The ARCH Magazine | Issue 7 | 2012 Winter

Page 1

WINTER | 2012

GLOBAL game plan BOND’S NIKE CONNECTION

It’s Tim’s time

Meet the new Vice-Chancellor

Live forever

Computers could make it happen

Art of giving

Finding fun in philanthropy

WIN great prizes

Where in the world are you?


Winter 2012

Contents

CONTACT US

Editorial enquiries:

Features

6 Game on! Lisa MacCallum’s big plans to help children get fit again 16 Live forever Dr Clarence Tan on computer power and how its changing the world 20 Children of the Kimberleys Student Philanthropy Council heads west to help 24 Making sense of the defence Joe Crowley volunteers at the Cambodian War Tribunal

06

Office of Development Bond University Gold Coast Queensland 4229 Australia Ph: +61 7 5595 4403 To join The Arch mailing list please email development@bond.edu.au

28 Getting better Dr Paul Glasziou on why we need more non-drug therapies 34 Riding for charity Morgan Parker’s epic 25,000km adventure across 10 countries

30

Campus & Careers 11 Live@Bond 12 Tim’s time to shine 26 Bond’s Race Day 30 Pat Corrigan: Art of giving 38 Getting remote control 41 Support the 2012 Annual Fund

2

34

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

Alumni 42 New photo competition 43 Class notes

28

Vice-Chancellor’s Letter

Let’s always think global SINCE STARTING at Bond in January, I have enjoyed meeting members of the various faculties, our students and staff. Each one plays an important role in what Bond is today and will be in the future. The geographic distance Australia has from the rest of the world has been both a strength and a weakness for us as an emerging nation. The reality now is that we are in an age where international forces touch our everyday lives. As an academic institution produces the leaders of tomorrow, we need to ensure that our students fundamentally understand their role and Australia’s role within the global community. In order to make that happen, we need a systemic approach across the entire institution. We need drive from the top to ensure co-ordination and integration across the entire campus – and that is my role. During 2012, we will develop a strategic plan which will include a strong emphasis on internationalisation. Some may say Bond already is an international institution, and we agree. But we need to go beyond the composition of the student body and staff at Bond. It’s about imbedding internationalisation as a core value across the institution so that everyone appreciates that there’s a responsibility to internationalise what they are doing. There’s also a responsibility for students to take up international opportunities, be that formal exchange opportunities, spending a semester or a few weeks abroad somewhere or engaging in international competitions. We do this already with groups like the one going to Ukranian capital Kiev for the Global Management Challenge, the international law moot court team that competes regularly in The Hague and

the Bond University Student Association heading to Malawi. These are wonderful activities and I hope to see more of them as part of our ongoing commitment to internationalisation. Bond has a responsibility to ensure all that activity is co-ordinated and we don’t duplicate effort – that’s also my role. As the new Vice-Chancellor, I intend to be a facilitator. I have to make sure whatever work is being done across the campus can be leveraged for the benefit of the entire institution. I need to ensure there are sufficient synergies for each piece of research and development to be integrated and co-ordinated to enable us to achieve greater efficiencies from all our resources. Doing this will enable Bond University to send an even more powerful message to the world. But achieving internationalism is not the toughest task ahead. Making the strategy sustainable is our real challenge. Research is often built around individuals. Individuals are free to come and go. One of our potential weaknesses at the moment is that we are reliant on too few individuals doing too much at Bond. The challenge is to develop sustainability in our research performance, which puts systems in place that embed a strong culture and ethos around researching performance and attainment across the entire institution. We need to understand what it means to be globally competitive and internally supportive of what we are achieving and striving to achieve. I also have concerns that Bond is increasingly falling under the government’s regulatory umbrella. Government should be less directive of higher education. In areas where we need to be innovative, we need to have freedom to compete internationally.

We are a true global business. We compete for students around the world and we are seeing a growing trend where international universities compete for Australian students. We are in an international race to develop ideas and innovation. Tighter legislative and policy restrictions imposed by government will inevitably reduce our capacity to compete as a global business. The Bond philosophy has been, and always will be, very much more than an academic experience. It is an holistic journey where the strength of personal and professional development programs make for a unique education. A Bond education is a competitive advantage. It gives the university an edge globally and it gives our graduates an edge wherever their career may take them. As Vice-Chancellor, I look forward to working with you all to maintain and grow the Bond experience and the Bond education advantage.

PROFESSOR TIM BRAILSFORD Vice-Chancellor and President

Winter 2012

3


Campus

Campusnews HIS MOGGIE TALE HAS A PURR-FECT OUTCOME Bond student Saxon Cameron is a top cat in app development. As part of his Bachelor of Computer Games work, Cameron developed the Affection Collection iPad app in collaboration with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The app challenges the user to guide interaction between their pet cat and the game’s mice. The free game has garnered more than 25,000 downloads since its release earlier this year. Cameron says he styled the game towards a target audience. “I needed to add elements that would appeal to humans but also provide a way for cats to interact with the game. I figured owners would react to the fact that their cat was engaging in game play,’’ he says. RSPCA spokesperson Amanda Appel says the association is delighted with the outcome of Cameron’s research.

“We are so pleased with this game and are very grateful to Bond University for giving RSPCA this opportunity,” she says. Cameron is now fine-tuning the app and hopes to continue his career in the information technology field. Bond University Associate Professor of Multimedia and Games, Dr Penny de Byl, supervised Cameron’s project from development to delivery. “The subject was run as a special topic at the end of last year and students were required to create a mobile game from scratch,” she says. Bond University’s Bachelor of Computer Games teaches students the theoretical and practical aspects of interactive entertainment production and development. The program takes into consideration aspects of advertising, journalism and multimedia, with input from industry to ensure graduates are work-ready.

Professor Roger Hughes

NEW HEAD OF HEALTH SCIENCES Professor Roger Hughes has been appointed Head of the School of Health Sciences within Bond University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine. He is a Professor of Health Professional Education, with a strong interest in health workforce development. Professor Hughes joins Bond after more than a decade as academic discipline head in nutrition and dietetics at Griffith University and the University of the Sunshine Coast. Prior to entering academia, he helped pioneer the development of public health nutrition as a practice area in the Australian health system. “This was an attractive opportunity to join an institution that is committed to quality teaching and learning practices, while offering a small staff-to-student ratio and that values staff innovation,” says Professor Hughes. Professor Hughes will continue to pursue his research interest in health workforce development, which is consistent with his plans to lead a process of curriculum renewal and program development in the health professions.

Saxon Cameron

4

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

“I am focussed on ensuring health professionals have the necessary preparation to be effective in the health system, locally and internationally,” he says.

ARSON RESEARCH IS AN AUSTRALIAN FIRST Research into deliberate fire-setting will be undertaken by Bond University’s new Australian Centre for Arson Research and Treatment (ACART). With the assistance of funding from the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s department, the centre’s aim is to produce research designed to inform best practice for the assessment, treatment, and management of arsonists in Australia.

The funding arose following the National Forum for the Prevention of Bushfire Arson held in the aftermath of 2009’s Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. “It represents a clear signal from the government that deliberate fire setting is something they want to tackle,” she said. Dr Fritzon said current treatment models for arsonists fail to address critical aspects of their behaviour.

“Currently, convicted arsonists undergo a generic behaviour modification program that focuses on developing their cognitive skills and problem solving, which are all important factors, but there are other equally important factors that are not being addressed,’’ she says. “Our model is based on theoretical work that explores different functions or motives for arson that the current treatment models don’t reach.”

Directed by two of Australia’s foremost arson experts, Dr Rebekah Doley and Dr Katarina Fritzon, the centre will offer a pilot treatment program targeting deliberate fire setting behaviours in juveniles (over 14 years old) and adults. Dr Fritzon says it is the first time funding has been made available in this area in Australia. “Arsonists haven’t received much research attention to date, which is surprising given the enormous loss the nation has endured at their hands over the years,’’ says Dr Fritzon.

MENTORS GIVE GRADUATES A CAREER EDGE Bond’s Alumni Mentor Program continues to grow and provide critical career guidance for students. A re-vamp of the program last year matched students with a suitable Alumnus to create professional and personal opportunities. The results were outstanding says Bond University Alumni Relations Manager Jason Gotto. More than 120 students and 100 Alumni signed up to take part in the new program’s first semester. “A number of mentors have already registered interest in being a mentor again which is a testament to the success of the program and the benefits it offers,” says Gotto. Mentors are asked to provide guidance around future career opportunities, help plan the transition from study to employment, assist in resume and interview preparation and provide advice in building professional networks

and managing work-life balance. Bond Law student Tim McHutchison says the decision to sign up to the program was driven by his desire to determine what was expected of him within the legal industry after graduation. He was mentored by Bond Alumnus Christopher Hughes, a Partner at law firm Baker & McKenzie. “This was an invaluable experience that would not have been available to me had it not been for the mentoring program,” says Tim. “It has provided me with tools for the future.” Mentor Christopher Hughes says he was impressed by Tim’s enthusiasm. “He brought a mature approach to the relationship, which highlighted the type of job-ready graduates that Bond seeks to produce,” he said. Bond University will run its next Alumni Mentor Program in semester 3, 2012.

NEW COURSES CATER TO CHANGING TIMES Bond University continues to remain on the cutting edge of education with new programs introduced this year representing key growth industries. The new programs include a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science to address a shortage of skilled medical laboratory scientists and another within the School of Information Technology that offers infrastructure specialisation in cloud computing. Studying cloud computing at Bond will give students the knowledge of all the infrastructure options available and the ability to recommend solutions to businesses. It joins other specialisations offered including security and mobile applications. From this year, students across all Bond degrees will also be able to undertake a new subject run by the University’s Career Development Centre called the Bond University Professional Practice Program. The program has been designed to maximise graduates’ employability.

Winter 2012

5


Feature

GAME ON It’s time to play again Computers are outplaying sport as a preferred leisure activity. As obesity and diabetes rates soar, Bond alumnus and Nike executive Lisa MacCallum says it’s time to get children back in playgrounds. IT’S NO COINCIDENCE that Lisa MacCallum spearheads global philanthropic initiatives for one of the most recognised brands on the planet. Her drive and commitment to get things done mirrors the iconic slogan of her employer. MacCallum is Managing Director of Access to Sport, a new worldwide initiative by Nike dedicated to unleashing the human potential of youth by enabling and inspiring participation in sport and physical play. Among other things, the effort is intended to address growing physical and mental health issues among children, which research suggests is linked to reduced levels of physical activity and declining participation in sport. “Based on the research, the benefits of physical play and sport are significantly underestimated and undervalued by the world today,’’ says MacCallum, who was born in North Queensland then moved to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, where she lived an active and sporting life.

Lisa MacCallum

6

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

more fun, or more accessible – like online gaming – we just let it happen and didn’t question it nearly enough,’’ she says. “Now is the time to be conscious of a trend that is well underway.’’ Australia is a leader among those nations that need to take another look at the lifestyles of their increasingly inactive children, says MacCallum. “Sport is part of the fabric of what we know as ‘Australian life’. We are famous for it globally. It’s part of the Australian personality, success and tradition. But we’ve perhaps taken it for granted in recent times,’’ she says. “Australia has not escaped what we are seeing in other economies – soaring rates of obesity and preventable diabetes, for example, are a direct result of several factors but most notably declining levels of participation in sport and other physical activities.

“A decline in physical activity has been an unconscious divestment that occurred during the economic development process.

“This is not just about Australian adults making individual lifestyle choices. This is about our kids – how our choices impact theirs, and ultimately how those choices impact their future health, happiness and quality of life.

“Modernisation has encouraged many people into different ways of living that over time have extracted significant levels of physical activity out of our lives.’’

“These are signs that we have gone in the wrong direction, signs that I find devastating given Australia’s rich sporting and outdoor lifestyle traditions.’’

MacCallum says the recent emergence of serious social and health issues among less active children and teenagers has put a spotlight on what has been a mostly silent but stealthy trend.

Despite the global reach of brand Nike, MacCallum says turning the trend around and inspiring the current generation of children to be more active will require a collective effort at all levels of society.

“For too long, many people just expected that children would play sport. When kids started to choose other options that were

“Nike alone can’t solve the issue of a lack of access to sport for kids when the backdrop is a huge physical inactivity

epidemic and crisis across many regions of the world,’’ she says. “We have to go after the root cause of how we got here, how populations in developed economies and now rapidly developing economies are quickly moving towards a normalcy of being physically inactive.’’ MacCallum says there are two things that economies need to do: 1. Re-integrate physical activity back into the fabric of life. “We can challenge the way cities are designed, we can change transport policies to promote bike programs, running trails and safe pedestrian pathways. There are so many ways to promote populations to be physically active,’’ she says. 2. Re-energise the experience of physical play and sport so that kids ‘opt-in’. “Today’s kids have no hope of being encouraged to be active in sport when the signals we are sending them is that the physical side of your life is frankly not important. To make matters worse, the experience of sport and physical play we provide is not always positive,’’ she says. MacCallum says the world is in a “major urgent moment right now’’ relating to the future health of much of the population. “We have a crisis going on around us and it will hold the quality of our kids lives and futures hostage if we don’t act,’’ she says “We have to put the health of our children back at the centre of what we do and make sure we are providing, as a society, the right positive experiences that get their votes. We need to make it easier for them to opt back into sport.’’ Winter 2012

7


Feature JOINING THE GLOBAL BRAINS TRUST

There have been a few big challenges for MacCallum in a diverse and stellar career since she left Bond University in 1994, with degrees in Commerce and Arts.

In her corporate philanthropic work with Nike, Lisa MacCallum regularly participates in conferences and advisory panels

MacCallum started her working life as an accountant with KPMG. After several years, she decided to utilise her Japanese studies at Bond to pursue a career opportunity in Tokyo, where she helped launch and operate a satellite and internet broadcasting company that specialised in showcasing management and leadership skills.

LISA MacCallum was one of four Australians named in March as the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2012. The other Australians chosen were Kate Ellis, the Federal Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare and Minister for the Status of Women; Amanda McCluskey, of Colonial First State; and, Kathleen Reen, of Internews. The Forum honoured 192 people from 59 countries. Other 2012 Young Global Leader (YGL) recipients included Cesar Conde, president of America’s Univision television network; Scott Harrison, the founder of charity Water USA and Valerie Keller, the founder of US management consultancy Veritas. MacCallum says being a YGL will give her access to a global “brains trust’’. “I will have access to people who are leaders in their fields who are solving really important issues in very diverse and innovative ways,’’ says MacCallum.

We have a crisis going on around us and it will hold the quality of our kids lives and futures hostage if we don’t act.

Dear Ms MacCallum Carter, It is with great pleasure that we inform you that you have been selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL) 2012. This honour is bestowed by the World Economic Forum each year to recognise the most distinguished young leaders nominated below the age of 40 from around the world. The Selection Committee chose you after carefully screening the profiles of thousands of young leaders from every region of the world and from myriad disciplines and sectors. Your nomination is in recognition of your record of professional accomplishments, your commitment to society and your potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through your inspiring leadership.

The 2012 honourees are now part of the broader Forum of Young Global Leaders community that comprises 713 individuals.

8

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

became emphatically clear that my job was to develop and lead a strategy to break or prevent physical inactivity epidemics,’’ she says.

“The interaction in sport needs to be very carefully and well thought through, it needs to be a positive experience,’’ she says.

“I am not accountable or responsible to sell sneakers or deliver brand results – none of my performance will be measured against short-term business metrics. The indicators I am accountable to relate to whether I have deployed Nike’s broader set of assets against solving a complex social development crisis.’’

“To get the full benefit, it should be in a group with a great coach and in an environment where you can practise sophisticated physical movement. Sport reaps benefits that go far beyond health. It shapes kids’ communication skills and teamwork, encourages creativity and innovation and ultimately strengthens confidence levels and leadership skills.’’ MacCallum says change will only come when all layers of society, from government to the grassroots, acknowledge the problem and takes steps to promote more physical activity options for children, teenagers and adults.

“That access will help me to do what I do and learn from the experiences and ideas of other YGLs.’’

The group attends an annual conference (in Mexico this year). YGLs also take part in events organised by the World Economic Forum and lead their own innovative initiatives and task forces.

MacCallum says making sport and outdoor activities attractive again for computer- and television-obsessed kids will take more than simply tossing them a ball.

MacCallum concedes some may consider commercial interests are at play with Nike funding philanthropic work to promote increased sporting activity.

excerpt of letter

She insists there is no conflict of interest in her lofty goals. “One of the first things I clarified with the executive sponsors at Nike when I took on this new role was whether I was accountable to business or brand goals. It

Changing a worldwide trend though is a big ask for anyone. But MacCullum’s enthusiasm and optimism seem to know no bounds based on her recent career achievements. She is launching the Nike Access to Sport program after several years as Managing Director of the company’s non-profit arm, Nike Foundation. In that role, she developed and directed a program that assisted adolescent girls to get their lives back on track after being marginalised by social, economic and geographic factors. It’s called The Girl Effect. The program was an outstanding success as MacCallum marshalled nearly $500 million in resources and support which changed the lives of thousands of young women and their families. “I get very excited by big challenges,’’ she says.

Her business partner in Tokyo Dr Kenichi Ohmae introduced her to Nike founder Phil Knight, which helped open the latest chapter of her career in the United States. MacCallum, who now lives in Oregon in the “Nike town” of Beaverton, says she has numerous mentors in her life to thank for her high-achieving career and none so more than her mother and late grandmother. “I describe myself as perpetually curious,’’ she says. “At different stages of my life, different mentors have helped me expand the way I think and have nurtured that curiosity. ”They encouraged me to trust my intuition and always deliver high-quality work. I’ve tried to do that and doors have continued to open.’’ MacCallum also has fond memories of her time at Bond and has high praise for the career-launching platform the University gave her. “When I visited the campus for the first time, it felt creative and entrepreneurial. Everything felt perfect for me and I knew it was where I wanted to be,’’ she says. “I found the faculty available and supportive and the teaching style incredibly practical. That has contributed significantly to my career success and as a person.’’ MacCallum says working in corporate philanthropy was not something she had on her radar when she first graduated but it’s a career progression she is proud to have taken. “I feel very lucky,’’ says MacCallum. “Transitioning from pure business roles into corporate philanthropy has been a new experience on many levels. It’s been tough, but both rewarding and heartbreaking as well.”

Winter 2012

9


Feature

Campus Lalitha Kumar

Support artist Johan Coppers

Lisa MacCallum with husband Ryan Carter and their son Joaque

Vocalist and guitarist Hayden Andrews with Joshua Appleby on sax and Scott Bignell on trumpet

Oh baby!

Now I have to work smarter and faster SINCE BECOMING a mother late last year, Bond alumnus and corporate high-flyer Lisa MacCallum admits some days she feels like a zombie. “Between home and work life, I feel as though I have two separate lives. It’s a daily schizophrenic experience,’’ she says. When baby Joaque arrived seven months ago, MacCallum and her husband Ryan Carter, a former Australian professional triathlete, knew their lives would change dramatically.

As she juggles raising her baby with launching a new global initiative for the Nike brand, MacCallum admits she has had to reinvent herself as a corporate executive. “It has challenged me in new ways as a leader and manager to do things differently,’’ she says. “Before I would pontificate and thought it was okay if I was in my office at all hours of the evening because it was extremely interesting for me to be there.

But the pace and reach of that change surprised them both.

“But now I need to work smarter and faster, have the right team around me and have the right support structures to be able to pull it off,” she adds.

“Having a baby is the toughest thing I have ever experienced, both physically and emotionally. I don’t think there’s anything that can fully prepare you. Daunting, exhausting, yet profoundly joyful at the same time,’’ says MacCallum.

“There is no room for error. I have had to figure out ways to communicate and work more effectively with my team, have the team adjust and find ways to maximise the time we have together so that when I am there we are as productive as we can be.’’

“I quickly discovered our support structures had to be rock solid, at home and at work.’’

Being a mum has also reinforced MacCallum’s commitment to improving the

10

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

lives of children around the world. “I’ve always been driven by injustice. Being part of solving complex social issues particularly involving children is incredibly motivating. But having your own child just exaggerates everything, I’m more committed than ever,’’ she says. “The motherly instinct to protect my own child has quickly spread to my work with Nike helping kids around the world through the Access to Sport program. “I now want to reach more kids faster than ever … take whatever steps are needed as soon as possible to ensure a healthier and happier future.’’

Scott Bignell on trumpet

LIVE AT BOND: CHEAP FAKES Bond University’s free music series kicked off its 2012 Autumn season of live acts with local six-piece funk ensemble Cheap Fakes performing to more than 300 local residents in March. Moss Crews, Kylie Mitchell-Smith, Sharon Solyma

Having a baby is the toughest thing I have ever experienced, both physically and emotionally. I don’t think there’s anything that can fully prepare you.

Winter 2012

11


Campus Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Brailsford

TIM’S time to shine

As an institution, we must ensure all activity towards achieving our goals is co-ordinated and integrated – and that’s my role.

Our seventh Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Brailsford, could easily have been a corporate high-flyer. But he’s happy he chose to be an academic and has hit the ground running in his first few months at Bond University.

PROFESSOR TIM BRAILSFORD is full of surprises. His esteemed qualifications could easily place him in any corporate boardroom in the country, yet he is a dedicated and driven academic. He says he doesn’t really enjoy writing but has authored nearly a dozen books. He was on the board of the Queensland Rugby and was President of the Kenmore Bears Junior Rugby Club – yet he’s a Victorian who never played the game and grew up cheering for Richmond in the AFL. Whether it’s networking in a coat and tie or rolling up his shirt sleeves to get the job done, Professor Brailsford delivers successful outcomes with apparent ease and endless enthusiasm. Bond University’s new Vice-Chancellor calls himself a person in a hurry. “For pretty much my entire life, I’ve tried to run quicker than most,’’ says Professor Brailsford. “And I expect that will still be the case here at Bond. I’m in a hurry to advance the institution to ensure we stay at the leading edge of everything we do.’’ As an avid lover of all sports, Professor Brailsford knows it’s not just about running quicker, but smarter as well. “As an institution, we must ensure all activity towards achieving our goals is coordinated and integrated – and that’s my role,’’ he says.

12

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

“We must leverage upon opportunity and networks, but ensure resources are not wasted through duplication across the campus.’’ Professor Brailsford started at Bond in January this year. He was previously an Executive Dean at the University of Queensland and a Dean at the Australian National University in Canberra. He has held senior academic positions at the University of Melbourne and Monash University and holds fellowships with the Australian Institute of Management and CPA Australia. He has a PhD, Masters and Honours degrees. Professor Brailsford is a staunch supporter of the independent university model and private not-for-profit education. “When it comes to learning, one size does not fit all,’’ he says. “The best education systems around the world have diversity built into them. In North America for instance, the range of institutions and range of educational opportunities available means there is an opportunity and possibility for everyone. “In Australia, with the exception of Bond and a few others, we have a university system for the masses. Many of our universities are built the same, they offer the same courses by and large and they sell the same kinds of messages. “Frankly, I don’t think it helps our country advance higher education as much as we should be doing right now.’’ Professor Brailsford unashamedly wears his passion for academia on his sleeve.

For all his passion, he wouldn’t be human if he didn’t sometimes wonder what might have been if he had taken the same route as several of his alumni friends, who now enjoy the luxury trappings of high-flying corporate success. “It has tested me from time to time when I have seen some of them with Ferraris and personal jets,’’ he says. “But the path I took is something I feel very comfortable with. I believe that education is one of the most powerful tools to resolve some of the fundamental dilemmas in our society. Education helps us build a civil and prosperous society. “I really believe in the value and power of education. I had some skills that enabled me to be able to influence higher education in particular. We all have a role to play and this is mine.’’ Professor Brailsford accepts his responsibility and is not shy outlining his expectations for others in the education process. He says the time is overdue for corporate Australia to take a more active role in higher education. “If business wants graduates produced in a certain mould, business needs to work with us, assist in our funding and provide us with all sorts of resource to make that happen,’’ he says. “For way too long the Australian business community has taken the public element of education and privatised that internally without having due respect for a responsibility to give back – and not just in financial terms, but more generally.

“When someone graduates and goes into a career position, that person brings with them anywhere from 16 to 20 years worth of investment by others through knowledge, skills, capabilities, values and other attributes they have collected through primary school to higher education. “If business is getting the fruits of that investment, business needs to recognise the loop has to be closed at some time. “Just like in sport when an international comes back to his junior club to do some

coaching, business has got to give back to education – not just hand over the cash.

“If we do that better, the monies will flow from the corporate world.’’

“In Australia we don’t have a strong culture that embeds business with higher education. In Europe and particularly in North America they have been very good in building that relationship from day one.

Professor Brailsford is a member of an international blue ribbon committee, formed by the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, which aims to provide recommendations on international business education into the future.

“It’s up to higher education institutions to create the framework and opportunities for this to happen. We must build the relationship first and show the value of those relationships.

He is at the forefront of increasing debate about the amount of technical knowledge that universities are expected to impart on business graduates traded off against core skills and a core understanding of business. Winter 2012

13


Campus Professor Brailsford introduces himself to Bond criminology students Rachel Gordon (left) and Brittani Bromley

I’m happy to call Gold Coast home NEW BOND ViceChancellor Professor Tim Brailsford has something in common with many first-year students on the campus – he’s just moved to the Gold Coast. “We love living on the Gold Coast,’’ says the former Brisbane resident, who grew up in Victoria and also spent nearly a decade in Canberra. “As Vice-Chancellor at Bond, I very much felt that I needed to be part of the local community here. “Bond is the people’s university on the coast, it is a university created by the people of the Gold Coast. “The variety and variability of life here is fantastic,” he says. “I like getting out and meeting the people of the region and I’m definitely enjoying the range of activities and scenery you can get within just a few kilometres of where we live and work.” Professor Brailsford and his wife Kerrie spent much of their spare time in the past at sporting activities involving their three children. Now the family is older, there is more time for them to explore the Gold Coast restaurant scene. “I like getting out for a nice meal and a cold beer,’’ he says. “We are enjoying local restaurants that are for the

14

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

people who live on the Gold Coast and those that are after the tourist dollar.’’ Professor Brailsford’s downtime is spent watching sport and perhaps an action movie. He reads a lot, but surprisingly for an author of nearly a dozen titles, he says writing is something he doesn’t really enjoy. “Writing for me is an effective means of communication,’’ he says. “The way in which I have been trained is that if you want to get your message across and if you want to clearly have the opportunity for your message to reach a large number of people, you need to be reasonably expert in written forms of communication. “It is part of my career, part of the skills set I have to have.’’ While he is in no hurry to pen another economics or business-related book, he does harbour one writing ambition. “I would love to write a fictional novel at some stage,’’ he says. “All my writing to date has been professionally orientated – evidence-based and very factual. I haven’t had the opportunity to let my imagination go. Where that would end up, I just don’t know.’’

Professor Brailsford says that includes knowledge and understanding of the social responsibility of business, issues around ethics, understanding behaviours, how markets can influence, regulatory responsibilities and duties and the adherence of the law, both the black letter and the spirit of any law. “There’s almost a paradox here,’’ says Professor Brailsford. “Industry has been screaming out for generic and interpersonal skills that graduates must possess. But there is only so much you can stuff into a graduate’s kit bag. At the end of the day something has got to give. “I think this global review will end up deciding we have probably tilted the scale too much towards a technical skill set and we will look at redressing this balance.‘’ In his first weeks at Bond, Professor Brailsford has overseen a number of new programs aimed at maintaining the University’s international reputation of producing graduates who are not only at the leading edge of their specialties, but also highly relevant to the often fast-changing needs of their chosen industry. Examples include more specialist training in cloud computing and courses to cater for an industry plea for more mid-level laboratory scientists. Professor Brailsford says the programs have been well received and highlight the value and importance of relationships between industry and higher education. “Some industries face a tough choice right now,’’ he says. “They either heavily invest in specialised training and specialised advice specifically for their organisation, or they can recognise there is worth in supporting a university program where they can have access to some of the latest developments and research, new techniques and great academic minds. “The great challenge for executive training is achieving a balance between having a course that is tailor-made to suit the specific demands of a particular business or a course that is sufficiently generic to attract interest from a number of firms but still has enough of a flavour that as not to be so generic that people say it is no longer relevant. “Where Bond is positioned now is that we need to work very hard to make sure that we are leading in relation to achieving that balance.’’ Professor Brailsford has set himself some lofty goals. But his record is built on high achievement. His involvement in sport underlines his determination to succeed even if the going gets tough.

He first cut his teeth on rugby in Canberra. It would have been no surprise if he listed Wallaby and Brumbies heroes like George Gregan and Stephen Larkham as the players he admires the most. But instead, Brailsford nominates Sean Hardman. The unheralded hooker captained Queensland through the darkest days in decades, when losing scorelines ballooned, when the code’s local credibility hit rock bottom and spectators decided it was no longer trendy to “Boo a Blue’’ at Ballymore or anywhere else. “Hardman was the guy who could have opted out of Queensland rugby when it suited him, which would have left it in even a worse state than it was. But he chose to ride it through,’’ Professor Brailsford said. Hardman eventually called it quits as the code was rebuilding – a process that eventually delivered the Super Rugby championship to the Queensland Reds last year. “Hardman’s career finished two years too early to experience the highs of Queensland rugby. But what he did during his time should never be underestimated. It was absolute commitment to the cause.’’ The same could easily be said about Professor Brailsford’s commitment to Bond.

LIST OF DISTINCTION BOND UNIVERSITY’S VICE-CHANCELLORS: Professor Tim Brailsford PhD FAIM FCPA FFin January 9, 2012, to present Emeritus Professor Robert Stable January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2011 Emeritus Professor Ken Moores AM December 3, 1997, to December 31, 2003 Professor Raoul Mortley AO, FAHA August 1, 1996, to September 16, 1997 Emeritus Professor Harry Messel CBE February 7, 1993, to July 15, 1995 Professor Phillip Lader July 29, 1991, to February 6,1993 Professor Donald Watts AM July 1, 1987, to June 30, 1990

Winter 2012

15


Feature

DR CLARENCE TAN EXPECTS TO LIVE FOREVER, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

Dead certain of

LIVING FOREVER Technology is advancing at such a pace, the prospect of eternal life in a cyber world is no longer a sci-fi dream says one expert.

The 46-year-old, an Adjunct Professor at Bond University’s Faculty of Business, is a passionate advocate for the potential of technology to solve some of humanity’s greatest biological, social and logistic challenges. Dr Tan has eagerly enlisted to ride the soaring exponential curve of technology, which he says in the past decade alone has empowered mankind to a level that completely shadows the power of all previous humanity combined. He looks to the future with the same unbridled enthusiasm as a child on the eve of its next birthday. “Time doesn’t matter to me anymore . . . we will live forever in some form, genetically or biologically or in the cyber world,’’ says Dr Tan. “In 25 years, computers will be so powerful you will be able to simulate every neuron in your brain, merge it into a computer and live forever – if you wanted to do that.’’ There is no arrogance about Dr Tan’s optimism. He has already seen the future. That occurred last year when he attended the cuttingedge Graduate Studies Program (GSP) at California’s Singularity University (SU), an elite think tank which seeks to provide a superior level of idea development that supplements traditional educational institutions. SU was founded nearly four years ago by Dr Peter Diamandis and Dr Ray Kurzweil as an academic institution that seeks to harness some of the world’s sharpest minds. Its philosophy is to use new technologies to solve some of the greatest challenges that face mankind and the world today and in the future. SU is located in the NASA Ames Research Centre in Silicon Valley right next to Google. The University’s annual GSP brings together the most accomplished experts in academia, business and

16

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

government then presents them to some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs and brightest graduate and post-graduate minds. Over an intense 10-week period, the students form teams to invent something that potentially could positively affect the lives of at least a billion people over the next 10 years. As the Australian and Malaysian ambassador for SU, Dr Tan is like a disciple spreading the good word. And he backs his views with significant experience and scientific proof. “Ten years ago, the sequencing of the genes in your body was the domain of only the world’s top universities and research centres at a cost of millions of dollars. Today it can be done for less than $1000,’’ says Dr Tan. Tan points out that there now are commercial entities operating on the internet that can provide gene sequencing inside three days for a set fee (and if the local laws permit). “They will send it back to you in a computer program that can be downloaded and matched against comparable DNA,’’ he says. There are other scientific examples he cites to illustrate the rapid technological advances of recent times. These include research teams that routinely build animal organs, a company that will soon sell beef grown purely from the cells extracted from cattle and the development of a miniscule oxygen carrier that could be injected into the bloodstream to give humans the ability to stay underwater for hours. Dr Tan uses 3D printing as another example of where technology is taking us. At the moment there are two types of 3D printers, he says – one that puts down layers of plastic and another that cuts shapes out of solid blocks of material. “They can print using any substance you want,” he says, “titanium, glass, steel, fabric, chocolate, you name it.” “For example, in the future you won’t need to go out and buy a Louis Vuitton bag. You will go online, select the design you want then download it to a 3D printer that will make the bag for you.

Winter 2012

17


Feature

Dr Clarence Tan

ON THE CUTTING EDGE A profile of Dr Clarence Tan: • Completed his PhD at Bond University’s Centre for Banking and Finance in 1997, and was Associate Dean of the School of Information Technology. Now an Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Business.

The biggest resource we today have is the human resource. Computers have ensured we are now all connected.

“The same can be done for a car part or a tool or for a specialist device. No corner of the world will be too remote to print out what they need.’’

Dr Tan lists Cambridge researcher Aubrey

Dr Tan talks enthusiastically about how international connectivity is using the combined power of many human minds and computers to solve problems that have baffled researchers for decades.

humans age (including NDA mutations, cell

As an example, he cites how a proteinfolding problem, which was slowing the research into HIV-AIDS, was put into the public forum in a scientific online game format.

years thanks to advancing technologies.

“Someone in England solved the puzzle in less than a month,’’ Dr Tan says. Similarly, a new worldwide competition was recently launched challenging participants to decipher the DNA genetic codes of 100 people aged 100 years or older. The contest offers a prize of $10 million. “The biggest resource we today have is the human resource. Computers have ensured we are now all connected,’’ he says. “We need to use that connectivity as a power to solve our problems.’’ Tan acknowledges a raft of ethical issues will need to be addressed in some areas where technologies are surging. “There will always be the issue of biohackers going in and creating viruses or using the technology for the wrong purposes. But that is nothing dissimilar to now with hackers creating computer viruses,’’ he says. “Is it better to be an ostrich and stick your head in the sand or teach people about what is going to come and make sure they are ready for it? We have to prepare now because the technology is here already.”

18

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

• Completed a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Computers, Master of Business Administration in Finance, and a Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California (LA). • Has worked in investment banking in New York and Malaysia, where he designed trading systems on computers. Started a company that specialises in secure SMS technologies and holds several patents worldwide in the mobile technology.

de Grey as one of the inspirations for his belief in greater human longevity. Grey has identified seven scientific reasons why loss and accumulation of used proteins).

• Queensland Government Smart Futures Entrepreneur-inResidence Fellowship recipient for Bond University and the Gold Coast Innovation Centre and past Chair of the Gold Coast Australian Computer Society. Founding member of the mentoring group Gold Coast Angels. A fellow of the Australian Computer Society and the Financial Securities Institute of Australia.

He believes every 30 years a person lives from now on, will see their life extended 30

“Every one of Grey’s seven reasons for

• The Malaysian-born 46-year-old has lived on the Gold Coast for 20 years. He is married to Sung-Hui, an avionics engineer. They have four children aged 12-18. The eldest has begun to study engineering.

ageing is currently being worked on with groundbreaking technology,’’ says Dr Tan. “And by the time we are all living longer and the Earth is filled up, robots would have colonised Mars for us [although he adds that issues like changes to human bone density and body mass while living long-term on Mars might make it a oneway trip].’’ Dr Tan makes no apologies for his unbridled enthusiasm for new technology. It’s not sci-fi, he says, computers are right now working on unthinkable solutions

The Singularity experience Dr Clarence Tan is the Australian and Malaysian ambassador for Singularity University in California. He explains what the institution is all about:

to a range of problems and issues facing mankind. “I am trying to get the general public to know what is happening and what is coming,’’ he says. “I want to project optimism. Forget all the scary stuff we hear about doomsday coming. We are in a positive cycle and technology will have solutions. “There is nothing to fear about technology, embrace it and use it to solve any problem you have.’’

WHAT IS SINGULARITY UNIVERSITY? It is a California-based academic institution started nearly four years ago by Dr Peter Diamandis and Dr Ray Kurzweil. The charter of Singularity University (SU) is to harness some of the world brightest minds and leverage the power of exponentially growing technologies to solve challenges that face humanity today and in the future. WHY IS SU SPECIAL? Singularity gives you the ability to exercise your passion to the fullest. It can open your mind to the possibilities that are out there.

HOW DOES ITS GRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAM WORK? SU’s annual Graduate Studies Program (GSP) brings together the most accomplished experts in academia, business and government, along with some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs and brightest graduate and post-graduate minds. Over an intense 10 weeks, attendees are exposed to some of the world’s newest technologies then challenged to invent something that potentially could positively affect the lives of at least a billion people over the next 10 years. The application-toadmission rate is about 2.5 percent, with GSP’12 having 3157 applications for 80 places. WHAT PROJECT DID YOU WORK ON DURING YOUR TIME AT SINGULARITY? I started to work on a project called Senstore to empower a person to manage his/her health by creating a ‘tricorder’ device using sensors. Later on, I left the project to be the team leader for a project

called Corruptiontracker.org to track and report corruption using a crowd sourcing platform. IS THERE A PROJECT YOU HOPE TO WORK ON IN THE FUTURE? I’d like to build a telepresence robot that operates in conjunction with a call centre, which could provide care and companionship to the elderly and sick. The technology is there now to build robots for only a few hundred dollars each. HOW DOES SOMEONE GET INVOLVED IN THE SU PROGRAM? Applications are now closed for this year’s GSP in July and August. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply later this year for GSP’13. Competitions also will be held in various countries, including Australia, in late 2012, with the winners receiving a sponsorship to GSP’13.

Winter 2012

19


Feature “This is a very different part of Australia, where it is possible to experience both the positive and negative aspects of life in a remote Australian indigenous community,’’ says Brockhoff. On a visit to Bond University last year, Brockhoff encouraged students to visit the Kimberley region and learn about the local issues by living within the community. “I warned them to expect the unexpected. I told them they would see severe and significant problems, but also some positive aspects. I wanted them to get an experience they would take with them for the rest of their lives. I challenged them to make the trip west,’’ he says.

Bond University’s Adam Roberts and Laura Allen share a lagoon

Brown was inspired and energised by Brockhoff’s challenge. So, too, were more than 50 other Bond students who put their hands up for the experience.

“We exposed hundreds of children to many different avenues of life and education they otherwise would not have known about,’’ Brown says. “We also fostered communication between many stakeholders. By forming the backbone of the community youth program, we engaged elders, government representatives and volunteers in their quests to support and build the community.’’ Adam Roberts, a former President of Bond University Student Association and Chair of Student Philanthropy Council who graduated last year with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws, was among the group that travelled west. “We knew we were making a real difference because the children really valued us being there,’’ says Roberts.

swim with some of the children of the East Kimberley region

Children of the KIMBERLEYS

Although there was generous support from the Student Opportunity Fund, the Bond Students in Free Enterprise and the Law and Business faculties, funding constraints required the group to be trimmed back to a final touring party of 15.

REALITY RISES FROM THE DUST Amid the dust and despair of a socially challenged community, a group of Bond volunteers found joy among the local children as they inspire hope for a better future.

KIM BROWN IS SITTING in a coffee shop. His sharp blue eyes scan the surrounds as he occasionally waves to fellow students as they meander in and out of the library. As the Secretary of the Student Association and former Treasurer of the Student Philanthropy Council, he’s well known and well respected on the Bond University campus. He lives a typically hectic life, juggling his various commitments with a heavy study load as he works towards his Law and Business degrees. But then his darting eyes stop and almost glaze over as he recalls the moment, last October, when he arrived at the remote indigenous community of Kununurra in Western Australia’s dusty and desolate East Kimberley region.

20

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

“A lot of the houses had no doors, or windows,’’ says Brown. “And the ground was covered in a layer of beer cans . . . not a pile, a layer.’’ The next two weeks in Kununurra would not only be a life-changing experience for Brown – but it would also profoundly affect the lives of the 14 other Bond student volunteers who travelled with him to one of the most challenging social environments in the country. The Kununurra Youth Program is an initiative launched last year by the Bond University Student Philanthropy Council, which uses direct involvement to provide students with an insight into some of the issues faced by various indigenous communities in remote regions around the country.

The first trip to the west was held last October as the group of Bondies spent two weeks staging school holiday programs for the children of three East Kimberley communities – Kununurra, Wyndham and Kalumburu. Many communities in the region have been strongly impacted by mining operations. Relocation and marginalisation has spawned a range of social issues, including widespread alcoholism, alarming youth suicide rates and rampant school truancy. The link to the region was made through Bond alumnus Ed Brockhoff, a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of International Relations graduate, who has been working in the Kimberleys for the past 18 months with the Save the Children organisation.

When they left the Gold Coast, the Bondies were ready to change the world until the harsh reality of the project hit them in the face with a force like the blistering 40-degree heat that radiated from the dusty red surrounds of the Kununurra community. “I initially suggested a program that would help the kids get to school,’’ says Brown. “I quickly discovered there are so many more pressing issues – the first and foremost being to provide a safe environment for the children.’’ With the guidance of Brockhoff and his small local youth worker team, the Bond volunteers set about turning an existing afternoon school holiday program which ran four days a week into a 14-hour-a-day activities and event schedule that ran for six days over two consecutive weeks. The Bond team led arts and crafts activities, introduced the local children to laptops they brought with them, played sport with them and staged a disco night to provide an alternative to walking the streets after dark.

“We weren’t just a few extra hands helping make lunches or facilitating programs. What we were doing was really impacting on the children’s lives.’’

Kim Brown

The ties between the Bondies and the locals grew fast and strong. Each evening during their stay, the Bondies made a point of delivering the children back to their homes. Both Brown and Roberts recall how the joy among the children and the smiles on their faces would fade as quickly as the hot sun slipped under the horizon as the prospect of having to go home loomed large.

A MOMENT TO REMEMBER Kanetia Griffiths grew up in the Kununurra community. The 20-year-old is luckier than most in the town – she has a job, working part-time with the Save the Children organisation. Bond student Kim Brown recalls talking to Griffiths during his two-week visit to the community last October. The memory of the conversation is burned into his conscience. “Her community goal was to spend the next few years working in Kununurra, helping to get the local children to a level where they are in a safe environment and attending school regularly,’’ he says. “Her personal goal was to get to university. She didn’t care where or what she studied, she just wanted to show everyone in her community that it was possible to get there. “That ambition and goal was so selfless, it just blew me away.’’

Kanetia Griffiths

Winter 2012

21


Ellen Scobie, who is studying a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, says nothing prepared her for how she felt having to wave goodnight to each of the children and watch as they left the comfort and safety of the program for the uncertain surrounds of a challenging home life. “We were introduced to the reality of their disadvantage. We were discovering a backyard that many do not realise exists in Australia,’’ she recalls. “We dropped children off at homes where they were lucky to have a sober parent to feed them, where parties continued throughout the week and children were left on their own to find comfort walking the streets. “The social issues [in these communities] are devastating, but I believe the tools to overcome them can only be found when we truly appreciate what is at stake.’’

NATURAL BEAUTY AND SPIRITUALITY As trust and friendship grew between the Bond volunteers, the locals and their children, the goals and outcomes of the trip also began to evolve. “Coming to terms with the social injustice we saw was an emotional experience,’’ Scobie recalls. “But after a few days we began to brighten up, our adventure instincts kicked in and we allowed the locals to show us the beauty hidden beneath the injustice.

Bond Student Philanthropy Council members in the remote east Kimberley region of Western Australia

“We are constantly bombarded by images in the media, but it’s much more confronting when you go to these places and see normal kids growing up in a community where the surroundings are so detrimental to their development,’’ says Brown.

could sense that attitude change and we were a little taken aback by it.

Roberts also recalls the sadness of taking some children back to their broken homes.

“You wonder what can be done … as an individual. But the more we were able to work with Save the Children, and in particular Ed Brockhoff’s total dedication to the program and the students, the more we realised that they were not operating from the top down in these communities.

“The attitude of the children really seemed to change in the early evening in the leadup to them having to go home. We all

“They are starting with the children. And the benefits I saw taken away by those children were substantial and noticeable.’’

22

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

“I discovered the natural grandeur of the Kimberley region and I met inspirational people, who were guided by the spirituality embedded in it. “The children were incredible, full of energy with a strong sense of family and responsibility for one another. “In communities where they have such limited opportunities, it really encouraged us to get involved with them and to help out and have fun.’’

THE LEGACY AND A NEW PERSPECTIVE After two weeks in the Kimberleys – and a life-changing experience – Brown recalls that he felt a little awkward back among his student friends as they chatted about

forthcoming assessments and campus activities. “They were talking about things that right then seemed minimal in comparison,’’ he says.

SCHOOL THE FOCUS OF A BIGGER SECOND VISIT

“It was as difficult for us to integrate back into the student body as it probably was for our friends to understand what we had gone through.

Organisers of this year’s Kununurra Youth Program plan to build on the success of last year’s visit.

“I look back and think at the start I had these great ambitions of the changes I could make. But I came out knowing that the change I really made was giving kids two weeks where they had a safe environment, where they could flourish as children. To my mind, that was something remarkable.’’

Alan White, the current Chair of the Student Philanthropy Council, said up to 25 volunteers could make the trip this year – 10 more than last year.

Brockhoff predicts the legacy of the 2011 Kununurra Youth Program will be longterm. “The Bond volunteers were able to form positive relationships with the young people in a very short space of time,’’ he says. “The kids still ask after them, they ask when they are coming back. The volunteers were positive role models and mentors who took an interest in the kids’ lives and asked what they thought about things.’’

In communities where they have such limited opportunities, it really encouraged us to get involved with them and to help out and have fun. Ellen Scobie, Current Student

The timing of the trip could also change. Alan White

Rather than going during the October school holidays as was done last year, plans are being finalised for the group to head west in November to visit the Kimberley region while school is still underway.

“After last year, the people in the region know us. Now it’s time to make a lasting impact on the community. Participating in education is a great way to do that,’’ says White. “We’ll see where we can be of assistance, but hopefully we can get involved in class-based activities.’’ White says the Kununurra Program gives Bond students the ability to engage in social justice within Australia. There has been strong interest among students to get involved this year after the success of last year’s inaugural trip, he says. “We’ve had students contacting us saying: ‘I missed out last year, I really want to do this’,’’ says White. “We also have had a number of students asking to help organise the trip and others asking what they can do to help fund-raise. “This is a powerful thing that we are doing. This is about supporting philanthropic activity in many ways, not just with money but also through donating time and support.’’

Positive effects also flowed back to the Bond students, Brockhoff says.

With twice as many students expected to apply than available places on the 2012 trip, the selection process will again be tough, White says.

“The Bond students who came to Kununurra are young people heading to the top of their field. They will be the future leaders in Australia and beyond,’’ he says.

‘’We are looking for people with a social justice attitude … those who have the ability to engage with other people in a team environment,’’ says White.

“After this experience, they will go into those professions and their working life with a particular and special insight into the other side of Australia. And when the time is right in their careers, they will have the understanding, drive and ability to make change.’’

Taking a larger group to the East Kimberley region will mean greater expenses. Several fund-raising initiatives are underway and could include an auction and dinner night later this year, says White. “We hope the Bond community sees the deep value of what we are doing and realises it is important to help us whatever way they can.’’

Winter 2012

23


Feature

A lot of my job was reading historic accounts about Phnom Pehn, working out what historians concluded, why they concluded it and seeing where historians disagreed with each other. I then examined how those disagreements fitted in with what witnesses were saying.

Making sense of the

It was something no one on the defence team had had an opportunity to do.

DEFENCE

THE COURT HAS BEEN TOLD IENG THIRITH HAS DEMENTIA AND WILL BE MEDICALLY REVIEWED. DO YOU THINK SHE IS FIT FOR TRIAL? She has moments of lucidity, but she’s very frail. It is difficult to get sensible responses out of her at times. She speaks three languages (Khmer, French and English), but she finds it difficult to focus. She often gets very confused over dates and times.

A member of Bond University’s Faculty of Law outlines his rare international criminal law opportunity at the Cambodian War Tribunal.

Duch

Ieng Thirith

WHERE IS THE CASE RIGHT NOW? The case is stayed because the court is not convinced that Ieng Thirith’s dementia can’t be “cured’’. She’s 80 and there’s the real chance now she could die in custody before the case is ever finalised. Joe Crowley

JOE CROWLEY is a Senior Teaching Fellow at Bond University’s Faculty of Law. Late last year he accepted a pro bono position at the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) – commonly known as the Cambodian War Tribunal. For nearly three months, Crowley worked on the defence of one-time Khmer Rouge Minister for Social Action, Ieng Thirith. The 80-year-old is charged with crimes against humanity, genocide and serious breaches of the Geneva Conventions for her alleged role in Khmer Rouge activities during the civil war in Cambodia. The Arch spoke with Crowley on the latest chapter in his distinguished legal career:

24

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE DEFENCE TEAM AT THE CAMBODIAN WAR TRIBUNAL? While I was in The Hague in 2010 with the Bond moot team, I met one of the competition judges, a brilliant English barrister, Diana Ellis QC. She has a great domestic criminal law practice and has appeared for the defence in hearings at the Yugoslavia Tribunal, the Rwanda Tribunal and now the ECCC. Last September, she invited me to Phnom Pehn to help with defence duties at the ECCC. She is much revered in International Criminal Law circles, and now having worked with her, I can see why. I feel very lucky to have met her.

much of the evidence as I could that related to the 1975 evacuation of Phnom Pehn by the Khmer Rouge, who cleared the city of its two million inhabitants and sent them to rice fields to work on collective farms.

WHAT ROLE WERE YOU ALLOCATED? International criminal courts have large ‘intern’ programs, where lawyers can volunteer their services for a set period of time. I was there from the end of October to just before Christmas. I was given a research project to read and identify as

DURING THE TIME, WHAT DID YOU ACHIEVE FOR IENG THIRITH’S DEFENCE? No one had really taken a forensic look at all the evidence. It hadn’t been possible because there were only six members of the defence team. The prosecution has 18 interns alone.

WHAT WERE THE BENEFITS OF GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS WAR TRIBUNAL? There are so few opportunities for people in Australia to practise international criminal law … to take the stuff you read in textbooks and see how it really works. The Cambodian War Tribunal was the closest opportunity to Australia to do that. It gave me the chance to do what I had learned about and had taught students.

THE ECCC COSTS MORE THAN $150 MILLION A YEAR. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN JUST ONE CONVICTION – THE COMMANDER OF THE NOTORIOUS S-21 PRISON KAING GUEK EAV (ALIAS DUCH). IS IT MONEY WELL SPENT? I don’t think international money has been spent as best as it could. I don’t think that is a secret. It has been written about a lot by various international newspapers. One of the problems is that it is a combined court made up of Cambodians and international judges in a brand-new court that hasn’t existed before. They have to come up with new court procedures, new rules of evidence, and so on. I don’t think that has been achieved as efficiently as it could have been achieved. YOU WORKED PRO BONO ON THE GRAHAM STAFFORD CASE (HIS 1992 CONVICTION FOR THE MURDER A 12-YEAR-OLD WAS OVERTURNED IN 2010). WHAT DOES THAT LANDMARK CASE MEAN TO YOU? It was absolutely a career highlight. In some

War Crimes Tribunal sittings Photographs courtesy of Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and flickr.com

ways I was the right person at the right time to do the work and research that was necessary. Once we started, it was a matter of ‘just keep going’. The law process can be very slow at times, but we just had to keep working towards the outcome we got. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR THE LEGAL FRATERNITY TO DO PRO BONO WORK? It is very important because the cost of litigation is ridiculously high. Lawyers should have a responsibility to do pro bono work whenever they can. Law is a service profession. You shouldn’t enter law just to make money. You should do it to help people. As a university lecturer, in some instances I feel I have more of a responsibility to do pro bono work as I have a salary and possibly more time than some barristers who are running their own businesses.

WHAT DOES THE REMAINDER OF 2012 AND BEYOND HOLD FOR YOU? I am coaching the Bond moot team again. We won in 2009 and 2011 and will compete again this year in The Hague. I’d like to do more legal work, but I have a family (wife Erin is a commercial law barrister and there are five children aged two to 17) and I’m trying to finish a doctorate, so any plans in that area are more likely to be in the medium to long term. That said, I’ve got a few domestic pro bono cases bubbling along. Thankfully, some Bond students are working on them with me. WHAT’S THE SECRET TO SUCCESSFULLY JUGGLING A LAW CAREER, LECTURING AND A FAMILY? Lots of coffee. Actually, I’m not sure I do make it work. I just attempt to keep as many balls in the air as possible. If you drop one, you’ve just got to pick it up and go again.

Winter 2012

25


Campus

BOND UNIVERSITY GOLD COAST RACE DAY More than 300 alumni, students, staff and friends gathered at the Gold Coast Turf Club for the annual Bond University Race Day in March.

It is very rare that outside of the classroom, students, staff and members of the wider community are brought together. Race Day did precisely this in a fun and exciting social setting. Matthew McLean , Current Student

This year’s Race Day was one to be remembered. It was great to see so many attend providing the opportunity to catch up with all our old classmates and welcome new. I look forward to next years - the bar has been set! Samuel Elderfield, Alumnus

26

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

Winter 2012

27


Feature LAUGHTER MAY be the best medicine but for Bond University’s Professor Paul Glasziou an even better remedy might not involve a medicine at all. Professor Glasziou believes too many doctors have become conditioned to writing prescription drug scripts for their ailing patients because pharmaceutical companies have done an excellent job in educating the GPs about what medications are now available. He laments that there is not a similar broad understanding of non-drug therapies and hopes his research will help highlight alternative treatments for the sick. Professor Glasziou, a practising GP who joined Bond University last year, recently returned from Oxford University where he is collaborating with the College of GPs on a comprehensive handbook that he hopes will help doctors and their patients to better understand the health benefits of nondrug therapies, and make them easier to “prescribe”.

GETTINGBETTER with non-drug therapies

He says the book is a compendium of effective and trialled interventions. Examples include the “Epley” procedure for dizziness, “bibliotherapy” for depression, and physical exercise for a range of chronic illnesses. Professor Glasziou admits he has taken on a considerable challenge in advocating that some sick people should exercise. But his research consistently supports his strong and unwavering stance on the issue. “We all think about exercise as a good thing, but we think about it as something that keeps young people healthy and prevents the onset of disease,” he says. “That’s important, but so too is exercise for people who already have some illness.”

A Bond University researcher wants doctors to take more time considering possible alternative treatments for the sick before they prescribe drugs.

Professor Glasziou believes patients with heart failure, chronic obstructive airways disease, and osteoarthritis, as well as those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), could benefit from regular, controlled exercise. He cites trials that have shown a reduction in mortality rates, reduced re-hospitalisation, relief from symptoms and an overall improved quality of life for patients who exercise, especially those who had experienced heart disease. “If these alternative therapies were a new drugs treatment, there would be

28

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

advertisements in all the medical journals,” he says. Professor Glasziou says that while exercise can be part of the treatment, overcoming any anxiety about exercise is equally important. “People with these complaints are often scared of exercise,” he says. “Trials show the exercise in these cases can be really effective. It is just incredibly underutilised.” When sick patients get out of breath they usually blame their disease, but their limited activity has just made them unfit, says Professor Glasziou. “I tell my patients with these conditions that they have to get out of breath at least once a day. Unless they pant, they will continue to remain unfit,” he says. During his time at Oxford University, Professor Glasziou pooled data with other non-drug therapy experts to gauge any commonality among their exercise treatments for CFS. Controlled and graded exercise emerged as a popular approach. “With graded exercise, patients regularly increase what they are doing by around 20 per cent every two weeks. That might just mean walking for six minutes instead of five, but to persist is crucial,” says Professor Glasziou. “Patients are encouraged to ignore how tired they feel, because initial tiredness is actually a false indicator of how much is going on in your body.” “Put simply, exercise results in more happy patients,” says Professor Glasziou. Professor Glasziou has also recently received additional funding to assist his research. He was granted $4.2 million over five years as a National Health and Medical Research Council fellowship to continue his evidencebased medical research in Australia. An additional $8.2 million has been presented by the Council to Bond University to work with the University of Sydney collaboratively on research into whether, when and how to use medical tests.

Professor Paul Glasziou

SUCCESS WITH EPLEY Professor Glasziou is an advocate on non-drug treatments such as the Epley maneuver as an alternative treatment for some causes of dizziness. He says benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a reasonably common complaint that produces recurring dizziness. “It’s like a little grain of sand in your inner ear that disturbs the hairs there. When you move, your head and the grain move and you feel wonky and dizzy,” explains Professor Glasziou. The Epley maneuver (also known as the canalith repositioning maneuver) was developed by American Dr John Epley and first described in 1980. It involves rotating the head through three different positions about every 30 seconds. Trials show 70 per cent of patients with BPPV who are treated with the Epley maneuver are relieved of dizziness. However Professor Glasziou says around 80 per cent of BPPV sufferers are never offered the Epley maneuver as a possible treatment. “You don’t see ads in medical journals about the Epley maneuver,” he says. “If it was a drug to cure dizziness, it would have been widely promoted.’’ During his time working as a general practitioner in Oxford, Professor Glasziou urged other doctors to embrace and practise the Epley maneuver. “A lot of them believed that it worked because we went through the evidence,’’ he says. “But when they started to send patients to me and I said: ‘No, you should start to learn to do it yourself’. They lacked confidence in doing the procedure and had to be individually trained,” he says. Winter 2012

29


Campus Dr Patrick Corrigan

He has donated more than 50 works of art to brighten spaces around the Bond University campus. After a successful career in the freight industry, Dr Patrick Corrigan AM says he has found ‘fun’ in philanthropy and explains why it’s important to give back.

Art the

of giving

30

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

AS A CHILD, DR PATRICK CORRIGAN’S first collection was

a chest full of lead toy soldiers, mostly Scots, Irish, Welsh and Cold Stream guard regiments. Japanese guards took the collection when Dr Corrigan spent four years in a World War II intern camp in Hong Kong. After the war, his family moved to Australia where Dr Corrigan built a business empire that made him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. But he has never forgotten his humble roots and Bond University is among a number of institutions around the country that have benefitted from Dr Corrigan’s ongoing generosity. It’s hard to work out which he loves more – collecting or giving away. YOUR MOTTO IS “I LIKE TO ACHIEVE’’ AND YOU HAVE DONE THAT. YOU TURN 80 IN SEPTEMBER, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE? More of the same. I don’t see myself being anything that I’m not. I’m simply an Australian businessman who enjoys what I am doing and that’s gifting things to deserving organisations and people. If anything, I’d like to win the lottery and become a bigger benefactor and do something really spectacular. AS A VIRGO, YOU SAY YOU LOVE ORDER AND NEATNESS. HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED ON YOUR BUSINESS LIFE AND PASSION FOR COLLECTING? Neatness hasn’t affected things too much, but order is behind a lot of my collecting. For instance, when I put my book collection together [which he subsequently donated to the State Library of Queensland], some dealers are slow in advising what new books they had coming in. I would make a note to call some of them every Tuesday and Thursday to ask what had arrived or

what they had seen in the market. That’s where the order came in and gave me a bit of an edge over other collectors. YOU SAY YOU DON’T WANT TO BE THANKED FOR DONATING AND YOU DO IT BECAUSE IT’S FUN. AFTER 40 YEARS OF COLLECTING AND DONATING, IS IT HARDER OR EASIER TO MAINTAIN THE FUN? It’s easier. It’s becoming more fun, particularly in the involvement I have with Bond University, which actually is a triple involvement. I’m a donor of art to Bond University; I’m an arranger of donors to the university [his most recent success in that field is securing a gift of a work by Sydney sculptor John Nicholson]; and, I am involved in annual fund-raising for indigenous scholarships at Bond. I enjoy all of it. AT ANY STAGE OF YOUR LIFE HAVE YOU WISHED YOU HAD BEEN A SUCCESSFUL ARTIST? I’ve never had the urge to be a painter, but if I could have been anything, it would have been a successful musician. I would have loved to have been a good piano player or a trumpeter or even a singer, but I’ve just been a bit lazy or concentrated on other things and never got around to applying myself to those things. IT’S BEEN YOUR GOAL TO MAKE MORE ART ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE LEVEL OF INTEREST AND APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS AMONG AUSTRALIANS? The awareness has increased. For instance, a lot of people now discuss and debate the list of finalists for the Archibald Prize. I don’t think that would have happened on such a broad scale 20 or 30 years ago. There is a general greater awareness in art and in music as well. The only thing I dislike about increased awareness and participation in the arts these days is rap music.

WHY DID YOU CHOSE TO COLLECT POST-2000 INDIGENOUS ART? Aborigines only started painting on canvas around 1974, prior to that it was on bark or wood. There were 26 years of development in that kind of art but by the time the turn of the century came around I had found all that a little ho-hum. So I thought I would collect a little more specifically and that is why I decided to sell and give away what I had and just collect 21st-century pieces. I thought it would be a bit easier, but I’ve since found it’s quite prolific. I thought it would be compact but it hasn’t happened that way. To be honest, I sometimes wonder how much longer I will go on with it. If the Sheik of Qatar [who in February paid a world record US$250 million ($240.26 million) for Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players]offered me X dollars for my collection of 21st-century Aboriginal art, I’d probably accept it. And from that day on, I’d probably start collecting something else. YOU WERE MADE A MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA FOR SERVICE TO THE VISUAL ARTS AND PHILANTHROPY. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU? It means a lot to me actually [as Corrigan answers, he reverently touches the AM honour pin in his lapel]. I’m very rarely without this if I am wearing a jacket. The recognition of doing something for communities is very, very satisfying. YOU WERE A SELF-MADE SUCCESS, SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SUPPORT EMERGING ARTISTS WITH ANNUAL GRANTS? It’s more than important, it’s necessary, it’s needed. It doesn’t have to be big support and it’s probably better if the grants are spread across a lot of artists. It helps them advance their careers. It is a great thing to do.

Winter 2012

31


Campus LEVELS OF PHILANTHROPY IN AUSTRALIA ARE LOW COMPARED TO THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE. IS THAT A CULTURAL THING AND DO YOU SEE IT CHANGING? I can’t work that one out. Philanthropy is about nine times more in the US and Europe than here on a per capita basis. I headbutt different people and businesses in Australia to do more things and I keep trying to throw ideas to them all the time. But I just can’t explain why they don’t get involved. You get a tax deduction in

Australia for a donation over $2 so I don’t get why more people don’t give to charity. To be honest, at times it’s disappointing. ARE YOU HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU ACHIEVED SITTING ON THE COMMITTEE ON TAXATION INCENTIVES FOR THE ARTS? I’m proud of what I did in the short time I was there, but also disappointed they didn’t bring in a couple of suggestions of mine. [He cites in particular the absence in the legislation of a minimum value before

A MAGICAL MOMENT TO REMEMBER

an approved valuer needs to be involved.] I couldn’t understand all the extra paperwork they created. I would have liked the final incentive process to have been simplified and easier for donors to get involved in.

Dr Pat Corrigan doesn’t look like a jet-ski type of guy – but don’t dare tell him that.

WHAT DREW YOU TO SUPPORT BOND UNIVERSITY? It started when we were planning for our boys to go to university. [His son, Ryan, attended Bond.] Everything seemed so much more respectful at Bond than some other institutions. It was formality with an air of casualness. Everyone I have been involved with at Bond since then has been so approachable and easy to get on with.

The soon to be 80-year-old is the founder of the Gold Coast Jet Ski Club and doesn’t need much encouragement to espouse the benefits of the sport. “Riding jet skis was a fantastic way to bond with my boys,’’ he says. “It also helped them improve their driving, They are good drivers because they have been driving jet skis since the age of 13 (with a licensed driver on the back).’’

HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS STUDY OPPORTUNITIES, NOT ONLY AT BOND, BUT IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY? I’m 100 per cent behind it. It gives indigenous people a greater chance to join the larger community and I’ve seen it work. High achievers will emerge and that will be fantastic for them, their communities and the university.

Yumari 2000 Tjunkiya Napaltjarri

Alpita – Grass Seed Dreaming 2000 Gloria Tamerre Petyarre

32

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

A recent back operation has limited Dr Corrigan’s time on the water these days. But he still gets out for the family’s annual Christmas morning ride and participates in charity events, at which underprivileged children are treated to joy rides by club members. One of his biggest jet ski thrills was provided by one of the biggest names in motor sport.

WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE GOVERNMENTS TAKE IN IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS IN SOME INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES? I’m a bit of a supporter of what the government has done already [Dr Corrigan cites, as examples, the fully funded agedcare homes and hospitals he has visited in Darwin and Alice Springs.] I think the government doesn’t get full recognition for what it does.

Pride of place in Dr Corrigan’s many collections is a photograph of him scooting on his jet ski along the Broadwater toward Jumpinpin. He is flanked by triple Formula One champion Sir Jack Brabham and Brabham’s son Geoff (who is one of Dr Corrigan’s neighbours on the Gold Coast).

Alpita – Wildflowers 1995

YOU HAVE BEEN PAINTED MANY TIMES FOR ARCHIBALD PRIZE ENTRIES. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE INVOLVED AND IS THERE AN ARTIST YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIT FOR? It is satisfying because you are helping the artists advance their careers. Of all the paintings that have been done of me [around a dozen], I don’t have any. I have ensured all have been donated to various galleries or institutions, which also gives that artist an extra line on their CV. It’s all part of the fun process I enjoy about all this.

IN ADDITION TO COLLECTING, YOU LOVE SAILING AND MUSIC. WHAT DREW YOU TO THOSE INTERESTS? Living in Sydney and the Gold Coast, water sports are a big part of my life. I sailed on boats for 25 years but don’t do it now, particularly on the Gold Coast because there are too many sand banks in the Broadwater.

As far as another portrait … I’d like to be painted by Ben Quilty [who won the 2011 Archibald Prize]. But I’ve learned that artists don’t like to be approached. It’s a strange sort of process. You have to wait to be asked.

When I came to Australia in 1945 as a teenager, I heard the radio for the first time in years. It was all Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, [Woodrow] Woody Herman and Frank Sinatra. I got hooked on music and I haven’t stopped. It really galvanised my love of the arts which has continued through to today. It’s all fun and I hope it always will be.

“It was magical,’’ Dr Corrigan recalls. “Jack kept losing his cap and I kept having to go back and get it. Here was this motoring legend, and I was showing him the ropes. You never forget moments like that in your life.’’

Gloria Tamerre Petyarre Dr Pat Corrigan

As far as my love of music, that goes back a little further. During my time in the intern camp, there was very little music – no radio … only an old piano they used for inmate stage shows.

Winter 2012

33


Feature

BETWEEN A

ROCK AND A

IT’S HARD to understand the logic behind Morgan Parker’s decision to walk away from a lucrative career and put his life on the line.

hard place

He had repeatedly proven his sharp intellect and astute judgement – from his days as school captain at Brisbane Boys’ College, while attaining his law degree at Bond University in the early ’90s, and then by carving out a rich and rewarding career in the tough finance and property markets of Australia and Asia. Yet here was a 37-year-old, who by his own assessment was a “terrible two-wheeler’’, proposing to ride a powerful BMW motorcycle over 25,000km across some of the most difficult terrain on the planet. And, if he could raise any money during the trek, he would give it all away. For most, it’s a recipe for a reckless misadventure. But for someone as driven and passionate as Parker, it was the challenge he had been searching for all his life. “The idea of roaming the world on a motorbike just seemed the right thing to do at the time,’’ he says. “After working for 15 years, I had developed a new perspective on life. I became very interested in philanthropy. But I knew I had to do something more than just write a cheque or make a donation. “It is not just about handing over some cash to solve some of the world’s problems. We need to recognise that these issues belong to all of us and all of us need to do something about it.’’

Morgan Parker

Morgan Parker built a career as a successful finance and real estate executive but he wanted more from his life. He decided to attempt a gruelling 125-day motorbike ride across 10 countries. The 25,000km marathon raised funds for charity and challenged the limits of his own physical and mental strength.

34

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

Parker says his business dealings with some of the wealthiest people in the Asia-Pacific region had opened his eyes to an enormous amount of latent capital “sitting on the sidelines’’. Having been inspired by the Ewen McGregor-Charley Boorman TV documentary Long Way Round which featured a bike journey across eastern Europe and North America, Parker decided to ride through South-East Asian countries as a way of highlighting social issues that were desperately in need of financial support.

“I figured that if I could put a focus on some of these issues and explain them a little better, I might be able to get involved those who hold the purse strings to that latent capital,’’ he says. Parker says he’s not suggesting that everyone should jump on a bike and do a charity ride. “I just want to encourage others to think about ways they could leverage whatever skills and attributes they have towards some greater community good,’’ he says. Parker took a tough route to achieve that goal. After nearly two years of planning and only a few months of bike-riding practice under his belt – thanks to a group of close friends who were determined to do everything

I just want to encourage others to think about ways they could leverage whatever skills and attributes they have towards some greater community good.

possible to prevent the novice rider crashing and killing himself – Parker set off from Hong Kong on March 1, 2011, headed for his hometown of Brisbane. Flying the banner of his new philanthropic entity, Wheel2Wheel, Parker navigated his way across China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and East Timor before a dusty final leg across the Australian outback and then on to a hero’s welcome in Brisbane. In each country he identified a project in need of support and gave them his time, attention and whatever financial support he could raise locally and internationally. “We spent several years examining more than 350 charities and whittled that down to 10,’’ says Parker.

“We went looking for grassroots organisations that with a little bit of help could do much more. “We wanted organisations that had proven to be efficient with the support they had been given previously and organisations that had a passionate group of leaders who really connected with people. “That was so important because at the heart of all these issues are people.’’ Parker decided riding through different regions would be a way to connect with communities and feel firsthand the issues that affected their lives. “Travelling on a motorbike is so much different to travelling in a car, a bus or an aeroplane, because you viscerally connect to what you are doing and all your senses are heightened,’’ he says. “In a car you are sealed in, maybe listening to the radio with the air-conditioning on. I was out there feeling the climate, feeling the environment. I was feeling the people watch me as I went past. “It was a great way to travel and really get a sense of what was going on.’’ That was on the good days. There were plenty of other times when Parker was far less philosophical and his life was seriously threatened on the weathered, winding and often narrow roads of South-East Asia. “Roads through Asia are the lifeblood of their economies. People live on these roads in buses, trucks and carts. They are out there with chickens, goats, horses and anything else they own. It can be very dangerous,’’ says Parker. His worst day came just 16 days into the trek. Parker found himself on a steep mountain road in Laos. It had been raining for several weeks and was unseasonably cold – an ambient temperature of below zero. The clay base road had turned into a giant glue-stick of red mud. The plan had been to ride 150km that day. “I was on that road for 15 hours and dropped the bike more than 40 times,’’ recalls Parker.

Winter 2012

35


Feature

As a parent, your perception of the world changes. You are able to find a wider, broader and longer horizon to your thinking.

Aria joined her father on several stages of the trek. Parker believes the exposure to how other children live will help her shape her own views on life. “The speed of information today means kids grow up very quickly without anything more than a superficial knowledge of a lot of topics. I think it was important for Aria to understand some of the obstacles other kids still have growing up in the world today,’’ he says. In a bid to remove some of those obstacles, Parker and Wheel2Wheel have already donated nearly $300,000 to the 10 charities identified in his marathon trek.

“One car slipped off the cliff behind me and two four-wheel drives with my film crew couldn’t make it.

people who had shown so much support for me,’’ he says

“I’ve lost a way of life which is terrifying to some and terrifying to me at different points, but you adjust. Humans are incredible at adjusting,’’ he says. “I’ve lost friends and people who used to be part of my life and whom I would love to continue to be part of my life. “I was the goodtime guy whose life was a bit of party. Now I am focussed on the philanthropic side of life and that’s confronting to some people who have not yet found a way to be involved in the community.’’ Parker says he sees his future clearly now. “Philanthropy and adventure is at the core of who I am and who I want to be,’’ he says.

Projects funded so far include a school for 300 children in Laos, an online environmental education platform in China, HIV orphange in Thailand, and a training restaurant in Cambodia. Parker concedes that raising money was the hardest part of the project.

“I want it to continue in parallel with having a professional career because after all, we all need money to survive. But when I return to work in the future, it will be with a different purpose in life.

“I was battered and bruised, but I had to walk 2km in the end to find somewhere to sleep. By that time, I had only made it to what was originally going to be the halfway lunchtime point.’’ Parker says the experience helped him drill into new regions of his personality and character.

“If one thing caused me to change directions in my life, it would be Aria,’’ says Parker.

“It’s difficult to raise money because there is too much noise in the world today, too much chatter online, in the media and through social networks. A lot of people have become disillusioned with charity.’’

“I discovered I was capable of more than I thought. I wouldn’t say it was an inner strength that kept me going but there was a determination to deliver to those other

“As a parent, your perception of the world changes. You are able to find a wider, broader and longer horizon to your thinking.’’

As difficult as it may be, Parker is not deterred – even though he says his change of lifestyle and objectives has cost him friends.

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

r A ri a

He hopes to eventually raise more than $1 million.

Someone he thought about during those testing times was daughter Aria, now nine. Becoming a dad was one of the forces that started Parker to think about what he was getting out of – and giving back – to life.

36

a u gh te M or ga n Pa rk er w it h d

“I knew it was going to be difficult, and even knowing that, I still think I underestimated how difficult it was going to be,’’ he says.

“It won’t be about accumulating possessions or increasing personal wealth. It will be very much about doing what I need to do to support my family, and what is superfluous to our needs will be given away. “Not everyone can be a humanitarian hero, and I don’t see myself as one. “My part in this story is to help others find the spotlight and point it in their direction. I hope the challenge I put myself through will garner enough attention so people will see beyond the expedition and begin thinking about what they can do, in their own way, to help.’’

INDIA IS THE NEXT CHALLENGE One thing Morgan Parker learned from riding for 125-days from Hong Kong to Australia, across 10 countries and 25,000km, was not to get ahead of himself. He is reluctant to talk too much about his next challenge when so much work remains to be done before delivering what was promised on his current project. But he reveals he has a growing interest in India and could head there in late 2014. “I’d like to do another motorbike journey, and I like the idea of

travelling through the very diverse landscapes of India,’’ he says. Parker believes an environmental issue, which he declines to identify right now, has been developing in India as a consequence of rapid economic development. “The economic miracle of India is happening, but when you have rapid economic change there are often adverse consequences socially and environmentally. I want to focus on the environmental impact of this rapid growth and the sudden change in affluence.’’

TV DOCUMENTARY ON THE WAY A ten episode TV series on Morgan Parker’s ride for charity will premiere on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday 26 August 2012.

through a book to be launched in conjunction with the television series. But that is proving almost as challenging as the charity ride.

Each episode will feature one of the 10 countries and 10 charities linked to Parker’s ride. He’s also halfway

“I am painfully slow at writing. I may be even worse at that than I am at riding a bike.’’

Winter 2012

37


Careers

REMOTE

CONTROL

HOW DO GRADUATES INTERESTED IN A CAREER CONNECTED TO AN ASPECT ASSOCIATED WITH THE MINING BOOM ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO BEST POSITION THEMSELVES FOR AN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY? Research is the key. I strongly advise that individuals considering opportunities in remote locations undertake extensive research to equip themselves with the knowledge and confidence to seek employment.

How to create your own career boom

Employment opportunities abound in the various mining and gas extraction operations across Australia. But some jobs require relocation to remote and regional areas of the country. Unless you are prepared, it can be a confronting change after years of study on the beautiful Gold Coast.

AMY EZZY is Acting General Manager of the Career Development Centre at Bond University. Here’s her advice for those considering a career path that might take them to remote parts of the country: WITH A RESOURCE BOOM UNDERWAY IN PARTS OF QUEENSLAND AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA, HAVE YOU SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES CONSIDERING CAREERS IN THIS FIELD? Graduates are certainly starting to recognise the opportunities available to them in remote locations. With mining being such an influential industry in Australia, and particularly in Queensland, it is not surprising that organisations within this sector offer extensive career

38

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

and professional growth opportunities which compete with some of the best organisations in the world. With an increasingly competitive job market, students are recognising the professional benefits that may align with a ‘tree-change’. WHAT KINDS OF JOBS ARE AVAILABLE FOR GRADUATES IN THE MINING AND RESOURCES SECTORS? Opportunities are available for both recent graduates and experienced professionals across a wide range of business units. We currently have a recent graduate completing a graduate program within the HR department of a well-known multinational resource company. Graduate programs offer our graduates the opportunity to experience varying aspects of the business, while receiving intensive

ARE YOU SEEING AN INCREASE IN DEMAND FROM RESOURCE COMPANIES THAT TYPICALLY OPERATE IN REMOTE AND REGIONAL AREAS WANTING TOPQUALITY GRADUATES? The Career Development Centre has strong relationships with many organisations aligned with this sector. These employers regularly promote their opportunities to our students and graduates via our online careers and employment portal CareerHub and through attendance at Careers Fairs. While many students assume that engineering degree holders have the only opportunities in these areas, this is certainly not the case. Employers in these remote areas are seeking both graduates and professionals across all aspects of their business.

training, support and mentoring. They provide a great entry point for graduates within this industry and have the potential to be the gateway to an exciting career within one of Australia’s key industries. For those experienced alumni looking to secure employment in this sector, I advise connecting with industry and establishing a strategy for making the transition. While these opportunities are generally managed by the organisations themselves or specialist recruitment agencies, it is essential that alumni seeking to secure employment in this sector develop relationships and establish contacts to tap into the hidden job market. It is also beneficial for alumni who do not have experience in this industry to identify and sell their relevant transferable skills.

Identify who the key players are in these areas, what opportunities they offer and how they recruit. I would also advise speaking with someone who is already working within this area to gain further insight into the industry and opportunities available. If someone is lucky enough to secure an interview with their preferred employer, this may give them the opportunity to explore the location. I would advise spending a few extra days in the location getting the lay of the land to see if they really do want to work there.

People face a number of challenges whenever they change location, regardless of whether it was from the Gold Coast to Sydney or the Gold Coast to Mackay. Not only will individuals face professional challenges through the change of job, but they will also have to adapt to life without their family and friends support network. Relocation affects people in very different ways. It is important that individuals recognise areas in which they may struggle. They can then take steps to minimise the effect this could have on their ability to adjust. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO MAINTAIN A PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE AND STRONG WORK ETHIC IN REMOTE AREAS WHERE SOME STANDARDS MAY BE FAR DIFFERENT FROM A CITY-BASED CORPORATE LIFESTYLE? The key to this is knowing your audience! Ensuring you have a clear and realistic understanding of your working environment will make determining what is appropriate to wear and what isn’t easier. Perhaps six-inch heels aren’t appropriate if undertaking onsite visits. While the ‘corporate’ image may not be required in some more remote or regional areas, maintaining a professional style is. Consider your personal brand and how you want people to perceive you. WHAT TIPS OR ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS UNDERTAKING A MAJOR LIFESTYLE CHANGE AFTER GRADUATING? Be prepared – do your research! Ensure that you are willing to adjust to the different lifestyle and that you have considered the challenges you will face and how you will manage these.

Amy Ezzy

The key to this is knowing your audience! Ensuring you have a clear and realistic understanding of your working environment will make determining what is appropriate to wear and what isn’t easier.

The team in the Career Development Centre is also happy to assist graduates and alumni in their quest for further information and the development of a strategy through one-on-one consultations and ongoing support.

Get involved – connect with your local community, sport teams or other clubs that you have an interest in. This will enable you to meet new people, develop a support network and connect with the community. Engage with your alumni. The Bond Alumni network is rather remarkable and you may be able to connect with a ‘Bondy’ in the same region.

The Career Development Centre can offer Bond Alumni a range of services to assist in their employment goals. Qualified careers staff can assist graduates and alumni with exploring career options, providing support with applications or managing career transition and change. Alumni are also welcome to attend any training workshops offered by the CDC each semester. Workshops of interest may be career planning and applications.

WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS MIGHT GRADUATES EXPERIENCE IF THEY ARE REQUIRED TO RELOCATE TO A REMOTE AREA, PARTICULARLY AFTER SEVERAL YEARS ON THE GOLD COAST?

WHAT SUPPORT, RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS CAN THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE PROVIDE THOSE WHO MOVE AWAY FROM FAMILIAR TERRITORY?

The Centre also offers alumni access to a range of careers resources, employer information and opportunities to connect with industry via CareerHub, employer marketing materials and on-campus events. Winter 2012

39


Campus

Grass can be greener in regional towns WORKING IN A SMALL TOWN on the coalface of Queensland’s

Emma Brinkman in Emerald

mining boom has helped Emma Brinkman discover a true connection between quality of life and job satisfaction.

Hopes are high that a simple message can help deliver more than $150,000 in vital funding for Bond students

After moving from lush Tasmania to the sunny Gold Coast to study, her home now is the Central Queensland town of Emerald, about 400km inland from Rockhampton.

THE FOCUS of the 2012 Annual Fund

The area is at the centre of the State’s coalmining boom. Seasonal rain has left the surrounds green right now, but dust is the usual currency in this sparse region. Brinkman, 22, graduated from Bond last year, with degrees in business and law. In February, she took a job as a Graduate Advisor (Human Resources) with resource giant BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance. She chose to develop a career path in human resources within mining because she had found that part of the industry the most interesting during her studies. Although there is a housing shortage in Emerald, Brinkman has been provided accommodation by her employer. But it’s still an hour’s drive to her job site at the mine outside of the town. That means a far more remote lifestyle than anything she imagined while studying on the Gold Coast. But Brinkman is enjoying every minute of her own ‘tree-change’. “I knew it was just a matter of adjusting and my job satisfaction has played a big role in doing that,’’ she says. “We may not have big nightclubs, and cool restaurants to hang out at, but we make do with our limited entertainment, which helps to save money, too. “Sometimes on the weekends, I travel with friends I made in the graduate program to neighbouring towns to meet more graduates working in other mining areas. “We hang out, have a couple of drinks, play netball, watch movies and have barbecues. If I was in the city, I would be earning less and spending more.”

40

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

Show your SUPPORT is to raise funds to directly support Bond students as they strive for excellence in their studies says Brett Walker, Director of Development and External Relations.

She says working in a mining area allows her to interact with workers onsite and learn the company business, which is core for her area of work.

Brinkman approached the University’s Career Development Centre (CDC) for advice on her resume and interview preparations.

“I’ve worked with operators, supervisors and mentors, and they are very helpful when it comes to my personal development,’’ she says.

“I found it useful,” she says.

Brinkman says preparation was the key to helping her secure the career opportunity and successfully coping with the relocation. “When I was doing my undergraduate studies for four years at Bond, I was exposed to a variety of subject areas in the business and law areas,” she says. “I picked my two interests, paired them together, and decided to work towards my goal. I saw huge potential for growth in the mining area as there was a skills shortage.” With this in mind, she was determined to land herself a stable job before graduation. Brinkman joined BHP’s summer vacation program in 2010- 2011, which became a huge stepping stone for her career. “I applied for a position in the company’s graduate program and I was pretty nervous about my application,” she says.

The CDC is a division charged with developing key employer contacts, and liaising with students and alumni to provide career planning direction. The Centre’s Acting General Manager Amy Ezzy says more graduates are starting to recognise the early career opportunities available in remote locations.

The appeal message for this year’s campaign is simple – Giving for Tomorrow’s Education. “The programs funded by the appeal reinforce and highlight how alumni gifts, and gifts from members of the Bond community, are making a real and immediate difference to the lives and aspirations of students at Bond,’’ Walker says. A donation to the Annual Fund is a way for alumni and friends of Bond to show their personal commitment and make a real difference to their University and the educational experience of students.

Organisations within this industry offer extensive professional growth. Ezzy says it has become such an influential industry in Australia and particularly in Queensland.

Walker says each student who benefits from a funding initiative will receive materials which will highlight they have benefitted from the generosity and support of Bond alumni and our community.

“Students are recognising the professsional benefits that come with working in more remote areas,” she says.

“It is important the recipients of any funding understand the process that delivered that support,’’ says Walker.

“Graduate programs offer the opportunity to experience varying aspects of the business while receiving intensive training, support and mentoring.

The 2012 Annual Fund will be segmented into three categories. They are: Student Experience, Research Grants and Building Fund.

“They provide a great entry point for graduates within this industry and have the potential to be the gateway to an exciting career within one of Australia’s key industries, the mining sector.”

STUDENT EXPERIENCE Student Opportunity Fund – These funds have been set aside for students who are seeking support for activities that will

enhance their learning and employment opportunities. Elite Athlete Fund – Bond has established a small fund to support elite athletes studying at Bond with travel and equipment to actively participate in competitions. Academic Support Fund Textbook Bursaries (120 x $250): Forty textbook vouchers per semester will be available for students to apply for to assist with their studies. Laptop Bursaries (30 x $500): The Academic Support Fund will provide grants of $500 to assist students to purchase a laptop. It is not expected that the grants will fully fund the purchase but will greatly assist the student to undertake a purchase of their own. Bond Alumni Scholarships The Scholarship assists outstanding Bond University alumni by providing financial support that will enable them to undertake postgraduate study at the world’s finest universities, appropriate to their field of study.

RESEARCH GRANTS Higher Degree Research Students Assistance Grants – To provide assistance to HDR students, it is planned to make two $5000 grants which students can apply for and use to support their studies through the purchase of textbooks, travel to conferences, or general assistance with living costs. Academic Research Grants – In support of Bond’s increasing focus on research, the Annual Fund will once again support the provision of academic research grants

to enable innovative research ideas to be developed to the point where they become attractive to external funders.

BUILDING FUND Research Institute – Plans are underway to further enhance research at Bond through the establishment of the Bond University Research Institute to support the growing HDR and academic research focus of the University. Sporting Precinct Redevelopment – Bond is embarking on a redevelopment of its sporting fields and facilities. This involves reconfiguring the grounds to accommodate international standard fields for rugby and football (soccer), cricket and Australian football under lights. A 1200-seat stadium will also be constructed to attract spectators and create an exciting atmosphere for both players and spectators.

MAKE A GIFT TO BOND • Visit www.bond.edu.au/make-a-gift to donate online • Email the Office of Development & External Relations at development@ bond.edu.au to request a donation form • Call the Office of Development & External Relations on +61 7 5595 4403 to make a donation over the phone • Or post you donation to: Office of Development & External Relations, University Drive, Bond University, QLD 4229

Winter 2012

41


Alumni

Photography Competition

Class

NOTES

Sometimes it’s hard to stay in touch, particularly when friends are scattered around the world. Here’s what some fellow Bondies have been up to since they graduated, grouped according to Alumni Year

1989

1991 Rikki McDonald majored in psychology, criminology and film and television. She and her partner have bought a caravan park an hour from the Gold Coast and have turned it into a destination for mind, body and spirit enthusiasts.

1992

VISIT www.alumni.bond.edu.au/photo-comp to upload your photos!

All entries must be submitted between June 1 and July 31 2012.

Get on board with our photo competition and snap your way to brilliant prizes.

Jonathan Sherlock (above) lives in St Leonards (NSW) and works in a familyowned financial planning company. He completed a double degree of a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws and now specialises in corporate super and risk insurance. He is on the board of the Corporate Super Specialist Alliance. Jon Hui has operated a Bank of Queensland franchise for seven years. He lives in Brisbane and has just started training in Muay Thai boxing.

1990

Whether you’re a professional photographer, a budding amateur or just a happy snapper... we want to hear from you! Just submit a photo of yourself at any iconic location where you live, upload to the website or email it to us at alumni@bond.edu.au. All entries will be in the running to win one of 10 vouchers to the value of $100 for The Bond Shop [http://www.bondspc.com.au/merchandise], where you can purchase all your Bondy merchandise needs.

Ayako Batoh completed Bachelor of Arts and returned to her hometown Miyakojima City in Japan where she runs a New Age shop.

All accepted entries will be displayed in the online gallery and some could even be selected for Bond University Alumni promotional material!

Karen Ridge studied commerce at Bond University. She launched her first business with a focus on food- and wine-themed holidays. She’s now back in her hometown of Mildura and has set up a second company in retail travel. She travels as much as possible to research ways of expanding her businesses.

Be sure to read the terms and conditions before entering. Before uploading your photos, make sure your family and friends in the photo are happy for you to enter it into the competition, and for us to potentially publish it. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Entries: Entrants must submit the photograph as a digital JPEG file by midnight (23:59 AEST) 31st July 2012. Image must be a minimum size of 500KB and a maximum size of 5MB. Images must have been photographed by the entrant and must not contain inappropriate content. Images must not be digitally manipulated. No images supplied in hard copy will be accepted. All entries must include your full name, email address and contact number. Bond will contact winners by 10th August 2012 by phone and/or email. Use of Photos: www.alumni.bond.edu.au By submitting a photograph as part of the competition, entrants agree that if they are chosen as a finalist or winner, Bond University can use their photo in Bond University Alumni promotions and advertising worldwide for 3 years.

42

Nicole Phillips is the Head of Legal Matters at Al Salam Investment Bank in Bahrain. She was recently shortlisted for the ILO Global Counsel Awards in New York. When not working, she is a busy mother and wife. Adam Hing completed a Bachelor of Laws and is Director at Control Risks, a global business risk consultancy. He specialises in corporate investigations and business intelligence gathering. He lives in Leichhardt (NSW).

Japan, five in America and six in Sydney. She now lives in Canberra and works at the Australian Electoral Commission. She also is currently planning her wedding. Jens Korf launched CreativeSpirits.info in 2000 – a website that details his travels in Australia since the completion of his Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology. In 2007, he included a segment on Aboriginal culture, which has attracted more than 2.4 million page views. The National Library of Australia last year recognised his website contribution ‘as an important component of the national documentary heritage’. Jen Storey is an Associate Editor of Anthill magazine, a publication for entrepreneurs. She is helping with the magazine’s search for Australia’s smartest inventions.

1995 1993 Shinobu Hattori is an Associate Professor who teaches Medical English at universities in Japan and hopes to see more Bond graduates find employment in her country. Scott McKay spent 10 years in Canada working for AltaVista and Yahoo. The Bachelor of Commerce graduate returned to Australia a few years ago and now works on social media matters for the Bing search engine.

1994 Bernadette Rose has travelled extensively since graduating. She spent two years in

David Beard graduated with a Master of Laws and Master of Business Administration. He worked in corporate legal counsel and company secretary roles at organisations, including the Australian Wheat Board, AXA and Westpac Bank. He is now a partner in a law firm in Auckland, New Zealand, where he specialises in commercial litigation.

1996 Alice Becker lives in Sydney and says her double degrees in information technology and commerce have assisted her as she establishes an IT solutions company called TrainTheCloud.

Winter 2012

43


Alumni 2004

Two roles for talented Maja IT WOULD BE fair to say Maja Coveney (left) is a hard act to follow. On weekdays she’s in court attire while on weekends it’s all about costumes. Coveney is a lawyer with Brisbane firm Ashurst, formerly known as Blake Dawson. “I am a commercial litigator in the insolvency division. Outside of my legal career, I work as an actress,” says Coveney, who graduated Bachelor of Laws from Bond in 2006.

Lyn Selby graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and now lives on the Sunshine Coast. She runs her own law firm, Selby Legal which specialises in family law.

Simona Gacina works in the fashion industry. After completing her Bachelor of Communications and Master of Business, she was State Manager for a Melbournebased fashion company. In 2005, she started her own clothing store and has now opened a second outlet in Tweed Heads. She also is a new mother and a bride-to-be.

1998

Michelle Anthony (above) is a Marketing Manager for Proactive Accountants Network, a Brisbane-based firm that focuses on content and technology to improve the accounting profession on a global basis. She says she is building networks to help businesses “get addicted to the thrills of success’’.

1997 Chindar Teo always dreamed of contributing to the United Nations. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, she is living the dream. She is currently completing a doctorate legal thesis on international bank insolvency law and has completed an internship with the United Nations (UN).

44

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

Fiona Robinson graduated with a Bachelor of Communications. She has worked in the film and television industry for DreamWorks, Miramax, SONY, NBC and ABC. Caroline Morgan survived eight European winters then decided to hit the road. She enjoyed an endless summer moving across Asia, Australia and the Americas before settling in New York. She is now Senior Marketing Manager at American Express’ global headquarters and has experienced two winters to date in the Big Apple.

1999 Nathan Gregory lives in Teneriffe in inner Brisbane after an amazing 10,000km solo motorbike adventure across Canada and the USA. He says it was a thrilling experience as he got close to killer whales, was attacked by a pit-bull terrier, accidentally camped on a missile test range

After leaving Bond, she worked as an Associate to the Senior Judge Administrator of the Supreme Court of Queensland for a year. She also attended a six-week acting program at the Neighbourhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York and studied acting in the Film and Television Studio International in Melbourne. Coveney has had roles in productions including Please Have a Seat and Someone Will Be with You Shortly and The Fall of the House of Usher.

to be woken up by the explosions; and nearly lost his motorbike in quick sand. He completed a Bachelor of Information Technology and now works as a digital network manager for an electricity provider. He says he is now planning his next adventure trip. Kaitlin McDonough is a Bachelor of International Relations graduate who lives in Wisconsin, in the US. She says the scenery is beautiful there but the cold winters make her long for Australia. She is a mother and a wife who works parttime for an engineering firm taking care of the company’s marketing, advertising and corporate matters, including professional engineer licensing.

2000 Asif Anwar lives in Lahore, Pakistan, where he works as a Partner in a law firm that provides integrated legal services in corporate and commercial, intellectual and industrial property, alternative dispute resolution and IT-related issues. He also provides immigration law advice to the German Embassy in Pakistan, covering issues including business matters, political asylum and student visas. Malavika Shekar has been working at JPMorgan in credit derivatives. She is a project manager on clearing initiatives which resulted from the Dodd-Frank Wall

Street reform bill signed by President Obama in 2010. She graduated with a Bachelor of Information Technology. Rudo Nonthando Chasakara graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and is now doing his Master of Business Administration in Germany. He also is learning to speak German and says it is more complicated than working out the most complex financial management question.

2010

Simon is paid to play

2001 John Holding has spent the past four years building his business, Think Nimble – a digital agency which focuses on strategy and content generation. He graduated with a Master of Information Technology and lives in Victoria. Ezmieralda Melissa works as a Lecturer in the Department of Communications and Public Relations at the Swiss German University in Indonesia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Business. Apart from lecturing on communication subjects, she is also an active member of The Association of Indonesian Translators (HPI). In her spare time, she enjoys travelling with her husband and two-year old son.

2002 David Radszuweit is Senior Project Manager working in Business Process Outsourcing in Sweden. He graduated with a Bachelor and Master degree in film and television. Eleanor Donovan is a General Manager for Goodstart Early Learning, a notfor-profit child-care organisation. She graduated with a Bachelor of Information Technology and a Bachelor of Commerce. Alan Pyke-Nott started an international sunglass web store called Eye-Candy after graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce. Payal Kakrania believes it really is a small world for Bondies. Her brother recently got engaged to a Bond student. Discussions revealed she had met his fiancée at Bond more than 10 years ago. She says, this connection has definitely made their relationship special and has created a stronger ‘bond’ between them.

LIFE IS ONE BIG game right

“I was eager to jumpstart my career.

now for Simon Lydiard – who graduated last year with a Bachelor of Computer Games.

The gaming market in Australia is fairly small and I was worried

Lydiard, 20, works at The Binary Mill at Robina on the Gold Coast. The independent video game developer has produced popular applications such as Mini Motor Racing, Gun Club 2, Fruit Boom and Assault Squadron.

be a challenge,” he says.

“The skills I acquired during my study have come in handy,’’ says Lydiard.

years of studying.’’

“At the moment I am coding the Mini Motor Racing game, which has become very popular in the Apple Store. It’s the number-one game application in South Korea.”

gaming enthusiasts and experienced

Lydiard secured his job just a few days before his final exams.

the moment I would like to become

2003 Beth Orchard is working for immigrant rights and wants to start a resource network connecting arts organisations and businesses to marginalised youth globally. She graduated with a Master of Criminology and lives in Illinois, the US. Demitri Douzenis married his Bond sweetheart Jessica (nee Trenzado) in 2006, following his graduation with a Master of Jurisprudence. They now live in Vancouver in Canada and have two children. Jessica is

getting a job in the industry would

“The feeling was amazing when I received a call back to commence work in 2012. I was one happy guy. It was a graduation gift for all the

Lydiard is working with a team of 20 developers and is striving to learn as much as he can. “I haven’t got a huge goal set yet, at good at what I do,” he says.

a Communications Consultant and Demitri is Head of Communications at the Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia. They look forward to making a family trip to the Gold Coast when the children get older.

2004 Sandra Vannoordt has spent the last six months establishing a psychology private practice. She graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Psychology.

Winter 2012

45


Alumni

David Sylvester graduated with a Juris Doctor and started his own law firm in Sydney. Business has progressed well and he says he is now looking to opening an office on the Gold Coast. Bryan McDade has been working as a counsellor and mental health worker for a non-government organisation since graduating. He is focused on a structured activities program where he assists people making the transition from hospital back into society. Later this year he will be presenting at a mental health conference highlighting his work in assisting members with smoking cessation through the use of peer support and the appropriate use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Liv Ask graduated with a degree in film and television and spent two months in the northern Norwegian snowy mountains for the film shoot of Dead Snow.

2005 Andrew Macdonald was selected for the Screen Queensland’s Writers Room program with his original feature film screenplay Wasted. After graduating with a Bachelor of Film and Television, he developed a short film, The Lonely Tomato, with QPIX in Brisbane. Andrew MacAlpine enjoys working in the current IT boom of cloud computing. He enjoys the flexible working conditions and has travelled to Las Vegas, San Francisco and Singapore for training and company activities. Lauren Hertel completed a Master of Laws at the University of Queensland after graduating from Bond. She also studied in Greece through a program run by Tulane University in the USA. She now works in public liability insurance at QBE.

2006 Jessica Kerr is currently working on the Victorian bushfire litigation at Norton Rose law firm in Melbourne. She was recently elected to the Law Institute of Victoria Council and the College of Law Board. She also tutors at St Mary’s College at Melbourne University where she is undertaking Master of Laws.

46

www.alumni.bond.edu.au

Krissy Macintosh spent 15 months at the Adelaide commercial law firm Cowell Clarke after graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of International Relations. She has recently accepted a job in the commercial team at Blake Dawson in Canberra. Sam Warriner moved to Brisbane after graduating. After a 12-month graduate placement at Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers, he was admitted in the Supreme Court of Queensland in July 2011. He is continuing to work as a Solicitor in Brisbane and has recently been elected as a member of the Future Directions Committee of the RNA as well as a Bond Alumni Brisbane Chapter representative. BJ Jumnadass graduated with a Master of Educational Practice and moved to Canada where he taught Year 5 and 6 students. He now lives in Doha, Qatar where he works as an English advisor for an independent state school. Vinicius Marino says he misses the Gold Coast and Bond environment now that he is back in Brazil. He graduated with a Bachelor of Film and Television and is currently working with 3D animation.

Meagan Dalby is using skills she learned in the World Trade Organisation class at Bond. After working as an investigator at the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, she accepted a position with the Canada Border Services Agency. Bec Parkinson edited a low-budget Gold Coast-made feature film which premiered at Screamfest film festival in Los Angeles (USA). She then moved to Sydney to work as an Assistant Editor on the Underbelly television series. She is now back in Brisbane working in a production company. Isobel Ewing flew to Uganda in Africa just 18 hours after finishing exams and worked as a volunteer in a rural hospital. After a month of delivering babies, scrubbing for surgeries and treating patients for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, she set out to explore Africa with three friends. They experienced white-water rafting on the Nile, spent Christmas Day with eight lions in the Serengeti and shed a tear at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro while watching the first sunrise of 2012. At the end of her trip, she was back in Australia with 19 hours remaining before her final year of medicine began.

2008 2007 Jacqueline Le Duc describes herself as an environmental activist who has worked in several interesting jobs including photographer on a cruise ship. She is on a year-long journey throughout South America and is currently in Cusco, Peru. She has plans to go to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia. She hopes at the end of her journey to be able to speak Spanish fluently. Robyn Boucher lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her boyfriend, Thomas Forr, who is also a Bond graduate. She works as an Article Clerk for an insurance defence litigation firm and hopes to be called to the Ontario Bar in June. The couple frequently travel to Forr’s hometown in Oslo, Norway. John Wires was called to the Ontario Bar in June last year and currently practises corporate commercial litigation at Wires Jolley LLP with his brother Mark who graduated from the Juris Doctor and MBA programs at Bond in 2011.

Dag Rod Hilland graduated with a Master of Sports Science. Hilland has been working for the University of Bergen’s sports laboratory doing endurance testing for athletes and recreational runners, cyclists and rowers. Angus Ledgerwood now lives in Los Angeles and is working on the new Kiefer Sutherland show Touch. He also has been involved in the production of American television shows Terra Nova, The West Wing and Parenthood. He is developing a comedy pilot based around the film industry. Toru Fukuda graduated with a Master of Business Administration and now lives in Japan. He has gained industry experience and help from other Bondies in Japan. They often hold sake ‘meetings’ together. Abdullah Al Riyami is a college lecturer in Oman. She is applying for a PhD, with Bond in mind, as she has already received a grant from her employer to study mass communication. She is married and expecting a baby mid-year.

2006

From print to PR for Kirsty AFTER THREE YEARS working as a journalist on the Gold Coast, Kirsty Noffke (above) moved to Sydney last year to pursue a career in public relations. “I worked as a police and court reporter with the Tweed Daily [which has since closed]. After three years of doing that, I decided I needed a change,” she says. “As soon as I moved to Sydney I got a job as Account Executive at Viva! Communications. It’s been a good learning experience.” Noffke says she recently I received an offer from Random House Books Australia. “I will be commencing work with them soon and look forward to taking my career to the next stage,’’ she says.

Marjolaine Madore is a District Executive for the Daniel Webster Council Boy Scouts of America. She coordinates 900 adult volunteers to facilitate program, marketing, fundraising and community outreach in her district which includes 22 towns on the New Hampshire coastline.

2009 Joanna Paluszkiewicz took some time off after graduating with a Juris Doctor degree. She explored northern Australia and then

took a month-long European trip with her sister. She now works with a personal injury law firm in Toronto. Kristina Costalos drove to Darwin (NT) soon after completing her final exam to start her first job as a Journalist with the Nine Network. She has reported on many topical issues including US President Barack Obama’s visit to Darwin, the damage caused by cyclones Carlos and Grant, the World Solar Car Challenge and a welcome home parade for 1200 Australian Diggers. She also reads afternoon hourly news updates. Susan Mosejczuk went on to finish her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She is now a Member Relations Coordinator in the membership and sponsorship department at the Clinton Global Initiative. Ricky Macourt started work in February as a Policy Graduate with the Department of Foreign Affairs and is currently busy writing his second novel. His first publication was short story for children called Jali Boy. Renee Hoare moved to Dalby last year to start the Western Downs counselling project for Lifeline. In May this year, she is marrying her fiancé in the United Kingdom. Sergey Makeev was recently promoted to the position of Vice-President of the VTB Capital bank, one of the largest banks in Eastern Europe. Last year, he married Ekaterina and they are now expecting their first baby. This year, he is planning to spend his holidays in Australia and intends to visit Bond University. Julian Reder graduated with a Master of International Relations. He is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. Research interests include foreign policy analysis and decision-making, with a particular focus on modern Russia. Previously, he attended the United Nations University’s Worldview Institute of International Affairs, where he completed executive training under the tutelage of the United Nations diplomatic community. Eric Brekher graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts (USA) after doing a semester at Bond. He has since started his own online marketing

consulting company – Big Happy Media. He says he still thinks regularly about the Arch.

2010 John Wood lives in Townsville in north Queensland. He completed his Master of Business Administration and a year ago was appointed as CEO of automotive and agricultural machinery business Honeycombes Sales and Service. Peiling Kong graduated with a Graduate Diploma of Psychology and has completed an internship at the Centre of Cognitive Sciences, published two manuscripts and presented papers at conferences on female athletes and eating disorders. Patrick Kessler went back to Germany to start an internship in the communications department of Bombardier Transportation after graduating with a Master of Arts. After the internship he was offered an assistant position and, six months later, took over as Head of Internal Communications of the Hennigsdorf plant, which has about 3000 employees. He is now in charge of all communications onsite including media relations and hosting customer visits.

2011 Christopher McIntyre has recently been offered a job as a Provisional Psychologist at Brisbane women’s prison. His plan is to do two years of supervision, which will qualify him to obtain general registration.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE AND CAREER? Let us know

what’s happening in your life so we can tell your fellow Bondies in the next issue of the ARCH. Email alumni@bond.edu.au with Class Notes in the subject line.

Winter 2012

47


reunite

SAVE THE DATE

Join us at Bond’s premier alumni events for 2012. Tickets on sale Friday, June 1. Brisbane Annual

Melbourne Annual

Sydney Annual

Saturday, July 28, 2012 7pm – 11pm

Saturday, August 4, 2012 7pm – 11pm

Saturday, August 18, 2012 7pm – 12am

The Stamford Plaza Corner Margaret and Edward Streets Brisbane QLD 4000

Eureka 89 Level 89 Eureka Tower, 7 Riverside Quay Southbank VIC 3006

Opera Point Marquee Sydney Opera House Bennelong Point Sydney NSW 2000

For further information, please contact Jessica Hannant, Events Coordinator at jhannant@bond.edu.au or phone 07 5595 3387.

www.alumni.bond.edu.au/alumni-annuals


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.