pacific Studies – Community
Development.
Da Silva finished his undergraduate degree in English
literature from Jember University in East Java, Indonesia,
and returned to East Timor in 1999.
His country was on the brink of a United Nations-
sponsored referendum that would see the East Timorese
vote for independence. Da Silva worked as a translator
for the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)
during the elections. He translated for several Australian
policemen who were with UNAMET as United Nations
civilian police.
After his country’s independence in May 2002, he
joined the country’s civil service, first with the Infrastructure
Department and then as a national land dispute officer
with the Department of Justice.
More than anything else, da Silva attributes these roles
with heightening his awareness of public service. It gave
him a taste of what it meant to make a difference in his
country and how he could help East Timor succeed.
“It was an honour to be part of something from the very
beginning,” he says.
“I feel like I’m the luckiest
person to come to VU
and study.”
Community development work soon followed. Da Silva
held jobs with CIDA, British Aid and the Norwegian
Agency for Development and Co-operation. For each of
these development agencies he worked as the national
representative in charge of project proposals, distributing
aid and reporting to the agency boards.
Despite these experiences, da Silva wanted more tools
to help his people. “East Timor needs people who have
skills, people who can share their knowledge with
others,” he says. “I needed to learn more theory so I
could go back and help my people.”
He came to Victoria University in February 2006 to build
his knowledge base and acquire more skills. His lecturers,
who are experienced in Asia–Pacific affairs and have
worked in the developing world, are teaching da Silva
the practical skills that he plans to take back with him to
East Timor.
When he graduates at the end of 2007, he will return
home to continue development work and to teach
community development at the National University of
Timor Loro Sa’e.
“My only dream is to work with communities,” da Silva
says. “I feel like I’m the luckiest person to come to VU
and study. A degree is only valuable if it helps people
become more confident in their society. When I go back,
I want to help build my country.”
The first recipient (2005) of the Victoria University
Foundation East Timor Scholarship was Alex Freitas.
The VU Foundation wishes to acknowledge the role
played by The Pratt Foundation, the VU Staff Workplace
Giving program and our donors in making the East Timor
Scholarship possible. For more information, contact the
VU Foundation on 03 9919 1207.
13

ANIMAL
ATTRACTION
WENDY HARGREAVES
Wildlife rescue volunteer Greg Gordon has a curious
day job for a man so passionate about saving animals.
Gordon teaches students at Victoria University’s Werribee
Campus to be animal technicians – the sometimes
controversial and often misunderstood job of breeding
and caring for animals used in biomedical research.
He also spends countless hours rescuing stricken wildlife
in the Werribee and Hoppers Crossing areas to the west
of Melbourne. But this self-confessed animal lover sees
no conflict between saving native wildlife and rearing
laboratory mice.
In fact, Gordon says students are more suited to the
University’s TAFE certificate and diploma courses in
animal technology if they are passionate about animals
and want to see medical researchers do the right thing.
Student Janet
Campbell-Wright
and Greg Gordon at
the Royal Melbourne
Show’s Animal
Nursery.
Photo by
Tim Burgess.
14
Animal Technology
“Animal technicians are the ethical guardians – to
make sure animals are properly cared for in research
laboratories,” Gordon says. “We need people who
really care about animals in this industry to make
sure everything is done humanely. Our aim is to help
researchers make important scientific breakthroughs using
the minimum number of animals for the maximum result.”
Each year, Gordon expects half of his first-year students
to be surprised by the realities of the course. Many apply
for the program, run by the Department of Science and
Biotechnology, in the mistaken belief they will be studying
veterinary science.
“They soon start to realise the difference, but it can be
emotionally difficult for some of them,” Gordon says. “But
it doesn’t take long for them to understand that the course
is about the ethics of animal technology and how to care
for animals.”
Gordon says his job was of vital importance to scientific
research. Under Australian law, all medicines – for both
animals and humans – must be tested on animals in
laboratories. “There is a misconception out there that
animal research is cruel,” he says. “This could not be
further from the truth. Animals in research laboratories are
very healthy and receive amazing care – much better
than most farm animals.”
Animal technology students do one year of full-time study
to gain the certificate, followed by two years of part-time
study to gain the diploma. Job prospects are excellent at
the many medical research laboratories at Melbourne’s
universities, hospitals and research institutions.
Gordon’s students put their love of animals on show every
September at the Royal Melbourne Show, helping with
the ever-popular Animal Nursery. At this year’s show, the
Department of Science and Biotechnology also organised
a display of unusual pets such as rats, reptiles and mini-
beasts including scorpions and stick insects.
Gordon also played a major role in setting up the
University’s wildlife rehabilitation course in conjunction
with Wildlife Victoria, where he has served as a volunteer
for the past six years.
The wildlife course has graduates across the nation,
including a small group of inmates and guards at Barwon
Prison. A government supported wildlife rehabilitation
centre has been set up inside the prison grounds to care
for reptiles seized by customs from smugglers leaving
Australia. The prison program is now expanding to
include possums.
“Just because we work in animal research, doesn’t mean
we don’t care for animals,” Gordon says.

Professor Les Terry:
“ ... many of my
assumptions about
Japan slip away one
by one.”
TODAI DAYS
WENDY HARGREAVES
Professor Les Terry reminiscences of a year teaching at
the University of Tokyo as Chair/Visiting Professor of
Australian Studies during 2005 – 06.
The Chair of Australian Studies is located in the Centre
for Pacific and American Studies at the Komaba Campus
of the University of Tokyo (known as Todai), the most
prestigious university in Japan. It is a balmy October
day and I am standing in front of my first class. I have
been advised only the day before that for the first two or
three weeks students are allowed to ‘try out’ the different
subjects.
They move from class to class assessing what is on offer
and, I am warned, may even leave part way through the
session so that they can look at what else is available at
the same time.
I am to deliver classes to three levels of students: first and
second year; third and fourth year; and postgraduate. I
begin to worry about how I will fit the material that I have
planned for the courses into the one and half hours that is
allocated for each subject over the next 13 weeks.
In the first session, overwhelmed by the humidity, I hear
myself talking too fast. That night I lie awake reflecting on
how I might have done things differently and worry that
none of the students will choose Australian Studies.
But I am excited when in the following week many of
them come back. In the coming months I draw on years
of experience of teaching at one of the most culturally
diverse universities in Australia (Victoria University) to take
the students at Todai, and later at Keio University, on a
weekly ‘excursion’ to Australia.
Material on colonisation, debates about an Australian
republic, as well as issues of identity, among other things,
provide a focus for the first and second-year students.
Letter from Japan
With the third and fourth-year group I explore current
issues in Australian politics. Given the range of
backgrounds in the classroom (Japanese, Malaysian,
Romanian, Swedish, French and American) there is lively
discussion about the way in which developments in
Australia are either mirroring or contrasting with shifts in
governance internationally.
At the postgraduate level, I work with a Japanese student
exploring the texts of a number of Australians who have
written about Japan, examining their interpretations of his
country.
But at the core of my teaching at all levels is the idea
that the Australian nation is an imagined space that is
always being reinterpreted or argued over. Working
within this framework my students are keen to know more
about Indigenous Australia and debates about rights
and reconciliation. They are interested in the impact of
colonisation on the Aboriginal people and are clearly
surprised that Australia still has a Head of State who is
British. There is also considerable interest in Australian
multiculturalism.
“How is it possible for a nation to exist without a single
identity?” asks one of my students.
Before taking up the posting, I had assumed that
Japanese students would not talk openly in the class, that
the atmosphere would be highly formal or that my lack
of Japanese would make teaching and living in Japan
difficult for me. But through my contact with the students at
Todai, and the Japanese people more generally, many of
my assumptions about Japan slip away one by one.
The generosity and humour of the students and staff, the
encouragement given to my project work, as well as
my engagement with Japanese academics interested in
Australian politics, literature, and a range of other aspects
of Australia, all contribute to a better understanding of
how Australia is viewed by the Japanese.
The excitement of learning some Japanese from scratch,
the buzz of moving around the big commercial centres
at Shinjuku and Shibuya, the lessons in Japanese archery
at a temple in the mountains outside of Tokyo, are only
some of the many other highlights for me of ‘travelling’
Japan.
I am reminded of the thoughts of Humphrey McQueen,
who held the chair in 1988–89. On being asked by
an inquiring student why he had come to Japan, the
Australian historian and writer answered by saying that he
had travelled here to know more about his own country.
Having now spent two exciting semesters ‘travelling’
across the political and social landscape of my country
with similarly questioning students at Todai, I understand
very well what the Australian historian was trying to say
all those years ago.
15
 Research
DEVI ABRAHAM
A small canister of fine, white powder has Linda Zou
excited. The powder is titanium dioxide.
“This will help remove the colour from the water for
recycling,” Associate Professor Zou says.
Associate Professor Zou is Principle Research Fellow
at Victoria University’s Institute for Sustainability and
Innovation (ISI). She is trying to find a way to remove the
colour from recycled water.
As Australia faces its worst drought on record, researchers
like Associate Professor Zou are examining water’s next
frontier – recycling – to combat the country’s worsening
water shortage.
The director of the ISI, Professor Stephen Gray, came
to VU in May 2006 after researching water treatment
with the CSIRO for 16 years. He says the main focus of
the ISI is water research with a strong focus on treatment
technologies.
“This is the way of the future,” Professor Gray says. “The
work that we do should be of relevance to Victoria but
also to Australia and the world. We want to assist water
authorities in understanding new technologies and in
doing so increase the efficiency.”
16
Thanks to a $380,000 Smart Water Grant, the ISI is
working on two water research projects: Improving
Aesthetic Quality by Removing Colour and Trace
Organics from Treated Wastewater for Recycle
($220,000); and Opportunities for Designer Recycled
Water ($160,000).
“Both of these projects are critical to support more
recycling of water,” Associate Professor Zou says. She
says the technologies being investigated will potentially
make the recycling process more viable and more
acceptable.
“Not recycling properly treated water is a waste of
resources. But to be able to utilise what we have, we
must remove two obstacles – colour and salt.”
Treated wastewater is sewage that has undergone
extensive treatment and deemed safe for gardening, toilet
flushing and other non-drinking purposes. It is one of the
key ways households can minimise their dependency on
using potable water for non-drinking use.
However, treated wastewater is usually an unattractive
brown or yellow colour. This is a considerable deterrent
to its widespread use. Despite efforts by scientists, they
have been unable to find a way to efficiently remove
the colour. But Associate Professor Zou is finding that the
combination of titanium dioxide and ultraviolet light is
effectively removing the colour.
Her team of researchers at the University’s Werribee
Campus have designed a small-scale reactor in the
laboratory to treat small quantities of wastewater.
“Titanium dioxide is ideal,” Associate Professor Zou says.
“It does not generate secondary pollutants, and it can be
reused, which makes it very cost effective.”
If the process is proved commercially viable, Associate
Professor Zou believes large-scale reactors could be built
at water treatment plants, such as the Western Treatment
Plant at Werribee, which treats about 52 per cent of
Melbourne’s sewage, or about 485 million litres a day.
Her second research project involves finding a way to
make treated wastewater suitable for irrigation. Treated
effluent usually has high levels of salt, which decreases
crop yields and can degrade soil to the extent that it
becomes unusable. Associate Professor Zou is examining
ways to remove the salt, at the same time leaving other
minerals in the water that are beneficial to crops, such as
magnesium and calcium.
Victoria University’s practical applications of efficient,
new water treatment technologies are not limited to that
being carried out at the Institute for Sustainability and
Innovation.
Two years ago, senior lecturer Peter Lechte gave six of his
final-year Bachelor of Civil Engineering students a project.
They were to research and write a report on the feasibility
of using water collected in a stormwater drainage system
to irrigate the historic Footscray Park – adjacent to
Footscray Park Campus – using a wetlands system.
“If you read the newspapers you will know that our water
situation is putting us in diabolical trouble,” Lechte says.
“One of the main solutions is going to be using alternative
water sources [for non-drinking applications] in place of
drinking water.”
His students liaised with the local Maribyrnong City
Council to determine the area of the water catchment
needed to water the park, and the design of the wetlands
and a storage area. When the Council read the students’
final report, it became the foundation for a massive
Council-wide project.
The Council was already planning to reduce water
consumption by 20 per cent within its constituency
by 2015, and planners had been examining different
avenues to achieve this. The Council’s environmental
manager, Gavin Mountjoy, said the students’ report
directed them toward Footscray Park.
“The groundwork they did showed that it was a viable
idea,” Mountjoy said. “We were influenced by it. It got
“One of the main solutions is
going to be using alternative
water sources in place of
drinking water.”
the ball rolling.” The Council hired consultants, sought
funding and now plans are in place to begin the project.
They have raised $700,000 for the wetlands treatment
system, which they expect to complete by the end of
2007. The system is projected to save the Council
20–25 mega litres of potable water annually. This is the
equivalent of 10 Olympic swimming pools and equals a
reduction in the Council’s annual water consumption of
6.5 per cent.
Student Leigh Holmes, who co-authored the initial report,
considers the outcome a great accomplishment.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Holmes says. “It is tremendously
rewarding to do something at uni and for people to
actually go ahead and try it. This is not only good
for the Council, it’s good for Melbourne.” Holmes is
now employed as a hydraulics engineer with Coomes
Consulting in Melbourne.
Lechte’s current final-year civil engineering students are
investigating a large drain in Ascot Vale that drains a
significant portion of the local area into the Maribyrnong
River. They are looking at the possibility of harvesting the
water, treating it and using it to irrigate a golf course and
a new urban development.
“We like to have our students involved in practical, real-
world projects that can have a real impact with significant
community benefits,” Lechte says.
Left: Victoria University senior lecturer Peter Lechte
and Maribyrnong City Council’s environmental
manager, Gavin Mountjoy at Footscray Park. The
wetlands treatment system will save the Council
20–25 mega litres of water annually – the
equivalent of 10 Olympic swimming pools.
Top: Associate Professor Linda Zou.
Photo by Tim Burgess.
17

Martin Fluker gets a
risk ‘rush’ mountain
biking at the You
Yangs.
Photo courtesy of
Tourism Victoria.
KNOW FEAR
DEVI ABRAHAM
Caught in a breaking 10-foot wave at the famous
Kumera Patch, an exposed reef and surfers’ mecca in
New Zealand, Martin Fluker watched his life pass before
his eyes. Then 15 years old, it was Fluker’s first time out
surfing in big wave conditions.
“It was like being in a furious, giant washing machine,”
Fluker says. “I finally broke the surface, got a quick
breath, only to be hit by the next 10-foot wave in the set.
It was a near-death experience.”
But it did not kill his thirst for adventure. Fluker continued
to surf, and at 18 left his native New Zealand to travel
the world for the next six years. During his travels, he rode
a motorbike around Australia and trekked alone through
the famed Annapurna range in the Himalayas for
28 days.
He returned to Australia and began working as a porter
at Queensland’s Hamilton Island Resort, later being
promoted to the resort’s conventions co-ordinator and
duty manager.
Fluker discovered there were many students from Victoria
University’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Marketing
working at the resort as part of their work placement. He
began thinking: ‘One day these students will come back
with a degree and be my boss’. He packed up, moved
to Victoria and started a Bachelor of Business in Tourism
Management at VU.
“I loved the fact that I was feeding my brain again,” he
says. Twelve years later, with a masters degree and a
PhD, Fluker is still at VU. He now lectures in the School of
Hospitality, Tourism and Marketing, and co-ordinates the
undergraduate Tourism Management degree.
18
Academic Profile
Fluker is fascinated by what motivates people to pursue
the high-risk activities of adventure tourism. His PhD thesis
was titled: Perceived Risk in Adventure Tourism, which was
based on data gathered from more than 600 adventure
tourists. He predicts the outcomes of the study will help
further define the growing adventure tourism market and
assist operators in satisfying their clients’ needs.
It is a topic he was well qualified to research. While
studying his undergraduate degree, he worked as a
white-water rafting guide for international adventure
tourism company Peregrine Adventures. And he has had
many bungee jumps – once leaping down a 60-metre
drop while strapped to a motor scooter. Rock climbing is
another of his risk-taking activities.
But his lust for adventure does not compare with the
love he discovered for teaching while tutoring during his
Masters in Tourism Management. The first class he taught
as a lecturer was Introduction to Tourism. A few years
later, he co-wrote the textbook now used for the class,
Understanding and Managing Tourism.
Fluker is an innovative lecturer, using engaging tools,
such as video and podcasts. He explains theory using
personal anecdotes to capture students’ interest.
He recently cut back on his risk-taking activities following
marriage and the birth of his son. “I think more about
the consequences these days,” he says. He now goes
mountain biking to get his risk ‘rush’.
He is currently teaching Nature Based Tourism, a subject
in which students learn about the environment and
sustainability, and how that works with adventure-based
tourism. He is also developing a subject that will look
at ways surf tourism can improve people’s lives in small
communities.
“I owe a lot to VU for giving me my education,” Fluker
says. “It’s good to know that I’m part of a university team
that has received awards acknowledging it as the best in
the state and the country.”

ONLINE CRIME
Online legal expert
Nick Moustakas.
JIM BUCKELL
Online auction fraud is big and growing, but consumer
awareness is lagging. The Communications Law
Centre’s recent report, Going, Going, Gone: Online
Auctions, Consumers & the Law (July 2006) examines the
experiences of Australian consumers at online auctions.
The centre – an affiliate of Victoria University with a
research unit at VU’s Law School – conducted a survey
and found that 48 per cent of buyers reported problems
with their purchases on online auction sites.
More than one in five of the 510 buyers surveyed
(22 per cent) said they had paid for goods they had
never received and almost 20 per cent received items
different to those advertised.
CLC legal officer Nick Moustakas says the study
highlighted the need for a systematic collection of data
on web fraud.
“One of the major problems is that there aren’t
appropriate data collection systems presently in place,”
Moustakas says. “We need law enforcement agencies
and consumer departments to get on top of that. The US
is a little ahead of us in this area.”
As well it might be. Overseas data, particularly from
the United States, shows that fraud at online auctions
Communications Law Centre
is a leading category of complaints about fraud. The
data also shows that online auctions are one of the most
common consumer complaints generally – of either online
or offline consumer concerns.
Auction-type websites are big business worldwide, and
not just for individuals. Many businesses regularly sell
goods at online auction sites too.
Here in Australia, more than 4.4 million Australians visited
eBay’s Australian site in March 2006 alone. However,
Moustakas says the growing popularity of these sites has
not been matched by consumers’ awareness of the risks
involved and of their legal rights.
The CLC survey found that a high proportion (39 per
cent) of problems experienced by Australian buyers are
either not being successfully resolved, or were resolved
only on a few occasions.
In attempting to settle disputes, most people (79.8 per
cent) approached the seller directly. About half (50.7 per
cent) contacted the auction site operator and 31.9 per
cent used an online dispute resolution service.
Only 5.6 per cent contacted the police and less than
2 per cent went to the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission or state-based fair trading or
consumer affairs offices.
“One of the reasons that a small number of people who
are contacting the police or consumer affairs departments
is a lack of awareness by consumers of their rights,”
Moustakas says.
Despite the problems that exist at online auctions,
Moustakas says that buyers and sellers still have legal
rights. Australian consumer protection laws, for example,
will apply when customers buy from a business at
an auction site even if it is not a registered business.
However, there are grey areas, such as the legal liability
of online auction site operators that need to be ironed
out.
Some of the best protection was offered by the method
of payment. The use of third-party payment facilities,
such as the PayPal service offered by eBay, can protect
consumers. This service offers ‘payment protection’,
whereby refunds are provided for dissatisfied customers
with genuine grievances who purchased goods through
eBay valued at up to $1500.
Credit card purchases also offered a degree of protection
to aggrieved purchasers, but this was not generally
the case for those who use direct debit from a savings
account.
“There are all sorts of traps though, which is why it’s
extremely important for people to read the rules of the site
and the payment providers,” Moustakas says.
Despite the problems that were found to exist at auction
sites, the peak consumer watchdog, the ACCC, has
made no comment on the report to date.
19
 VIVA MEXICO
JAC BOYLE
Jacinta (Jac) Boyle spent 2006, the third year of her
VU teaching degree, as an exchange student with the
University of Monterrey (UDEM) in Mexico.
Jac completed second semester (August to December)
off campus working with a volunteer organisation on
community projects in a small village on the outskirts of
the remote town of Matias Romero in the poor southern
state of Oaxaca, 1000km south of Mexico City.
She taught English and Communication (in Spanish) at
the local high school and ran workshops in the local
community.
ARRIVING AT MATIAS ROMERO
After 17 hours in a bus, I was sitting on the steps of the
Matias Romero bus station wondering if I should get back
on the bus and go back to Mexico City. I honestly felt
I would prefer to go back to where I could at least stay
in my comfort zone ... plus there was the chance I could
jump on a plane and fly right back to Australia.
But I don’t. I continue to wait for some people I had never
met or spoken to and hope that they will happily drive
one hour to pick me up and then drive back to their tiny
village where I am supposed to be living for the next four
months.
I smile at passing-by locals, wondering why they are
staring at me. It is actually my face that is freaking them
out, because I am so different. I smile at them. I wanted
to scream ‘YOU’RE ODD, NOT ME’.
20
Student Exchange
Left: Jac with some of her high school students
Right: (from left to right) Elizabeth, 6, an orphan
who spends each night with a different family in
the village.
Mari and Orlando, two local children.
The local pharmacy and medical centre.
Jac Boyle with Mari, a student in her preschool
art class.
Photos by Jac Boyle.
Then, suddenly, amidst all the stares, coming towards
me are two gold-toothed grinning Mexicans yelling
‘Yaci, HOLA!’. For a minute I thought they had the wrong
person, but then remembered that Mexicans pronounce
their Spanish ‘j’ as ‘y’ and I realised they did have the
right person. I had just been renamed Yaci.
MY ADOPTED VILLAGE
I am constantly reminded in all I do here that I am
nowhere close to my comfort zone. I live with a Mexican
family in a small Oaxaqueño village and eat their local
produce, which each day is bought at the community
markets.
Each day I go to a local high school and teach. I am
surrounded by poverty. My wage is less than A$20 a
month. After living here, I realise that everything is in
proportion, and that I have made the right decision to
take part in exchange abroad. The experience is so real,
so gut wrenching and honest.
MY AIDS WORKSHOP
The people seem to have so much more faith in me than I
have in myself. “Yaci! Can you run a workshop tomorrow
about AIDS?” I give a frightened look. I reply, “Si, sure”.
That night after a busy day running a carpentry workshop
for high school students and teaching at the high
school, I read up about AIDS from a book I found on
the bookshelves of the house of the padre (priest) of the
village. I spend all night trying to learn about HIV, AIDS
and how to teach it all in Spanish.

JAC THE NURSE
I go to the local medical clinic with a student who is
complaining of severe stomach pains. After examining my
student, the only doctor (a student doctor) said I should
take her into Matias Romero soon. I asked him: “But can’t
you prescribe some medicine for her pain ... anything?”
He said: “No, we don’t have any medicine here, we
ran out months ago and we don’t have any money to
replenish it.”
A similar story is told in every village. There is a huge
gap between the government’s six-year plan to improve
education and health services to those in need, and the
reality in which poor Mexicans are living.
TEACHERS’ STRIKE
There have been massive protests by the teachers in the
state of Oaxaca. They are on strike for better conditions
for their students and better pay. It’s been four months
now that the students have not had classes. No one is
budging. The government refuses to pay higher wages
and improve the school conditions, and the teachers are
not leaving the capital (also named Oaxaca) until their
demands are met.
I read yesterday that because of this break in their
schooling, a whole generation of students face a life
of unemployment. Many children in this village have
now lost the motivation to learn. What example are
their teachers setting by refusing to return to teach their
classes? What will happen if the teachers return to their
classes and they have no students to teach?
The school where I teach is free from government ties and
has teachers, and has been running normally.
WARM, BALMY DAYS
The weather in southern Mexico can only be described
as perfect with warm, balmy days and cool rainy nights.
The thought of putting on a sweater crosses my mind
perhaps once every three weeks. Most nights it rains very
After living here, I realise that
everything is in proportion, and
that I have made the right decision
to take part in exchange abroad.
The experience is so real, so gut
wrenching and honest.
heavily and the next day houses have often collapsed or
been washed away down the river. The people here are
so used to the rains they see the danger as just a part of
their lives.
MORE WORKSHOPS
In my spare time I run several workshops and information
sessions for the local community (aside from my high
school classes), including English, cooking, carpentry,
making leather shoes, massage, teenage pregnancy (it is
considered normal to drop out from school at the age of
12 to raise a child), the affects of too much sugar (there
is a high level of diabetes), basic medical workshops,
art and jewelry-making for children under the age of
five, workshops on the importance of the youth staying
in Mexico instead of migrating illegally to the USA (there
is an absence of youth here as most of them cross the
border to the USA and don’t come back), and workshops
on Fairtrade ...
FAIR TRADE
Much of my time has focused on running Fairtrade
workshops, in particular in relation to coffee, orange
juice, beef, corn and honey. This follows the work I did
with VU last year in promoting the University to become
Fairtrade in its cafes. I didn’t realise that it was such a big
deal here, that the problems were not only with coffee
and cocoa, but with everything these farmers produce.
Products with Fairtrade certification allow disadvantaged
producers in the developing world to get a better deal
(wage), including a minimum price that covers the cost of
sustainable production, plus a little extra that is invested in
development projects.
It’s amazing to be living within communities that have
no idea about Fairtrade, and to be making a difference
just by giving a workshop on the two different kinds of
lifestyle they can expect from choosing fair trading or
unfair trading.
21

Top: A cross illustrating the eight
indigenous groups that belong to
the local parish.
Bottom: Alo, 23 and her son Saul,
4. Saul has missed six months of
kindergarten because his teachers
are on strike.
These people are directly affected by the consumer
choices I make back in Australia. I feel their frustrations
and sense of injustice. I am documenting a few of their
stories and, hopefully, when I get back to Australia I can
be their voice.
EVERYTHING SUGAR
Due to a lack of education (advertisements somehow
prove chocolate milk and coca cola are healthier than
a glass of water) the diet here usually consists of having
sugar in everything – and then it’s deep fried. One
woman told me it’s one way to get rid of diseases. I told
her about the dangers of saturated fats. “Really?” she
said. “But it tastes so good. How else would you eat
lettuce?” Yes, she actually fries her lettuce.
Women here are traditionally overweight. It is not
surprising. Slowly, I am convincing my friends here that
coffee actually taste good without five spoons of sugar.
Still, I am told to fatten up so I can look more feminine.
It’s interesting that people do not see a connection
between all their gold fillings and their high sugar intake.
With the lack of health education offered in schools and
to the local community, it’s no wonder that there is such a
high level of cancer, diabetes, and heart and respiratory
problems.
THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL
I find it hard to believe that I am actually teaching a class
called Communication in Spanish when I can’t even
speak Spanish properly. But for some reason, despite my
protests, everyone seems to think that I can. Occasionally,
I burst into fits of nervous, yet hysterical, laughter when I
am speaking Spanish. They must think I am weird. But the
students work hard and we have lots of fun.
My English class is also great fun because I can put to
practice my ‘Spanglish’ and pretend that it’s all part of
the class and that by speaking that way we can learn
22
Student Exchange
VICTORIA ABROAD
Victoria University actively encourages its students to
undertake an international study experience at some stage of
their degree.
VU sends students on exchange programs to 19 different
countries each semester, including Fiji, Korea, Japan, the US
and Canada, as well as 4–6 students a year to Mexico.
100 students a year take part in the scheme and the number
has increased by 40 per cent in the last 18 months.
VU offers exchange students Travel Grants of $3000 and a
OS-Help Loan up to $5000.
For further information on VU’s exchange programs contact
Victoria Abroad:
PHONE: 03 9919 1296
EMAIL: educationabroad@vu.edu.au
WEB: www.vu.edu.au/International/StudyAbroad
much more English. When they ask me what a word is in
Spanish after I have just said it in English, I tell them to go
and look it up in their dictionaries because that’s all part
of the learning. But it’s really because I don’t know what
the word is in Spanish.
MY EXCHANGE IS ALMOST OVER
My experience here has enabled me to increase my
knowledge of the world outside of Australia and face
a lot of the challenges presented to teachers in poorer
communities. I really do think this will make me a better
teacher when I finish my teaching degree next year. This
experience has really opened up my eyes.
It is nice to know that I am leaving a part of my own
culture with these people, in return for how much they are
teaching me. The other day I gave a CD of Australian
music to one of my students who got 100% for an English
test. Today I was walking through the centre of town and
I heard the Hilltop Hoods blasting from loudspeakers in
front of a corner shop that his parents own. I had a little
dance in the street. It was really strange to hear Australian
music in such a small village in the south of Mexico.
I will be really sad to leave these wonderful people.
I have learnt so much and become a part of this
community. But I am also excited to be going back
to Australia, and look forward to making my learning
sustainable when I return to Victoria University.
Jac’s experience has made it possible for other students
to follow in her footsteps. The University of Monterrey had
never before placed an overseas student in an indigenous
community. They are now planning to offer community
placements to future exchange students.
Jac will return to Australia in February 2007 to complete
the fourth year of her teaching degree. She can be
contacted by email: jacinta.boyle@students.vu.edu.au
 Apprenticeships

AUSTRALIAN
APPRENTICE
WINNER Baker studies at VU’s Sunshine Campus and is a fourth
year apprentice electro-technician at GM Holden’s Port
Melbourne plant. He also runs two businesses of his own
in the automotive and computer fields.

All of this is a big step forward for the boy who, at the
age of seven, saw no mystery to the myriad of microchips
and wiring inside his family’s PC. He simply pulled the
box apart, fixed the problem and put it back together
again. Now, Baker performs miracles on multimillion-
dollar automotive robotics.

“I’ve always been right into computers, even when I was

a little kid,” Baker says. “I was really lucky that my parents
saw this skill at an early stage and supported me.”

Baker started an apprenticeship with Holden in 2003,

Kevin Baker: “I had fresh from finishing Year 12 at his home suburb of
the marks to go Hoppers Crossing.
straight to university
after school, but I
was much better off He has no regrets about taking the trade path. In fact, he
getting a trade.” urges more school leavers to follow suit.

“I had the marks to go straight to university after school,

but I was much better off getting a trade,” he says. “I got
WENDY HARGREAVES to study with a full-time wage, and now I can get credit
towards a university degree. It’s the best of both worlds.”
When Kevin Baker repaired his first computer at the
He says VU’s Sunshine Campus was a great place to
age of seven, he never dreamt it would lead to this. The
study because staff kept up with the latest technology,
Victoria University TAFE student has just been named
offering constant challenges and real-world experience.
Apprentice of the Year at the 2006 Australian Training
Holden remains in constant contact with VU to help them
Awards. The award, which carries a $5000 prize, is
develop the program to suit their needs.
Australia’s highest honour for apprentices.
“I chose to study at VU because it was the most
“It is surreal and I am still coming to terms with the fact
technically oriented campus offering TAFE courses in
that I have won the award,” Baker says. “My parents are
electrotechnology systems. Studying at VU and working
over the moon about it.”
at Holden was a great mix of on and off-the-job training.“
The awards are the culmination of the State and Territory
Baker completed his Certificate IV in Electrical (Motor
Awards with winners from each State and Territory
Control) last year with 11 high distinctions. When he
competing at the national finals.
finishes the fourth and final year of his apprenticeship in
2006 has been quite a year for the 22 year old. This is January, he will be a licensed electrician.
his third award. He was also VU Apprentice of the Year
But his education is far from over. Kevin is taking night
and Outstanding Student of the Year – Apprentice at the
classes at VU to complete an Advanced Diploma in
Victorian Training Awards.
Engineering – Principal Technical Officer. He hopes to
VU is thrilled with the win. Professor John McCallum, finish the diploma this year and start an undergraduate
VU’s Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said: “This is an degree in electrical engineering at VU next year. His
outstanding win. He was the only Victorian student to win diploma course work will be credited to the degree.
a national award, and it’s a credit to his hard work and
dedication.”

23

LEGENDARY
LETTERS
SIMON HUNTER
This year, Victoria University celebrated its 90th
birthday with the publication of 90 Years, 90 Legends,
an inspirational account of VU’s history told through
profiles of 90 of VU’s Legends. The Legends included
administrators, academics and students, all of whom
contributed to the development of the University or made
a major contribution to society.
Football legend Ron Barassi; Creighton Burns, former
editor of The Age; Cliff Callinan, the manager of the
world’s then biggest engineering project, the Snowy River
Scheme; and Antarctic explorer Arch Hoadley, principal
of VU’s first predecessor institution, are a few of the
figures honoured in the book.
The launch of 90 Years, 90 Legends was followed by
a week of festivities, including a gala dinner in June
attended by more than 500 guests, many of whom were
VU Legends. The dinner celebrated VU’s 90 years and all
those who helped forge VU since 1916.
Since then, the University has received letters, emails and
phone calls expressing gratitude and thanks from many of
the Legends themselves or their relatives who expressed
their appreciation to VU for honouring their mums, dads
or grandparents. Below are a few extracts from the
dozens of letters received.
“Looking back 60 years, I would never have dreamt
at the time that my school, Footscray Technical School,
would acknowledge me so! The education I received in
those short years has stood me exceptionally well ever
since. I hope to keep close to VU now, and into the
future.” – Peter Thomson, 1929–
Junior School students using electronics equipment, c. 1950s
24
90 Years, 90 Legends
Peter Thomson studied a Diploma of Applied Chemistry,
Footscray Technical School, 1944–45; arguably
Australia’s greatest-ever golfer; member of World Golf
Hall of Fame
“It was an inspired idea to mark the occasion with the
book 90 Years, 90 Legends. It has given our family a
great deal of pleasure to see our mother, Gladys Hope
(Nee Carson), and our grandfather, William Carson,
honoured in this way.” – Thelma York, daughter of
Gladys Hope, 1903–95
Gladys Hope was a student at Footscray Technical
School in 1919; a staff member, 1920–33; and teacher,
1942–67
“The Legends night was something very special. The
evening had an extraordinary warm, magical feel and
ambience. Firstly, congratulations to you, (Vice-Chancellor)
Elizabeth Harman, for presiding over this point in time
... and preparing Victoria University for the Centennial.
Secondly, and notably, your support for honouring my
mother, Essie Burbridge OAM, for which I remain forever
grateful.” – Ken Burbridge, son of Essie Burbridge,
1908–2004
Essie Burbridge provided support and care to many
students attending VU’s predecessor institutions.
“Many thanks and congratulations to you [Vice-Chancellor
Elizabeth Harman] and the University team for a really
great evening to celebrate 90 Years and 90 Legends. I
am deeply honoured to be included in the legends, and I
thank you for that privilege.” – Sadie Stevens OAM, 1926–
Sadie Stevens was Vice-President of the Footscray
Institute of Technology Council; Founding Member of the
Victoria University Council; Deputy Chancellor of Victoria
University, 1995–98; honorary degree, Master of Arts
“Congratulations on VU’s 90 Years, 90 Legends
celebration. This event was nothing short of a
phenomenal success and I think has done not only
you (Elizabeth Harman), but all those involved and the
University proud.” – Campbell Rose, 1964–
Campbell Rose, Bachelor of Applied Science, Footscray
Institute of Technology; Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa,
VU, 2005; Australian Sports Medal, 2000; CEO,
Western Bulldogs
“I was delighted to accept the nomination, by two of
my ex-students, to become a Victoria University Legend.
My surprise at the confirmation of actually receiving one
of the valued nominations was only surpassed by the
excitement of the actual celebratory dinner. The evening
allowed all Legends to actively participate in renewing
old acquaintances and recalling our working, or studying,
days at Footscray.”
Jackie Woodroffe introduced a wide range of specific-
purpose English language programs at Footscray Institute
of Technology and VU; Head of School, General Studies
at Footscray College of TAFE – Jackie Woodroffe, 1935–
Copies of 90 Years, 90 Legends can be purchased from
the VU bookshop for $19.95. Further details:
http://bookshop.vu.edu.au
 Institute for Health and Diversity

HEALTH
COMPETENCE
SIMON HUNTER

Diversity has been a popular buzz word for some

years, so much so that its importance is often diluted
or forgotten. But when it comes to health, Victoria
University’s Institute for Health and Diversity (IHD) takes it
very seriously.

IHD was launched in October 2005 following research

that highlighted how social problems and cultural diversity
were impacting on the health and wellbeing of ethnic
communities across Melbourne’s western region.

Inequalities were found in both health policy and in the

delivery of treatment. Evidence of greater disparities in
major illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and mental
health problems were also found.

The institute plans to address these issues through
research, training, education and engagement.
Additionally, the institute will work with primary health
care providers to help them better understand the needs
of local communities of culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds.
“The institute was established to create an evidence
base to support service provider organisations and
professionals in promoting health and wellbeing by
strengthening a culturally competent health system,” says
interim IHD director Dr Roger Edwards.
“Melbourne’s western region is one of the richest sources
of community diversity in Australia and within it exists
some of the highest disparities in health outcomes
compared with the rest of Australia. It is here we hope
our research will have the greatest impact, shaping both
future policy and treatment.”
Diabetes is at the top of the institute’s agenda following
a recent $5 million award from the Priority Research and
Innovation Program (PRIP). The funding will be used to
examine cultural competence in diabetes prevention and
care. The Federal Government has highlighted diabetes
as a major issue in Australia. Studies into lifestyle,
exercise and diet will form a core part of the IHD project.
Dr Roger Edwards: “Melbourne’s western region has some of the highest disparities in
health outcomes compared with the rest of Australia.”
Looking to the future, the institute’s ambition is to become
a respected, dynamic and self-sustaining research and
teaching centre.
One way in which it hopes to achieve this vision is
through the recruitment of a range of experts engaged
in fields such as cross-cultural communications, cross-
cultural health, cultural competence, mental health and
health economics. The institute will also draw on expertise
across Victoria University and through newly forged
international links in the field.
Dr Edwards has spent close to twenty years of his career
in medical device research, development, regulation
and manufacture. Between 1996 and 2002, he was
the director of the Co-operative Research Centre for
International Food Manufacture and Packaging Science.
As the regional executive in a large chemical company,
he has worked extensively across the Asia-Pacific in the
field of occupational health, safety and the environment.
He most recently worked as a consultant specialising in
the commercialisation of new technologies.

IHD is keen to ensure its resources are aligned with state

and national healthcare agendas, but will not focus
solely on diabetes. Research into communication and
attitudes towards health will also be carried out, as
well as measuring the economic impact of innovative
interventions.

“In due course we hope there will be a full range of

institute activities that meet the needs and provide a
better understanding of western suburb communities,”
Dr Edwards says.

25
26

Left: Lauren Camilleri and
Vu Nguyen say their Co-op year
working with Qantas at Los
Angeles International Airport
was the best experience of their
lives and something they will
never forget.
Right: Centre for Integrated
Learning Manager Barry Broons,
Quantas Airways Business
Manager Alice Kiss, and VU
Students Lauren Camilleri and
Vu Nguyen.
Photo by Maurice Grant – Drew.
INGRID SANDERS
Rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities like heartthrob
Hugh Jackman, party girl Paris Hilton, former royal
Sarah Ferguson and jet setting to exotic locations like Las
Vegas and Palm Springs sounds more like the life of a
Hollywood star than a university student.
But for Victoria University Bachelor of Business – Tourism
Management students it becomes a reality when they
sign up for a Co-op year of paid training with Qantas at
Los Angeles International Airport.
Up to 12 students are hand-picked every year by Qantas
Airways Business Manager Alice Kiss to train with
Hallmark Aviation Services as part of the ground team at
LA airport.
Kiss says the airport has more than 60 million passengers
passing through its gates every year and is the fifth
busiest airport in the world.
“The VU students are training in the thick of the action at
the front line,” she says. “They are dealing with check-in,
departure, baggage, ticketing and the first and business
class lounges, to name just a few.”
Two students who jumped at the chance to train in LA are
23-year-old Lauren Camilleri and 21-year-old Vu Nguyen.
Both say it was the best experience of their lives and
something they will never forget.
“It was everything I ever dreamed of and more,” says
Camilleri. “LA is the most diverse city I’ve ever been to. It
was amazing. I had the time of my life.”
Nguyen says training with an iconic Australian company
like Qantas was “brilliant”. “I learnt so much,” he says.
“Not only about effective communication, professionalism
and working in a team environment, but I also developed
leadership and technical skills.
“Although we were living and working in LA for only
12 months, in that small amount of time I developed a
lifetime of memories. It was the most exciting experience
of my life.”
Camilleri says it was always busy at LA airport,
with planes landing every two minutes. “There are
Workplace Learning
four runways and nine terminals with planes landing
simultaneously. On a usual evening shift we dealt with
five departing planes to Australia, which could involve
organising more than 1500 passengers. And we had to
get all flights out on time or Qantas would be financially
penalised.”
VU’s Centre for Work Integrated Learning manager
Barry Broons says the Co-op program was developed
exclusively with Qantas and Hallmark in 2002.
“The program, which sees students training in an
operational airline position with Qantas for 12 months at
LA airport, is unique in the Australian higher education
sector,” Broons says.
He says the program always creates a great deal of
excitement among prospective business students on
Open Day, and there is little wonder why. Not only do
the students meet, greet and deal with sporting stars,
celebrities, movie stars, politicians and royalty, many also
use the geographic location as an opportunity to explore
North America.
Nguyen says although LA was not like you see in the
movies, it “really grows on you. It became my second
home, and I do miss it.”
Both students, who returned to Australia earlier this year
to complete the final subjects of their degree, have
managed to snare impressive jobs with local companies.
Camilleri has started work part time with local airline
Jetstar as a customer service officer at Melbourne Airport,
while Nguyen is working with the Melbourne Aquarium,
also in customer service. Both juggled their work and
study commitments before they graduated in November.
“My time in LA really prepared me for work in the
industry,” Camilleri says. “I gained a lot of maturity and
the hands-on work with Qantas has allowed me to slot
in easily at Jetstar. Because of the experience I gained
overseas I have come into this job with a lot more
knowledge of the industry than most of the other recruits.
“Working in LA is the best thing I’ve done in my life. I met
so many interesting people and learnt so much, not only
about the business, but about myself as well. It was a
great learning experience and 100 per cent worth it.”
27

EXECUTIVE RESOURCE
KRISTINA LINGUA
There are many challenges in the human resources field.
For Victoria University alumni Helena Steel, the challenges
of motivating employees and regulating corporate
standards come with ease. Helena completed her Master
of Business in Training and Change Management at VU’s
Faculty of Business and Law in 2001.
Helena has worked as a HR professional for more than
20 years. Her career spans from General Manager of
Human Resources for Australian Aviation Engineering
Services to National Human Resources Manager for a
large US multinational company.
She served as the Victorian president of the Australian
Human Resource Institute (AHRI) during 2004 and 2005,
and is a fellow of the Australian Human Resources
Institute. She has coached with Australia’s foremost
executive coaching and leadership firms, and is director
and principal coach of the Open Door Coaching Group.
Helena is also a member of the National Speakers
Association, as well as a Toastmaster.
Highly respected in the industry, Helena is now the
director of her own business, The Open Door Coaching
Group. Her various clients include CPA Australia and
AHRI, among many others.
Helena Steel: “The
HR practitioner
needs to be a leader
on the executive
team – our place at
the executive table
has been earned.”
28
Alumni
Helena says things have changed drastically over the
past 20 years.
“Previously, HR used to be termed as ‘personnel’,” she
says. “Now, HR professionals are expected to understand
the entirety of the business and translate that knowledge
into their dealings with employees. The HR practitioner
needs to be a leader on the executive team – our place
at the executive table has been earned.”
Helena is using her experience to help human resource
students in VU’s School of Management. Her training
at VU and the rewards she gained have inspired her to
participate in VU’s Human Resources Mentoring Program.
“We need to train those going out in the field to be
smart about their skill set and utilise all of the training they
have received to be recognised as a driving force in any
company.”
One of her motivating tools is to inform upcoming
graduates that there is more than one career path
once they complete their degree. She says the options
following an HR education are enormous.
“When I graduated there was only one option – a
purely HR position. Now I try to tell students that an HR
graduate has seven to eight options for their career path.”
Helena’s experience covers a broad range of industries,
including manufacturing, metals and plastics technology,
sales, customer service, call centres, logistics, healthcare,
airlines, and local and state government.
To be flexible and expansive in joining the field of HR
seems to be the key – not only in moving ahead, but also
making a difference in the company.
Helena says an important point is that many people
come to HR later in life, and often from very different
streams of industry. She paraphrases a favourite quote
from Helen Keller: ‘When one door closes, another one
opens’.
“Other business experience is highly valued,” she says.
“The experience brought from different fields is very
important in HR, as it lends a more objective view to HR
practice.”
Helena is excited about giving back to VU by mentoring
students. “This course gives you the opportunity to
become strategic and then align processes. The course
offers you emotional intelligence that will lead to a great
career in HR.”
Helena’s other qualifications include a Postgraduate
Diploma in Industrial Relations and Human Resource
Management, an Advanced Certificate in Personnel, a
Certificate IV in Life Coaching, and a Certificate IV in
Assessment and Workplace Training.

Michael Jackson has
delivered dozens of
high-profile projects,
including Melbourne’s
new $50 million V1
residential tower in
the Docklands.
SIMON HUNTER
It isn’t often you get the chance to meet Michael Jackson.
But here he is, sitting in an impressive boardroom on
the ninth floor of a Queen Street office building in
Melbourne’s CBD. Okay, this is not the pop star, but his
Melbourne namesake – a VU graduate and director of
project management firm, Incoll.
This Michael Jackson does not trade in pop records,
but in projects. And it is his outstanding management
of these projects that has brought him and his company
considerable success.
Incoll is one of Australia’s leading independent project
management companies. They are hired to oversee,
manage and ensure multimillion-dollar projects run
smoothly. Australia Post, the Defence Housing Authority
and Westpac are just a few of their clients.
“We work across most industry sectors including
commercial, retail, health and industrial, delivering project
services focused on our clients needs,” says Jackson.
“This can range from managing the entire development
and construction of landmark buildings from scratch, or
to simply providing clients with expertise and support on
one particular aspect of a project.”
Jackson was appointed as a director of Incoll seven years
ago. Before that he ran his own project management
company. He has spent more than 29 years in the
building industry. In that time he has delivered dozens
of high-profile projects, including an appointment
by VicUrban as an independent assessor for the
development of Melbourne’s new $50 million V1
residential tower.
Incoll manages a national project turnover worth
hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Their Victorian
operations generate an impressive 85 per cent of its
revenue through repeat and referral business.
He believes his success has come from hard work,
innovation and strong client relationships – attributes he
has developed and championed throughout his career.
But another essential ingredient has been his 17-year
relationship with VU. He graduated with a Graduate
Diploma in Building and Project Management in 1991,
and a Master of Engineering in 1995.
Alumni
PROJECT
REPUTATION
“My career could have plateaued without further
education,” he says. “VU turned me into the professional
person I am today and it helped me realise my potential
as a project manager by equipping me with the primary
tools to succeed.
“Most importantly, the VU Project Management Education
program taught me that project management is a
professional career. It allowed me to develop my skills
beyond standard functional project management to be
able to provide a complete, high-quality, risk-managed
professional project management service.”
Jackson’s relationship with VU continued following his
graduation in 1995, including guest lecturing to first-
year project management students. Michael sits on VU
committees and provides a valuable link with industry.
“I deliver the introductory lecture in Project Management
Fundamentals,” he says. “I am often the first external
lecturer that students see, and I get a real buzz from
giving something back. It’s my way of showing my
appreciation for what the University has done for me. I
like to think I give the students a big dose of motivation,
and try and communicate to them exactly what
professional project management is all about.”
In November, he will deliver the first of VU’s Project
Management Master Class Seminar Series to students,
alumni and industry professionals on the topic of Client-
Focused Project Management.
Jackson lives and breathes project management. He even
admits to occasionally dreaming about it. But it is not the
only thing in life he is passionate about.
Outside of Incoll’s offices, he turns his hand to a very
different kind of project – managing his teenage
daughter’s blossoming music career.
Alex, 13, plays the electric guitar. She has twice toured
the east coast of Australia, performed in front of 10,000
screaming fans at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena and
hopes to soon record her first album.
“When we are on the road, I am not only her manager
but also her sound engineer, roadie and producer,”
Jackson says. “I have had to apply my project
management skills in order to create and manage all of
these opportunities for her, and she is doing fantastically
well.”
When the interview ends I head for the elevator, casting a
glance back at the boardroom, half expecting Jackson to
moonwalk back into his office. With a name like Michael
Jackson, who would blame him for giving it a shot.
29

Stefan Schutt:
“Blogs are unruly,
decentralised
and have been
known to expose
corporate and
government
untruths.”
STEFAN SCHUTT
Strange things seem to be happening to the ways we
interact with each other and society. The line between
our private and public selves is becoming increasingly
blurred, and for this we can largely thank the internet and
its precocious offspring Web 2.0.
The term Web 2.0 was first coined in 2004 and
it’s caught on like wildfire. It’s a simple moniker but
its meaning is slippery; generally it refers to a new
generation of technically sophisticated, easy-to-use
websites that promote communication and sharing instead
of the one-way information delivery that defined the web
in the Dark Ages (i.e. pre-2001).
These days the internet revolves largely around Web 2.0
‘social software’ and the trend is not letting up. Witness
the huge growth of social networking sites like MySpace
(http://www.myspace.com), photo and video storage
and sharing sites like YouTube (http://www.youtube.com)
and Flickr (http://www.flickr.com).
Online diaries or ‘weblogs’ like Blogger (http://www.
blogger.com) are also part of the phenomenon, though
purists would argue they’re not truly social software,
more one-person soapboxes that provide only limited
opportunity for others to share or respond.
But perhaps the unfettered narcissism of blogs is the
reason for their appeal. In fact blogs are blossoming
like never before. The blog tracking and search site
Technorati (http://www.technorati.com) indexed 57.4
million blogs when I checked today. When I checked a
month or two ago, the figure was more like 45 million.
Things move fast in the blogosphere. What’s more, blogs
are increasingly being imbedded within everything from
news portals to networking hubs like MySpace.
The reasons for this growth are easy to see. Blogs are
free, easy to set up and easy to use. You log on, type
your thoughts, hit ‘publish’ and it’s on the internet.
With a blog you can be whomever you want. You can
take on a new or enhanced identity, or you can be
yourself in all your glory or banality. You can rant at
30
Opinion
MY LIFE
AS A BLOG
the world, confess your sins, dictate a shopping list or
make outrageous claims, all to a bunch of anonymous
computer users. It’s all power and little consequence,
unless of course your employer catches you talking dirty
about them and sacks you (it’s happened). You have a
platform and you may even have an audience. Or you
can generate your audience by attaching keywords
called ‘tags’ to your posts so others interested in the topic
can find you.
As self-contained entities with editorial committees of
one, most blogs differ greatly from multi-user sites like
Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) that encourage
people to check and edit others’ content. Your political
blog can link to a network of similarly oriented blogs that
will never challenge your views. That can be a worry.
Studies such as the 2000 examination of political sites
by Cass Sustein, a law professor at the University of
Chicago, have shown that the internet acts as a self-
reinforcing mechanism for people who only seek out
opinions that concur with their own. Of course the reverse
can also be true – you can find out stuff that you’d never
get through CNN, such as the famous blog by Baghdad
resident Salam Pax.
Blogs occupy a weird transitional space: they take
the confessional, private aspects of diary writing and
translate them to the public-but-anonymous domain of the
web. Increasingly, they also incorporate self-promotion,
fanzine-style journalism, revenue raising through add-
ons such as Google Adwords, political lobbying and
corporate marketing – as exemplified by the blogger
who was paid $US100,000 a year to promote ‘Dukes of
Hazzard’ DVDs.
Blogs are unruly, decentralised and have been known
to expose corporate and government untruths, just as
they can serve their cause. They can be off-the-cuff and
calculated, full of unsolicited ravings and thoughtful
commentary, all those things. They fulfil the promise of the
internet of making broadcasters of the little guy, but lack
the big guys’ editorial quality control. They speak to us
about an age in flux. Welcome to the brave new world.
Stefan Schutt teaches in the Department of Visual Art
Design and Multimedia. He describes himself as a pre-
internetter who jumped on the back of the tech bus and
is still hanging on after a decade of working in dot coms
and teaching multimedia.
The VU TAFE multimedia group has an unofficial blog that
documents things of interest in the world of blogs:
www.blogville.net.au
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VU ART

ARTIST/STUDENT: Amanda Sammut

COURSE: Diploma of Arts – Visual Art
TITLE: Psychic Dump
DATE: 2006
MEDIA: Oil on canvas

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