Appreciating Culture 2013 by ST Spyridon College

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

The 5th Appreciating Culture Lecture Held in the SPORTS AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE (SPACe) On 20th August 2013

“In the Eye of the Beholder” By

Professor Frederick G Hilmer AO President and Vice Chancellor UNSW

APPRECIATING CULTURE

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE

APPRECIATING APPRECIATINGCULTURE CULTURE LECTURE A P P R E C I AT I N G C U LT U R E L E C T U R E S 2 0 0 3 - 2 0 1 3

2013

Professor Frederick G Hilmer AO President and Vice Chancellor UNSW

In the Eye of the Beholder

2011

The Hon. Peter Garrett MP Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth

The Power of Music in Education

2008

The Hon. John Hatzistergos BEc LLM MLC Attorney General of NSW and Minister for Justice and Industrial Relations

Federation and Culture-reflections on the Australian Constitution

2005

His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia

Priorities in True Culture

2003

Professor Gavin Brown Vice Chancellor University of Sydney

The Case for Universities in a Civilised Society

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE CONTENTS

PROGRAM..................................................................................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION TO THE LECTURES .............................................................................................. 9 Mrs A. Katsogiannis, Principal Senior School INTRODUCTION TO THE SPEAKER .............................................................................................. 10 Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag, Head of College LECTURE...................................................................................................................................... 12 “In the Eye of the Beholder” Professor Fredereick G Hilmer AO, President and Vice Chancellor UNSW

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 19

Photo Gallery .............................................................................................................................. 20

Guest List .................................................................................................................................... 35

APPRECIATING CULTURE CULTURE LECTURE APPRECIATING

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE PROGRAM

APPRECIATING CULTURE LECTURE 2013 Sports & Performing Arts Centre (SPACe) Tuesday 20th August 2013 7.00pm

Registration

7.10pm

Welcome & Introduction to Art Exhibition: Mrs A. Katsogiannis, Principal Senior School

7.15pm

Introduction to Lecture & Speaker: Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag, Head of College

7.20pm

Lecture: Professor Frederick G. Hilmer AO - “In the Eye of the Beholder”

8.10pm

Vote of Thanks Bishop Iakovos of Militoupolis

8.15pm

Presentations Refreshments - prepared by Food Technology students Cocktails provided by the P&F Committee

APPRECIATING APPRECIATING CULTURE CULTURE LECTURE A N I N T R O D U C T I O N TO T H E L E C T U R E S Mrs Katsogiannis MC Welcome and acknowledgements On behalf of Mrs. Stefanou, Head of St Spyridon College, I welcome you to the fifth in a whole series of lectures under the title Appreciating Culture. I would like to acknowledge the presence of the following guests: His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, representing His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia His Grace Bishop Irinej, Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand Professor Frederick G Hilmer AO, President and Vice Chancellor University of New South Wales Very Reverend Father Steven Scoutas The Hon Vasilios Tolios, Consul General of Greece Mrs Dora Toumanidou-Tolios, Patron of the 2013 Arts Exhibition, Vice Consul of the Consulate General of Greece Mrs Sue Mayson, Parish President We have combined the Lecture with the Arts Exhibition so that our friends can see a snapshot of the area of the curriculum that cultivates creativity and imagination. The theme this year has been « Τα Πάντα Ρει» “Everything Flows”. We thank Mrs Dora Toumanidou- Tolios, Vice Consul for being the Patron of the exhibition. We congratulate the curators of this year’s exhibition Mr Peter Wennersten of Icon Innovations, Ms Mariclaire Pringle our Visual Arts Specialist, and Ms Danielle McCarthy Stage 3 Coordinator JS on an outstanding event. We have artwork from our students from Years 5 to 11. Along with visiting Artists: Willi Michalski – Willi Michalski’s career as a potter has been highlighted by many exhibitions, including one-man solo shows. His works are represented in public collections in Australia. Willi has taught classes for the past thirty years and runs workshops specialising in wheel throwing and sculpturing techniques. He was the overall winner of the 2013 Port Hacking Potters Award. Dr Thomas Savoulis – a long time member of the Parish and Board of Governors. A physician with a love of the creative arts. He has displayed his art work at previous exhibitions as well as in Rhodes Greece. 8

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE A N I N T R O D U C T I O N TO T H E L E C T U R E S

Karen Barbouttis – has worked as a cartoon animator and in concept art creating and designing for companies such as Harveytoons, Warner Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. She has worked in book illustration with one of her collaborations resulting in a series of books that made the best-selling lists across Australia. In 2011, Karen’s work was the winner of the Adelaide Perry prize for Drawing. To quote Karen: “I draw what I see. The relationship of line, space and place creates the dialogue that I choose to communicate with the viewer of my works”. Maritsa Micos Dragonas – held a number of solo exhibitions. She has exhibited at numerous group exhibitions most recently Parliament House Hellenic Lyceum, Letherbridge Online finalist and Kogarah art prize finalist. To quote Maritsa: “I am currently depicting nature through mixed media. The Freedom and spontaneity of introducing more than one medium liberates an otherwise two dimensional plane. To go with the flow means to abandon expectation, outcome and control.”

APPRECIATING APPRECIATING CULTURE CULTURE LECTURE A N I N T R O D U C T I O N TO T H E S P E A K E R Your Grace Bishop Iakovos, Reverend Fathers, Father Steven and Father Sotirios, members of the Board of Directors, distinguished guests all, past and present students, ladies and gentlemen. The Appreciating Culture Lecture as an event was introduced into our school calendar in 2003, to mark our 21st Anniversary. The aim of the Lectures is to bring to our school, the wisdom of some of Australia’s most exceptional thinkers, for our enrichment and inspiration. These Lectures lift us above the mandatory to the possible, presenting us with new concepts and ideas. They provide a venue for the lifelong learning of our wider Community and promote our school’s reputation as a centre of excellence. In the inaugural Lecture of 2003, the late Gavin Brown, the then Vice Chancellor & Principal of the University of Sydney, presented to us The Case for Universities in a Civilised Society. He proposed that universities should remain places of “light, liberty and learning, preserving culture, propagating culture and helping to create culture.” In 2005, His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos identified “Priorities in True Culture” as the key values of cultural life, the most important of these being freedom. Yet even freedom -he cautioned- would be as nothing if not pursued with the moral and personal conviction of the sacredness and uniqueness of each human person. Thus “Culture”, which is “what remains after we forget all that we have learned”, also constitutes the very essence of a person’s or a people’s character and consciousness. The Honourable John Hatzistergos, Attorney General of New South Wales in 2008, outlined the events that led to the development of the Australian Constitution, and concluded that through a gradual process of effective discussion, the Constitution “has catapulted Australia beyond even the discourse of multiculturalism, to a vision for the new century with a new sense of citizenship.” The Honourable Peter Garrett, speaking to us as Minister for School Education in 2011, argued that music education is much more than a vital part of a well-rounded education- that it is in fact, “at the heart of culture and cultural expression.” We are delighted and indeed honoured that Professor Fred Hilmer, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of New South Wales, so graciously accepted our invitation to give tonight’s lecture, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of our College. The University of New South Wales is the University of Choice for the majority of our HSC graduates. We take this opportunity to thank you Professor for the offer of the AAA Scholarships to outstanding Year 12 students in New South Wales. We are happy that to date, seven St Spyridon students have been awarded 10

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE A N I N T R O D U C T I O N TO T H E S P E A K E R this honour. We acknowledge the presence of six of them tonight, namely Patricia Lianos, Natasha Diasinos, Christopher Stasos, Alexander Vatiliotis, Ashli Bergmann and Kathy Thimakis. Professor Fred Hilmer was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of New South Wales on 19 June 2006. Prior to taking up this position, he was Chief Executive Officer, John Fairfax Holdings Limited from 1998 - 2005. Before joining Fairfax he was Dean and Director of the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) in the University of New South Wales and a Director of Port Jackson Partners Limited. Professor Hilmer has been a director of McKinsey & Company-responsible for managing the Australian practice. He holds a degree in law from the University of Sydney, an LLM from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of Finance, where he was appointed a Joseph Wharton Fellow. In 1991 the Australian Institute of Management awarded him a special John Storey medal for distinguished contribution to the advancement of management thinking in Australia. Professor Hilmer was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1998 for his service to management education, competition policy, and workplace reform. Earlier in his career Professor Hilmer was a member of the Faculty of Law at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also practised law in Australia. He served on the Committee of Inquiry into Management Education during 1981 and 1982. He was a member of the Commonwealth Higher Education Council and Chairman of the Business Council of Australia's Employee Relations Study Group. In 1992 and 1993 he chaired the National Competition Policy Review Committee. He is a Director of Westfield Holdings Limited. He previously served as Chairman of Pacific Power, Deputy Chairman of Foster's Brewing Group Limited and as a Director of a number of other Australian companies. In 2010 Professor Hilmer was made a Fellow Honorary Member of CPA Australia. He has written extensively and is the author of a number of books, including: When The Luck Runs Out, New Games/New Rules, co-authored Strictly Boardroom, Working Relations and Management Redeemed, and, most recently, The Fairfax Experience -- What The Management Texts Didn't Teach Me. Professor Hilmer was appointed Chair of the Group of Eight (Go8), the coalition of Australia’s leading research universities, in December 2011, and Chair of U21, the global network of research–intensive universities, in May 2013. Professor, we look forward to your lecture, which is most intriguingly entitled “In the Eye of the Beholder.”

Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag Head of College 11

APPRECIATING APPRECIATING CULTURE CULTURE LECTURE THE LECTURE IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Professor Frederick G Hilmer AO Vice Chancellor UNSW Thank you for the opportunity to deliver the 2013 “Appreciating Culture” lecture. UNSW and St Spyridon have been close and good neighbours for many years, and I look forward to this relationship continuing and strengthening. I chose the title “In the Eye of the Beholder” to discuss what I see as a critical challenge facing societies, and hence the education we provide to future citizens. My starting point, well captured in the title, is that each of us makes individual judgments in our own beholder’s eye about important matters such as beauty, truth, fairness, right or wrong. When enough of us come to a similar view, changes occur. When views are disparate and strongly held, problems emerge. In art, this forming of collective views is relatively benign. As more people see the beauty in a particular work its value increases—you may remember the controversial purchase in 1973 by the National Gallery of Australia of Blue Poles, a painting by Jackson Pollock; controversial because of its price, which at $1.3 million was an unprecedented amount to spend on an artwork at that time. The Director of the National Gallery could not authorise purchases of over $1

million

and

the

Prime

Minister

the

time,

Gough

Whitlam,

had

approve

the transaction. There was considerable public outcry about the amount of money spent on the work—“$1.3 million on dribs and drabs” blared one headline. Yet that same artwork is now estimated to be worth $20-100 million. Over time, the eyes of many beholders have come to an agreement about the perceived value of this work, and it has, accordingly, increased in value. However, unless you are a serious collector or dealer, the judgments you make in your beholder’s eye are of little consequence to you or to anyone else. The same, however, can’t be said about other judgments we make—judgments about good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair. 12

Societies are held together by broad agreements on these judgments.

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE THE LECTURE Conversely, when disagreement prevails, taking action to improve our lot, or to deal with pressing problems is stymied and uglier consequences become possibilities. We have seen this occur in areas as diverse as the US borrowing limits where Republicans and Democrats appear implacably opposed, and with respect to what to do about climate change, the environment, refugees and poverty in emerging democracies. In making these judgments each of us sees through our own eyes. The question then arises as to what kind of eyes or vision we bring to a given situation? Perhaps more importantly, what kind of eyes are we—as teachers, parents, friends or community members—developing in our young people? In thinking about the question I quickly realised that when we talk about “the eye of the beholder” we can be talking about very different eyes. Are we looking with open eyes or closed eyes? The eyes may be there but is there a willingness to look? Recall the proverb, “None are so blind as those who will not see”. We also speak of the trained versus the untrained eye. An eye can be trained to see technical patterns, as in detailed engineering drawings. It can also be trained to detect falsehoods put forward as truths, as well as disguised self-interest. Another set of adjectives contrasts “fresh eyes” with “jaundiced eyes”. Fresh eyes are claimed to bring new perspectives—eyes alight with enthusiasm and possibility. Jaundiced eyes dismiss the possibility that something new and worthwhile will be found in what is observed. All three dimensions—open versus closed, trained versus untrained, fresh versus jaundiced—are important in producing the debate and ultimately consensus that allows a civil democracy to function. How these capacities to see differently might better be developed is the subject of today’s talk. My concern is that the negative aspects of seeing are becoming too prevalent, and that as educators, we have a job to do to help develop “the eye of the beholders” in each of the three dimensions. Open Versus Closed Eye Why do people close their eyes to situations they find uncomfortable, or are unwilling to confront? Take the case of climate change. Society has fragmented into believers, skeptics and risk managers. The believers passionately argue for strong abatement measures that involve high costs to society. The skeptics see this claim as an anti-capitalist conspiracy. The risk managers say there is enough evidence to justify abatement on the grounds of insurance in case the believers are right. But each group closes its eyes to the others. They would rather not confront the issue than accept they may be wrong. Similar polarisation occurs as a result of “fundamentalism” in religious beliefs, closing eyes to the 13

APPRECIATING APPRECIATING CULTURE CULTURE LECTURE THE LECTURE potential role and contribution of women, or to the intrinsic worth of non-believers, or to the similarities to each other rather than the differences. Eyes close when people don’t want to see because they find what they see unpalatable. The climate scientist who is tempted to fudge data or present it in the light most favourable to the cause doesn’t want to see that he/she might be wrong. Similarly, the skeptic who shuns all data doesn’t want to know about climate change because he/she doesn’t want to deal with it. As educators, how can we help students keep their eyes open to see the world they live in from many perspectives? One answer, suggested by some of our earliest overseas students, is to provide a sound grounding in the humanities. The point came out sharply at a function we held at UNSW to celebrate 60 years since we first admitted students from Asia under the Colombo Plan. We invited four of the original cohort of students back to the University, and at a gala dinner asked each one to talk about what, in hindsight, had been the most valuable part of their university education. All four had studied engineering, and all four had achieved great success in fields as varied as industry, education and government. Their unanimous answers surprised all of us at the dinner. What they found most valuable, especially as they moved beyond being ‘just engineers’ was their study in the humanities, whether literature, philosophy or logic. At that time, a minimum number of humanities subjects was required in all scientific and professional degrees. A version of this requirement is still in place today at UNSW. It was these subjects that helped them understand people, politics and values, and to critique and appreciate arguments where facts didn’t inexorably lead to conclusions. Not that this hasn’t been said before, and particularly eloquently by Allan Bloom in “The Closing of the American Mind”. Bloom argued for a particular view of the humanities—one that led to “shared goals or vision of the public good”—without which the social contract is not possible. Bloom would have us teach more of the classics, to help understand the kinds of people and society we would like to be. The humanities also help us appreciate life’s journeys—how people cope with adversity and achieve great goals. Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” is a great example of stories of human endeavour. Another way to open eyes is to ignite curiosity—to impart in our young people the excitement and joy of discovery. To do this well starts at home, but also requires inspirational teaching by talented, wellqualified teachers from primary school onwards. And for curiosity to be sustained, our society needs to value discovery for its own sake. I have concerns on both fronts. The debate on teacher qualifications and quality is lost in the noise of arguments over funding models, which in my view are of, at best, secondary importance. A more serious issue is the regard in which teachers and teaching are held in our community. Fourteen universities are 14

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE THE LECTURE admitting students into education programs with ATAR cut-offs at or below 58. The shortage of science teachers in particular, is not being effectively addressed. Governments recognise these problems, but initiatives they are putting in place to address these issues will not take effect until 2015. At the same time, as leaders of universities, we constantly struggle to hold, let alone increase, funding for basic research. With few exceptions, our politicians don’t value curiosity. Our ability to forecast weather and use this information to fight bush fires would not have been possible without detailed weather monitoring by university-trained research scientists, seen as an extravagance when first proposed in the 1930s. And, without research in maths and modelling, we would not have been able to use the data as well as we now can. In summary, to open eyes we need to keep teaching the humanities, and we need all teaching from the earliest age to imbue students with curiosity fed by the joy of discovery, and we need a culture that values curiosity and discovery. The Trained Eye A trained eye sees things differently, often counter-intuitively. If you live in an area of the world prone to tsunamis, you would know that when the water starts being sucked back into the sea, run to high ground. The person with the untrained eye follows the receding water to see what is happening, only to be engulfed by the tsunami. We have high expectations that when we need help, the person we go to will see with a well-trained eye. The doctor sees a scan or a skin discolouration differently than a non-medically trained observer. An engineer sees a structural problem in a plan that is not obvious. A skilled barrister detects falseness in a witness that a less well-trained person would miss. At universities we are expected to develop ‘trained eyes’ in a variety of fields, from politics and economics to science and medicine. And by and large we do a good job, which is why so many students from outside Australia choose to study here. My concern is that as educators, we do best when the link between facts and conclusion is tight, when we can comfortably say our teaching and learning is “evidence based”, a phrase that has become the benchmark for credible research in fields as varied as management and medicine. However, in many important areas, the link between the hard evidence base and the actions that the trained eye would take is tenuous. Climate change again provides a good example. There are three bodies of facts that inform this debate. First, there are facts on whether and by how much climate is changing. Second, there are facts that help us appreciate what actions might be taken to reduce emissions. And third, there are facts that help us to make judgments about the approaches through laws and incentives that are expected to produce the desired actions.

APPRECIATING APPRECIATING CULTURE CULTURE LECTURE THE LECTURE However, at each stage, the distance between the facts and the judgments to be made becomes larger. Whether temperatures are rising or not is a relatively straightforward question. How different emissions patterns might change this, and over what period requires more inference and analysis, and is less clearly defined by facts. How this action might be caused to occur is a long way from the scientific facts and economists (e.g. Garnaut, Stern), rather than scientists, tend to pick up the argument, relying on modelling of the climate scientists and their own beliefs about economics and human behaviour. In the zone where the link between facts and conclusions is tenuous, bias also comes more strongly into play. For example, different people have different biases for and against regulation, or for and against incentives. As educators, how do we do better where the connection between facts and judgment is tenuous? We are getting better at unearthing facts through manipulation of what is called “big data”. But in my view, we need to improve in developing a “trained eye” where inference, argument, values and bias are at play. The Fresh Eye Relying too heavily on training without imagination, curiosity and passion—without eyes that are fresh and shining—can lead to seeing the world with a jaundiced eye, one that cannot see opportunity for fear of risk. The jaundiced eye is risk-averse and sees the world through a negative and critical filter, too jaded to attempt a creative approach to solving problems. Many of you will not have heard of the Australian businessman, Michael Crouch, but if you’ve ever used a

Zip

water

boiler

cooler,

you

are

well-acquainted

with

Crouch’s

fresh

eye.

And you’re in good company because the appliances he has developed are used by millions of people around the world. Michael Crouch turned his eye to the water heater that his small company was manufacturing and came up with the idea of the water heater that produced instant boiling water—a piece of equipment that many offices simply now can’t do without. This innovation led to great success for Zip, but never one to succumb to the vision of a jaundiced eye, Michael Crouch did not stop there. He looked around and saw that a device that serves chilled water could be another “must have” for offices and homes. In fact, why not a device that does both, producing instant boiling and chilled water? The “HydroTap", which delivers chilled and boiling water now exists in workplaces around the globe. But not one to stop innovating, Michael Crouch was not convinced that boiling and chilled water were the limit of this device, nor of his imagination. His latest innovation is a device that delivers instant chilled sparkling water. My point is that it takes an unusual eye—the eye of an innovator—to continue to see opportunities and develop them. 16

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE THE LECTURE How might we better develop the fresh eye? Can innovation be taught? Education alone is unlikely to produce hordes of Michael Crouches, Steve Jobs’ or Bill Gates’. But it can help in a number of ways. First, innovation can be recognised as a legitimate and desirable outcome of education. To do this at university we need to make room in often crowded curricula for project work and team work that nurtures the fresh eye. Curricula are crowded because accrediting bodies require more and more subjects to be covered, and because our basic undergraduate degree is 3 years while the rest of the world is moving to 4 years. Second, we need to bring more innovators into the class room and also involve the innovators as mentors on student projects. While this happens, it is on a relatively small scale. Up-scaling, however, poses a major challenge. For example, at UNSW, to give every undergraduate one innovation-focussed project to work on in a team of 5 requires 2,000 projects to be organised and carried out each year. If each mentor would work with one project team every semester, we would need 1,000 innovator-mentors every year. Finally, in encouraging fresh eyes, we need to recognise the role of the teacher in awakening possibilities. One of my favourite writers on the subject is Benjamin Zander. Benjamin Zander is the longstanding conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Zander writes of awakening possibilities by reminding his readers of the old tale of the two travelling shoe salesmen who went to Africa in the 1900s. One sent home a telegram saying “Situation hopeless—they don’t wear shoes!” And the other one wrote home saying “Glorious opportunity—they don’t have any shoes!” Zander speaks of engaging people, saying that his job is to awaken possibility in other people. He knows he is successful if he sees that in his audience’s and his musicians’ eyes. His definition of success is not about wealth or fame or power, but how many fresh eyes he has inspired through his conducting and teaching. Shakespeare wrote “the eyes are the windows of your soul”. What I have tried to show is that there is more than one window: 

A window that should always stay open,



A window that is attractive and well maintained, both in a discipline and in fundamental thinking and reasoning,



And a window that is welcoming to strangers, otherwise known as fresh ideas.

All these windows need to be developed and maintained. To this end, the role and quality of the teacher, the breadth and flexibility of the curriculum, the recognition and support of curiosity and discovery are vital. 17

APPRECIATING APPRECIATING CULTURE CULTURE LECTURE THE LECTURE

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE AKNOWLEDGEMENTS Warm thanks are extended to the following people for making the evening an unqualified success: 

The Speaker, Professor Frederick G Hilmer AO for delivering the 2013 Lecture



His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos for naming the series of Lectures



Bishop Iakovos of Meletoupolis for his Vote of Thanks



Visiting artists Willi Michalski, Dr Thomas Savoulis, Karen Barbouttis, Maritsa Micos-Dragonas



The curators of the Arts Exhibition, Mr Peter Wennersten, Ms Mariclaire Pringle and Ms Danielle McCarthy



Mrs A. Katsogiannis in her inimitable role as the MC



All the P & F members for their support. It is this kind of partnership with our parent body that helps our College to grow academically and socially



Mrs Grillakis, together with Mrs Lambi and the Year 11 Hospitality Students for excellent canapés



The audience who attended and expressed their appreciation for the Lecture



The dedicated School Support Staff who worked so hard to organise and promote the event.

The curators for the Arts Exhibition and visiting artists L toR: Peter Wennersten, Danielle McCarthy, Mariclaire Pringle, Dr Thomas Savoulis, Karen Barbouttis and Maritsa Micos-Dragonas