FREE Publication September 2006 Volume 15 | Number 7 inside this issue 5 Felix rewarded for creative path 7 Leap towards Holy Grail of particle physics 9 Professor Alan Cooper Open Day 2006 Photo by Randy Larcombe would put Australia on the international exactly when and where ancient Science map for ancient DNA research. populations were at a given time.” “We will use ancient DNA to examine the Researchers at the Centre have also 11 environmental impacts of climate change been working with Indonesian and A new, world-leading research unit, and human migrations over the past Australian archaeologists to search which traces genetic information from 50,000 years,” Professor Cooper said. for traces of DNA in the teeth of the more than 100,000 years ago, has been recently discovered and controversial opened at the University of Adelaide by The Centre has just secured an Flores hominids, or “hobbits,” who the Premier, the Hon. Mike Rann. international coup, signing a contract lived on the Indonesian island of Flores with the National Geographic Society The Australian Centre for Ancient until around 12,000 years ago. “DNA to provide ancient DNA information for Why are teenagers DNA will train a new generation of will defi nitively show whether these getting taller? ‘The Genographic Project’. The project Australian scientists, using revolutionary specimens were simply unusual modern is a major international fi ve-year study techniques to extract ancient genetic humans, or a completely separate to measure male and female genetic material from bones, plants and soils. species,” Professor Cooper said. markers from human populations around The Centre will help answer some of the world to reveal our collective history The Centre is expected to attract the most important questions about of evolution, migration and dispersal. scientists to Adelaide to use the environmental and evolutionary change world’s most up-to-date DNA testing “This exciting project places the Centre at in the southern hemisphere. equipment. For more details of the the forefront of international ancient DNA Australian Centre for Ancient DNA , visit Professor Alan Cooper, who was research and the results will revolutionise the website: www.ees.adelaide.edu. recruited from the University of Oxford our understanding of human evolution au/research/acad/ in 2005 to head up the Centre at the and diversity,” Professor Cooper said. University of Adelaide, said the facility “Ancient DNA allows us to determine Story by Candy Gibson Adelaidean Adelaidean has a readership of more than 30,000 per month – 12,000 in print and 18,000 online Editor: David Ellis Design and Layout: Chris Tonkin Writers: Candy Gibson Robyn Mills From the Vice-Chancellor Contributors: Lana Guineay Deciding to stay in Adelaide was one of the easiest The University will continue to respond to the needs of David Swale decisions I’ve had to make in years. the community, business and government by delivering Printed by: innovative programs that satisfy South Australia’s strategic As you may be aware, the University’s Council has extended Lane Print Group aims. We will continue to seek new markets abroad, my contract for a further fi ve years, until mid-2012. I’m very Tel: +61 8 8179 9900 and to grow the participation in higher education among Fax: +61 8 8376 1044 grateful to Council for doing so! Email: [email protected] South Australians. We will capitalise on our excellence in Web: www.laneprint.com.au Becoming Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide has research and become more widely regarded for excellence in education. We will continue to seek new partnerships in Distribution: been a wonderful experience. It’s been a lot of hard work, as any vice-chancellorship is, but I’m extremely proud of Australia and overseas. Lane Print Group how the University has fl ourished over these past four years. Passing Out Distribution Co. It’s important to me that the University of Adelaide continues Advertising: The University of Adelaide already had an excellent down a path of being widely recognised as an outward- Max Hicks, Radio Adelaide reputation when I fi rst joined as Vice-Chancellor, especially looking university. In 2003, I set out to reposition the Tel: +61 8 8303 5000 for its research, but there were many areas that I hoped to University to respond to the new challenges facing higher Fax: +61 8 8303 4374 build on or develop at the time. education in Australia and overseas. A key objective of Email: [email protected] this reform is to ensure the University plays an increasingly Coming Events: I set out to ensure that the institution had a secure fi nancial prominent role on the international stage. base so that it could continue to build on its teaching and All coming events must be University of Adelaide related and of public interest. research activities, and I’m pleased to say that this was Having a global outlook will greatly benefi t our students Please send details of events via email to: achieved within a relatively short period of time, which and the South Australian community as a whole. We live in [email protected] bodes very well for the future. an internationalised society, which is why the University’s Deadline for next issue: outward-looking approach to education is so important to I also set out to strengthen the University’s engagement the future of our graduates and our community. Monday, September 11, 2006 with the community, and to increase the number of Marketing and Strategic Communications, international students, broadening the countries from I’m looking forward to tackling the future and helping the The University of Adelaide, which they are drawn and the disciplines that they study. University to grow. It’s already been a very busy four years South Australia, 5005. This has been achieved – with remarkable results in some – but there’s so much more to be done! I’m glad that I have Tel: +61 8 8303 5414 Fax: +61 8 8303 4829 cases – and I hope to see more growth in these areas in the been to be given the opportunity to stay here in Adelaide Email: [email protected] coming years. as your Vice-Chancellor, so that we can continue the good work together. www.adelaide.edu.au/adelaidean Of course, all of this could not have been achieved without Material may be reproduced without the collective efforts of a great many people, and I thank permission but acknowledgement must be given to the Adelaidean. them all for their contributions. The quality of our academic Registered by Australia Post No and non-academic staff, as well as our students, never 565001/00046 ceases to amaze me. It has been a pleasure to be the Vice- Chancellor of a University with such quality brimming from all quarters (and all campuses). JAMES A. McWHA So what does the future hold? Vice-Chancellor CORRECTION Our article about the new endowment fund for an annual Visiting Professorship named after leading economist Geoff Harcourt (page 16, August 2006 Adelaidean) requires some clarifi cation. Emeritus Professor Harcourt was a PhD Deputy PM student at Cambridge University from 1955-58. He joined the University of Adelaide as a lecturer in economics in 1958. During the 1960s he lectured at Cambridge and was a Fellow of Trinity talks trade Hall, returning to Adelaide in 1967. He was again on leave in Cambridge in 1972-73 and 1980, before going back to Cambridge to a university lectureship The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, The Minister spoke on the ongoing need and and College Fellowship (at Jesus) in the Hon. Mark Vaile (second from left), was at the signifi cance of the World Trade Organization to 1982. He was made Professor Emeritus University of Adelaide recently to address a business Australia and global trade despite the current at the University of Adelaide in 1988. forum on the major trade challenges facing Australian stalemate in trade negotiations. In 1990 he was promoted to an ad business. hominem Readership in the History of The Institute for International Trade is a University Economic Theory, a post he held until He is pictured here with (left to right) the Institute of Adelaide centre of expertise on international he retired in 1998 when he became for International Trade’s Senior Program Manager, trade issues. It provides trade research and advice an Emeritus Reader in the History of Jim Redden, Executive Director Andrew Stoler and to business and government, runs courses and Economic Theory and an Emeritus University Vice-Chancellor Professor James McWha. workshops on trade for developing countries, and Fellow of Jesus. runs postgraduate courses on trade, business and The Institute for International Trade (until recently For more information about the Geoff development-related issues. Harcourt Visiting Professorship please the Institute for International Business, Economics contact the School of Economics and Law) joined with Business SA to host Mr Vaile’s on (08) 8303 4768 or email: address to business and industry representatives. [email protected] Adelaidean Volume 15, Number 7 September 2006 2 Artists at work The University of Adelaide did something very different to promote its Open Day this year. Three Adelaide-based artists were commissioned to bring their work out of the studio and into the community – at the same time bringing the University to the public in an eye-catching way. The artists – John Hamilton, Rosemaree Hoffman and Ross Morgan – painted works that refl ected the impact the University of Adelaide has on the community of Adelaide. The large 1.8-metre by 1.2-metre canvases were all painted at busy locations in the Adelaide Railway Station and Rundle Mall.