Melbourne University Magazine 2012
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MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 2012 FEATURE ARTICLES Working in Harmony THe arcHiTecTure of SerendipiTy Beyond THeir BoundarieS MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE BRIEFING 2012 CULTURE & SOCIETY 01 From the 16 John Brack’s Vice-Chancellor The Queen Glyn Davis Now on show at the Potter 02 What Melbourne Means to Me 28 Regionalism Alumni Council in Asia Reflections from 04 This Year an ASEAN TV Research, Learning and journalist Teaching, and Engagement 30 The (Ir)relevance ALUMNI COMMUNITY of Wisdom Visiting academic 06 Getting Involved Dr Peter Verhezen Events, reunions, further explains study and volunteering 08 Alumni Voices UNIVERSITY LIFE Books, film, theatre 18 150 Years of Medicine and music Highlights from 09 True Hollywood Story then to now a young graduate’s 31 Cultural Treasures big break Festival 2012 23 A Remarkable Rise Explore fascinating 2012 Young Australian collections 28-29 July of the Year 27 A Piece of the Action Out of the ordinary Olympic experiences Left, Music Mind and Wellbeing’s Professor Neil FEATURES McLachlan playing the percussion instruments 10 Working in Harmony he designed (Glenn Hester A group of musicians and scientists have joined Photography, 2012) forces to revolutionise the role that music plays in society. By Melissa Cranenburgh. Cover, University of 13 The Architecture of Serendipity Melbourne buildings. Top A new wave of research facilities being built in Melbourne’s (L-R) The Spot, the Ian Potter Parkville Precinct are designed to capture good ideas whenever, Museum of Art; Middle (L-R) and wherever, they occur. Newman College, Wilson By Alex Landragin. Hall, Alan Gilbert Building; Bottom (L-R) Queen’s 20 Game Changers College, Newman College, Something of the entrepreneurial spirit is taking hold on campus, Old Arts clock tower. as graduates strike out on their own, across a range of fields. By Kulja Coulston. 24 Beyond Their Boundaries Read the Melbourne Curiosity and a current passport only get you so far – University Magazine an international career demands an international outlook. online at mag.alumni. By Kulja Coulston. unimelb.edu.au MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY Editor Views expressed by contributors This publication has been printed MagazINE are not necessarily endorsed by by Complete Colour an ISO14001 Katherine Loftus the University. environmental management system This magazine is for alumni (BA(Media&Comm) 2004, & ISO9001 quality management and friends of the University of PGDipArts (Edit&Comm) 2006) ISSN: 1442-1349 system certified printer with FSC Melbourne. All correspondence This publication is produced on a (Chain of Custody) certification and relating to the editorial content dESIGN Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Sustainability Victoria Wastewise should be addressed to: Certified paper that is produced Gold certification, printing on an The White Studio at an FSC certified paper mill ecologically rated printing press The Alumni Relations Team www.thewhitestudio.com.au under an ISO 14001 environmental using a chemical recirculation system The University of Melbourne management system, using elemental and produced using vegetable based VIC 3010 Australia ILLUSTRATION chlorine free whitening processes. inks made from renewable resources. This publication is fully recyclable. [email protected] Steph Ransom Please dispose of it wisely. facebook.com/ www.fathomandco.com.au melbourneunialumni linkd.in/pgMWiz MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR In future years the University Perhaps even more importantly, The University hopes to stand out even more in our sense of community grows. of Melbourne has the Australian higher education Melbourne alumni from past landscape. Put simply, we seek generations are increasingly always been an to offer the best professional networked and in touch with exciting centre education in the country, at us, around the globe. Last year graduate level, and outstanding I met with alumni at events in for the life of the undergraduate degrees, based London, China, Malaysia and on multidisciplinary learning. Singapore, and many locations mind. Across around Australia. More Meanwhile our research formally, the inaugural Alumni every profession community, tightly woven in Council was elected to give our with this major teaching effort, and discipline, graduates a further, ongoing is forging ahead and continues voice in our community’s affairs. great scholars, to position us as number one among research universities Today, amid a changing great teachers and nationwide. institutional landscape, the University of Melbourne great researchers In so many ways, these are remains devoted to intellectual exciting times. New research excellence. As we seek to have created a infrastructure and teaching become even better at all we precincts are emerging across community that do, our past students have a the University, while innovative vital and continuing role to play shapes the thinking research partnerships are as part of our community. As being formed to solve real- of those who come Vice-Chancellor, I am deeply world problems. grateful for your continuing to learn. interest, involvement and enthusiasm. Glyn Davis Vice-Chancellor alumni.unimelb.edu.au 1 WHAT MELBOURNE MEANS TO ME Greetings to all from wintry To gain a better understanding Greetings to all from Melbourne! I am delighted to of your needs, we are pleased wintry Melbourne! serve as the inaugural President to launch the 2012 Alumni of the Alumni Council and pursue Preferences Survey. This I am delighted our quest to strengthen the important survey gives you to serve as the links and level of engagement an opportunity to tell us what between alumni and our matters to you. The more you inaugural President university. We look forward to tell us, the better we can serve harnessing our collective skills, your interests. What’s more, you of the Alumni to advocating for alumni and could win one of three iPads Council and working to assist the University along the way! to achieve its goals. Using your feedback, the With best wishes pursue our quest I’m pleased to introduce my Council will be working, to strengthening fellow Alumni Council members together with the Alumni Ros Otzen (BA(Hons) 1967, to you, along with their story Relations team to keep you GDipEd 1969, PhD 1987) the links and level about what the University of informed and create an exciting PS Learn more about the of engagement Melbourne means to them. suite of alumni benefits, Council and its activities online As a Council we will lead by services and activities. at alumni.unimelb.edu.au/ between alumni example in sharing our thinking, I encourage you to get-involved/alumni-council networks, and resources complete the survey before and our university. to benefit the Melbourne 1 September 2012. community, comprising students, staff and alumni. Enrolling at the University in 1960 was Happy memories of laughter in probably the most longed-for and exciting North Court and students lazing on experience of my life to that point – a kind the south lawn; cheers from the oval; of liberation. Aside from the enriching eccentric professors; stunning grounds content of academic subjects, exposure and buildings with a sense of history; to the highest standards of scholarship a desire to learn and endless hours provided inspiration that has guided in the Baillieu Library; and most my life and work. of all, life-long friendships. David Hill, AO (BA 1964, MA 1975, PhD 1985) Clare Cummins (BCom 1985) Throwing paper airplanes off the The excitement of signing up for tutorials Old Engineering building; packing at the beginning of the year followed by into the MCG on a Friday night; trams days spent at the Baillieu Library studying that ran on time and trains that didn’t; for exams; the peaceful daily walk along St Kilda Rd littered with leaves in Royal Parade from International House. autumn; buskers competing for your The university was a great multi-cultural loose change at Bourke St mall. place to meet and foster friendships which I l keep till today. James Brooks (BE 2005) Rachel K Teo (BCom 1991, PGDipEco 1992) Higher education and research are Melbourne Uni helped shape my life. public goods. Along with other tertiary The friendships within my close-knit institutions, the University of Melbourne course endure, and fellow students continues to encourage intellectual across different faculties are still enquiry, and so contributes to the health central to my personal and professional and growth of our society. I hope as networks and supports today. alumni we can advocate for high quality And I met my future wife at Melbourne. tertiary education, available to all So, much to be thankful for. members of society. Joseph Doyle (MBBS 2002, BA(Hons) 2005) Michael Symons (LLB(Hons), BCom, DipArts(Hist) 2006, LLM 2011) 2 Melbourne University Magazine YOUR ALUMNI COmmUNITY This time last year we were forming the Alumni Council, a body ready to respond to the challenge of representing a large and diverse alumni network. The August elections were It has never been easier to be Congratulations to all the a success, with over 6,000 part of your alumni community, alumni who have achieved votes cast for 42 candidates. with over 150 events planned great things during the past The Council ushers in a new this year alone including 12 months. From Olympians era of alumni representation, lectures, exhibitions, career and Australia Day and Queen’s with a talented, ambitious development opportunities, Birthday honours recipients; to and dedicated group already alumni forums, and social, arts recipients of major awards and beginning to explore how it can and sporting activities (find scholarships across science, serve the alumni community. out more on page 6). There technology, medical research, I hope you enjoy what’s inside are loads of podcasts and architecture, the arts and the 2012 marks several significant – you’ll find expanded versions video presentations available humanities; your contributions milestones including the of some stories in the online to watch online, opportunities make us proud, and reinforce Melbourne Medical School’s edition at mag.alumni.unimelb.