News
New alumni benefits launched! A new range of benefits has been introduced, in response to initial findings of the Alumni Preferences Survey 2008
A friendly exchange between Melbourne and China
Making the grade - Melbourne the only Australian uni to rank in top 30 in all five disciplines
Look up to find an answer to energy issues
Events
Shanghai alumni association seeks new committee
Engineering alumni to reunite for 40 and 50 year reunions
Agricultural Science 55th reunion
Lifelong Learning
Fighting infectious disease in Asia Pacific region - Event in Hong Kong
Employment
Job of the Month - Research/Projects Officer
Careers at the University of Melbourne
Special Offers
Book of the Month - Inside Out - Writings on Cricket Culture by Gideon Haigh
NEWS
Survey reaps new alumni benefits!
ALUMNI can now access the University of Melbourne’s most in-demand online journals, after results of the Alumni Preferences Survey showed a strong push for new benefits. Under the new offer, alumni will be able to use a diverse selection of the library’s electronic journals for an annual fee of $45.
This was one of four new alumni benefits launched by the University’s Alumni Relations Office this month, in response to initial findings of the ongoing Alumni Preferences Survey.
Other new benefits include discounts on boutique wine from Tallis Wine (offer only available within Australia), Melbourne University Sport fitness membership and a membership allowing alumni to attend and host events at award-winning homes designed by renowned architect Robin Boyd. More than 8000 people have completed the survey since it was released in June. More than 75 percent of respondents were interested in alumni benefits and 89 percent of these people wanted access to the library’s online journals.
To find out more about the new range of offers for alumni, click here.
To read a detailed report of what alumni have told us and how we're responding, click here.
Survey prize draw extended
THE prize draw for the Alumni Preferences Survey 2008 has been extended until the end of the year. Simply take the survey by 31 December for your chance to win one of three $500 hotel accommodation vouchers. Those who have already taken the survey will automatically be entered into the draw. The survey aims to find out which alumni benefits, services and information are most useful to you. Results are already shaping the future direction of the Alumni Program.
A friendly exchange between Melbourne and China
A NEW student exchange program between China’s prestigious Nankai University and the University of Melbourne was recently announced at a University alumni event in Beijing.
Nankai University President Rao Zihe (PhD MDHS 1991), a Melbourne alumnus, and Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Professor Glynn Davis entered a new exchange agreement on 13 October, as they met in China to renew an existing bilateral agreement. More>>
Pictured left: Nankai University President Rao Zihe and Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Glynn Davis at the 13 October event.
Making the grade - Melbourne the only Australian uni to rank in top 30 in all five disciplines
MELBOURNE is the only Australian university to rank in the top 30 in the world in all five discipline areas, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) 2008 World University Rankings. The University’s world ranking for Arts is 16; Social Sciences, 19; Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 26; Natural Sciences, 27; and Engineering and IT, 28. Major global and national employers, from public and private sectors, ranked the University of Melbourne 9th in the world in a THE survey. Another survey of more than 6300 academics around the world, who could not nominate their own university, saw Melbourne land in 21st place. More>>
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Look up to find an answer to energy issues
SHALLOW rooftop gardens could help Australian households dramatically slash their energy usage, if our native plants can thrive in rooftop conditions. This is why researchers at the University of Melbourne’s Burnley campus have launched an investigation into the suitability of ‘green roofs’ for the Australian climate. Researchers will examine the suitability of selected plants for green roofs by measuring their survival, growth rate and response to drought stress. Project leader Dr Nick Williams said green roofs had been successfully installed overseas as an adaptive response to climate change, by reducing the energy demands of urban buildings. “A Canadian study found that a green roof reduced daily energy use during summer by 75-90% compared to a control roof,” he said. More>>
EVENTS
Shanghai alumni association seeks new committee
The University of Melbourne Alumni Association Shanghai (UMAAS) will elect its 2009 committee at its annual general meeting (AGM) in December. The committee currently consists of four members, who are responsible for the operation and administration of the association. UMAAS warmly welcomes alumni in Shanghai to join the committee and to continue providing quality service to all UMAAS members. If you are interested in becoming part of the UMAAS Committee, please fill in the application form and send it to mualumni.sh@gmail.com by December 4 2008. For more information, please email UMAAS.
Engineering alumni to reunite for 40 and 50 year reunions
A 40 year reunion for all Engineering graduates of 1968 will be held on Thursday 13 November at University House
A 50 year reunion for graduates of Agriculture, Civil, Metallurgical and Mining degrees will be held on Friday 21 November at University House.
Please contact Elise Everest via email or phone +61 3 8344 1306 for further details or enquiries about organising your own reunion.
Agricultural Science 55th reunion
Agricultural Science alumni from 1953 are invited to a 55th reunion. It will be held at Graduate House from 11am to 3pm on Wednesday 19 November. Please contact Anthony McGowan at banda@dcsi.net.au or +61 3 5636 4307 for further details.
Medical reunions approaching
A number of medical reunions will be held in October and November. These include the following:
MBBS 1953 – reunion 21 November 2008
MBBS 1958 – reunion 8 November 2008
MBBS 1963 – reunion 22 November 2008
MBBS 1968 – reunion 29 November 2008
MBBS 1978 – reunion 22 November 2008
Medical alumni who are keen to attend should contact Janice Powell at j.powell@unimelb.edu.au or phone +61 3 8344 8058 for further details.
LIFELONG LEARNING
Fighting infectious disease in Asia Pacific region - Event in Hong Kong
HONG KONG alumni have the chance to learn of important developments in health in the Asia Pacific region.
Professor Graham Brown, Director of the Nossal Institute for Global Health, will speak at a special event on 5 December about the institute’s efforts to combat infectious diseases in the region.
Alumni are invited to meet and talk with Professor Brown about the latest developments in health in this area.
When: Friday 5 December, 6.30pm
Where: 3rd Floor, Butterfields, 2/F-4/F Dorset House, TaiKoo Place, 979 King's Road, Hong Kong
Further information: Please email or telephone: +61 3 8344 5888
Recreating the Big Bang
MELBOURNE is one of two universities involved in one of the world’s biggest scientific experiments. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN laboratories in Geneva Switzerland was switched on for the first time on 10 September 2008. Scientists aim to recreate the exact events of the beginning of the universe, to understand how matter and the universe were formed. To find out more about the experiment and meet a Melbourne researcher who has investigated UFO sightings, visit this month’s Visions Vodcast.
EMPLOYMENT
Job of the Month: Research/Projects Officer
THE City of Whittlesea requires a Research / Projects Officer to assist with and support a variety of research projects. In this role you will analyse, develop and implement strategies and policies that will improve the operations and outcomes for the municipality. The ideal candidate will have a qualification in arts, planning or social sciences and will be skilled in research analysis, consultation and collation. You will also have a willingness to learn and apply project management methodologies and possess writing skills to produce high quality reports and presentations. To find out more about this position (Vacancy ID #45582) current students, recent graduates should log onto Careers Online with your student number and family name.
Careers@Melbourne
Positions available at the University of Melbourne.