Regional leadership - Health Sciences - Curtin University of ...

Leading lecturers online
Leading academics from
around the world are now able
to deliver lectures to Curtin
Business School students from
their home country, thanks to
Voice Over Internet Protocol
(VOIP) technology.
Recently, third year
management students sat in
their lecture room in Perth and
listened intently as guest lecturer,
Professor Jörn Mundt, presented
a lecture on European tourism
policy from Germany.
Professor Mundt, sitting
behind his computer at the
University of Cooperative
Education in Ravensburg, could
see the students as he was
talking to them and the Curtin
students, in turn, were able to
ask him questions.
School of Management
lecturer, Dr Christof Pforr,
recently introduced this unique
way of inviting guests into the
classroom using the familiar
VOIP product, Skype.
“Through Skype, the lecture
business brief
CURTIN BUSINESS SCHOOL PARTNERS WITH THE OAKTREE FOUNDATION
TO END CHILD SLAVERY AND POVERTY OVERSEAS
is delivered over the Internet
using video-conference facilities.
A voice link and web cam image
are relayed from a computer
in the Perth classroom to a
computer where the guest
speaker is located.
“This technology opens up
new and exciting ways to
deliver up-to-date information;
we definitely intend to invite
more leading academics from
around the world to speak to
our students.”
For more information call
Dr Christof Pforr, Senior Lecturer
in Tourism Management on
+61 8 9266 7743 or email
C.Pforr@curtin.edu.au
Students join poverty fight
Curtin Business School’s new
partnership with Australia’s first
entirely youth-run aid organisation,
the Oaktree Foundation,
will provide opportunities for
students to apply their skills in a
social context.
Oaktree’s mission is to
empower developing communities
through education. Over the past
four years it has raised more than
$1 million for development
projects and provided educational
opportunities for young people in
South Africa, Ghana, East Timor,
Papua New Guinea, India and
the Philippines. As well as its
fundraising activities, it mobilises
volunteers to work on various
projects and runs campaigns to
increase public awareness of
poverty issues.
CBS students will be able to
volunteer their skills in areas
such as marketing, public
relations, design, legal and
finance or as young entrepreneurs
committed to developing
Oaktree’s corporate strategy.
CBS Pro Vice-Chancellor,
Professor Duncan Bentley, said
that the partnership supported
Curtin’s commitment to enhancing
the student experience through
first-hand opportunities.
“This partnership will provide
Curtin students with the
opportunity to further develop their
business skills and will give them
a greater sense of purpose
outside their academic studies,”
he said. “It will assist CBS in
developing the next generation
of forward-thinking leaders and
entrepreneurs. Capturing the
students’ attention in this area is
a strong investment in the future.”
More information on The
Oaktree Foundation is available at
www.theoaktree.org
Training boost for ICT industry
A new agreement between
Curtin and the Australian
Computer Society (ACS) will help
meet the increasing demand for
highly skilled professionals in the
information and communications
technology (ICT) industry.
The Articulation Agreement
enables ACS students who have
completed its Computer
Professional Education program
to transfer to Curtin’s School of
Information Systems to attain an
internationally-recognised masters
or postgraduate degree by gaining
credit for the subjects they have
already completed through
the ACS.
“The ACS and the School
of Information Systems both
work towards the same goals:
the education and professional
development of ICT professionals
and, more broadly, the
development of the ICT industry
in Australia,” explains Head of the
School of Information Systems,
Dr Vanessa Chang.
“ACS membership requires
high qualification and experience
standards. This agreement
therefore ensures students of
exceptional ability, which is crucial,
as it allows the School of
Information Systems to continue
delivering degree programs at a
very high level.
“This will go a long way towards
further developing the ICT industry
in Western Australia.”
For more information email
Peter Dell: P.Dell@curtin.edu.au
review JUNE 2008 CURTIN BUSINESS SCHOOL
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