SYDNEY ALUMNI Magazine
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SYDNEY ALUMNI Magazine 11 14 16 34 NEWS: Calling Dubai-based alumni FEATURE: Hazards for youth PROFILE: Jack Manning Bancroft SPORT: Rowing to Beijing features Spring 2007 4 EDITORIAL Goodbye Dominic, hello Diana 5 FOR THE RECORD What the Chancellor said 9 CELEBRATION AND INNOVATION Cutting edge science, technology, culture and entertainment combine for GerMANY Innovations 18 COVER STORY Editor Diana Simmonds Mural maker Pierre Mol explains the how and why The University of Sydney, Publications Office of his historic artwork Room K6.06, Quadrangle A14, NSW 2006 Telephone +61 2 9036 6372 Fax +61 2 9351 6868 36 TREASURE Email [email protected] The Macleays inspired artist Robyn Stacey and Sub-editor John Warburton writer Ashley Hay Design tania edwards design Contributors Professor John Bennett, Vice-Chancellor regulars Professor Gavin Brown, HE Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Graham Croker, Sarah Duke, Ashley Hay, Marie Jacobs, 2 LETTERS Helen Mackenzie, Fran Molloy, Heidi Mortlock, Maggie Astrology predictably on the nose Renvoize, Ted Sealy, Robyn Stacey, Melissa Sweet. Printed by PMP Limited 8 OPINION Excellence must be pursued, writes Vice-Chancellor Cover photo Pierre Mol with his mural at The Rocks, Sydney. Professor Gavin Brown Photograph by Fran Molloy. 28 DIARY Advertising Please direct all inquiries to the editor. So much to do, so little time Editorial Advisory Committee The Sydney Alumni Magazine is supported by an Editorial 30 GRAPEVINE Advisory Committee. Its members are: Kathy Bail, editor, From the 1940s to the present; who is doing what Australian Financial Review magazine; David Marr (LLB ’71), Sydney Morning Herald; William Fraser, editor ACP Magazines; Martin Hoffman (BEcon ’86), consultant, Andrew Potter, Media Manager, University of Sydney; Helen Trinca, editor, Weekend Australian magazine. spring 2007 1 letters Entrails are go I write however to politely but firmly It seems that to medievalist Dr. David criticise the article and front cover of Juste (Heaven sent, hell bent, SAM, Winter, the Winter 2007 edition. I have no real 2007), we have to accept astrology as a objection to people studying the history valid science on the grounds that it was of Astrology (in fact, despite my degree, very influential in medieval society. my first subject at university level was It also seems that more and more the history of Reformation Europe) people in contemporary society are but I most definitely do object to your accepting this criterion of the scientific, contributor’s implications of scientific to judge from the fact that astrological veracity for the subject. predictions appear with increasing Provide us with evidence or be content frequency in the various media. to study the subject as just another form However, what if the magazine finds of superstitious nonsense. And please do a classicist historian of ancient Rome not give prominence to such nonsense in whose brief but brilliantly energetic our much appreciated magazine. career to date has focused on bringing Ian Duncan (BVSc Hons ’78) entrails reading in from the cold? Armidale, NSW Certainly, in terms of giving advice to Roman leaders considering important Back to the future decisions, entrails reading was at least I enjoyed the article by Rick Shine, Carole as influential then as astrology was in Cusack, Robert Aldrich and Peter Write to us the medieval period. Reimann – “Campus 2027” (SAM, Letters to the editor must include Whether one is considering past or Autumn 2007). Interestingly, there was contact details: full name, address present times, we cannot use, as a crite- another article in the same issue, rion of the scientific, wide acceptance “Never too old”, [telling of 91-year-old (not for publication), daytime phone and use of a specific discipline. Rather, alumnus Allan Stewart’s recent Bachelor number and/or email in determining whether a discipline is of Laws degree from the University of address, degree(s) and year(s) scientific, we should be guided by such New England] in which it was said that, of graduation, where applicable. criteria as the one of falsifiability as "Completing his law degree presented a proposed by the late Sir Karl Popper. number of challenges to Dr Stewart, Please address your letters to: Past or present superstitions do not not least because his course material The Editor gain real scientific status just because was mostly delivered over the Internet." SAM – Sydney Alumni Magazine they are popular, or supported by many On top of this I read an article in the C/– Publications A14 famous people, including some scientists. International Herald Tribune, April University of Sydney John Furedy (BA ’62, MA ’63, PhD ’65), 21-22, 2007, “Like father, like son, like NSW 2006 Emeritus Professor of Psychology, fund,” that tells the story of Atsouto, the University of Toronto eldest son of a Mr. Sawakami who runs Letters may also be sent electronically Darling Point, NSW an independent mutual fund in Japan. (with full contact details) Atsouto announced to his father that he to: [email protected] Superstitious nonsense was not going to college … because Since graduation way back in 1977, I there is no point as he had figured out Opinions expressed in the pages of have always appreciated and looked for- that the students were all coasting. the magazine are those of the signed ward to editions of what has become After six years of reading books, contributors or the editor and do not the Sydney Alumni Magazine. Over the going surfing and doing part-time necessarily represent the official years there has been some fascinating work, Atsouto joined his father in the position of the University of Sydney. and informative material written by fund in 2000 to help make it flourish. admirable people associated with the I thought: the phenomenal changes Space permits only a selection of University in all areas of expertise and projected in your article on “Campus letters to be published here. Letters knowledge. This of course helps to 2027” are already taking place, although may be edited by the editor for space “showcase” the University as the magazine perhaps on a small scale. or other reasons. tends to show up in many professional Farzana Naqvi (PhD Econ, ’95) waiting rooms and elsewhere. Vienna, Austria 2 sydney alumni magazine letters Unsupported assertions I want to compliment you on the quality of the Sydney Alumni Magazine. But I also wish to register my disappointment with your publication at the article re astrology (SAM, Winter 2007). It makes a number of unsupported assertions regarding the efficacy of astrology. It produces not one shred of evidence. Its stance that we cannot understand something until we cease to mistrust it is an attack upon a funda- mental principle of scientific inquiry. illustration: Maggie Renvoize This sort of shallow nonsense should not receive an airing in your otherwise excellent journal. Dr John Hughes (BA ’75, PhD Ed ’00) West Ryde, NSW A happy (smiling) customer I read with interest your news item on the conferring of an Honorary Fellow- ship on Rachel McGirr, the Baroness Gardner (SAM, Winter 2007). In 1952 as an eleven-year-old, I visited the Dental Hospital near Central Rail- way where a young undergraduate, Miss A reasoned approach McGirr, drilled and filled one of my After looking at your magnificent magazine’s colourful display re the irrationality teeth. It took a number of visits but in of astrology (SAM, Winter 2007), I ask you, why not future articles, essays and revues the end I came away with a lovely gold [sic] regarding tea leaf reading, palmistry, phrenology and necromancy. Not to filling. Fifty five years later, while others mention the magic of crystal ball gazing and tarot cards? around it have fallen into decay, my gold An intellectual, academic attack on reason is essential reading in this age of filling still remains firmly in place. unreason and of destruction of objective education. Alistair McKenzie (BSc Agric ’71) Chris Rath (BA ’69) Roselands NSW Redfern, NSW spring 2007 3 editorial Goodbye and hello After two years as editor of SAM, Dominic O’Grady has resigned Dr Juste and the eventual outcome of his three-year fellowship to concentrate on finishing his PhD. It is my great pleasure in a future issue. and privilege to take over from him. In this Spring 2007 magazine, meanwhile, I think you will be In case you’re now wondering, for longer than I care to admit as moved and inspired as I am (every day) by Her Excellency I have been an editor and journalist and teacher of both crafts. Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, and in this instance by her Over the past twenty years, I have also been one of Sydney’s speech of acceptance as the seventeenth Chancellor of the more outspoken arts commentators and critics. Past publications University of Sydney. Also inspiring and exciting in a very include Time Out (London), the Sydney Morning Herald, The different way is the subject of the cover feature. Pierre Mol’s Australian, The Bulletin and Sunday Telegraph. I’ve written astonishing mural is now on public and permanent view down about books, football, travel, romance, politics, history, food, at The Rocks – Sydney’s first ‘burb – and is the biggest in theatre, opera, music, poetry and virtually anything else that Australia apparently. Much more important, however, it’s a seemed interesting at the time. I’m also a published author brilliant, evocative work in its own right. (eight books) and in 2006 instigated the dedicated arts Both these features underline the fact that this magazine and website, Stagenoise. its companion website are dedicated to what I would argue From this brief resume you will gather that my interests are is one of the most impressive and interesting of Australia’s catholic and I really look forward to the opportunity offered minority communities: the Sydney University alumni.