THE GRADUATE UNIONÂ
NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2019
Contents / GU Newsletter
Contents GU COLLEGIATE
GRADUATE HOUSE NEWS
4
October Monthly Luncheon Dr Deborah Towns and Dr John Andrews
21
Rhodes Scholars Farewell Dinner Graham Craig
5
Donor Thank You Day Lunch Dr Elizabeth Finkel Mr Andrew Abercrombie
23
Mac’s Musings Mac Nicoll
6
Coming Monthly Luncheon Dr Ross McMullin
24
Viv Nguyen Chair, Victorian Multicultural Commission
7
Chairperson's Cocktail Party The Hon Gaetano (Tony) Pagone
11
October Monthly Luncheon Professor Milé Terziovski
PROMOTIONS 6
Festive Jams
8
Christmas Function Menu
10
The Rotary Club of Carlton Dinner
32
John Cain Foundation October Luncheon
FEATURES 12 13 15
Post Mergers and Acquisitions Robert Heaton Pathway Story Lynda Cavalera, FAMI CPM MAICD Call-Out for Super Users Connecting Care Electronic Medical Record Program
REVIEW 16
September College Table Dr Deborah Glass
19
September Monthly Luncheon Ms Kerri Lee Sinclair
22
September Women's Forum The importance of language
RESIDENT NEWS 31
Hema Preethi Subas Satish Raising funds for Cancer
31
Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncakes at the Meet and Greet
SEEN AT GRADUATE HOUSE 30
Vet Group lunch
ACADEMIC and PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS 28
July 2019 Listings
OTHER 26
Extracurricular Australia’s paracetamol poisoning problem
27
Innovation PhotonAssay to detect 'unseen' gold
33
Diamond Jubilee Campaign Contribution form
GU Merchandise Diamond Jubilee Cufflinks Designed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the purchase of Gladstone Terrace. These elegant 82.5 sterling silver cufflinks contain a three-wing motif, inspired by the Association’s logo. $104.00 — sterling cufflinks $195.00 — sterling cufflinks with diamond inset. Available for purchase at reception or online at www.graduatehouse.com.au/merchandise
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
GU Collegiate Italian Conversation Dinner
Monthly Luncheon
Bridge Nights
Dine while learning to speak Italian with an experienced teacher.
Dr Deborah Towns AM and Dr John Andrews
Join in a game or learn to play the card game Bridge. Enjoy biscuits, tea and coffee.
Members $17 non-members $25
The Writing of " A Secondary Education for all" Resident Members $10 non-resident Members $30 concession $35 general public $40
Members $2 non-members $6
6:00pm Tue, 1st, 15th October
12:00pm for 12:30pm start Wed, 2nd October
6:50pm for 7:00pm start Wed, 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th October
Donor Thank You Day
Special Morning Breakfast
Women's Forum
Non-resident Members are welcome to join Resident Members for a hearty breakfast at Graduate House.
Come along to discuss 'What is a suitably good life for me as I age?'
This event is by invitation only to celebrate the generosity of our donors.
Free for Resident Members non-resident Members $8
The Forum is free. All are welcome. Lunch is at Member and non-member prices6
From 12:00noon Sun, 6th October
7:30am to 8:30am Tue, 8th October
10:00am for 10:30am start Wed, 16th October
With guest speakers Dr Elizabeth Finkel and Mr Andrew Abercrombie
College Table Dr Milé Terziovski on Entrepreneurship. Members $12 non-members $20 Loyalty card holders $12
BOOK NOW via our website: www.graduatehouse.com.au by phone: (03) 9347 3428 by email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au
12:00pm for 12:30pm start Fri, 18th October
or at Reception.
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
Monthly Luncheon The writing of ‘A Secondary Education for All? A history of state secondary schooling in Victoria’
With guest speakers Dr Deborah Towns OAM and Dr John Andrews Until 2000, Deborah and John’s careers had followed vastly different pathways, but working together on the Centenary of Federation education program, and discovering a shared love of history, and an equally passionate embrace of all things educational, brought them in their postDepartment careers to write their awardwinning book.
Wednesday, 2nd October 2019
12:00NOON arrival for a 12:30PM start
Graduate House
220 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053
Bookings
Tel: (03) 9347 3428 Email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Website: graduatehouse.com.au/coming-events
Cost
$10 Resident Members $30 non-resident Members $35 concession $40 general public
When John and Deborah met in 2000, they quickly realised they had shared career trajectories and a keen knowledge of Australian history and education history. So perhaps it was inevitable that these two educators and historians should take up the challenge of writing a history commissioned by the History Council of Victoria to commemorate the centenary of state secondary education in Victoria in 2010. This one-year project extended to seven as more and more stories were revealed that needed to be recorded and celebrated. They were honoured when Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Blainey AO launched their book in 2018. They were thrilled when ‘A Secondary Education for All’?: A history of state secondary schooling in Victoria won the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and Public Record Office of Victoria’s Collaborative Community History Award in 2018.
ABN: 55 610 664 963 | IARN: A0023234B
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
Donor Thank You Day Lunch Sunday, 6th October 2019
Guest Speakers
Dr Elizabeth Finkel Elizabeth Finkel is a former biochemist who switched to journalism. The co-founder of Cosmos Magazine, Elizabeth served as Editor-in-Chief from 2013 to 2018 and is now Editor at Large. Elizabeth has published two books: Stem Cells (2005), which won the Queensland premier’s Literary award, and The Genome Generation (2012). Her work is regularly anthologised in Best Australian Science Writing.
Andrew Abercrombie Mr Abercrombie is a well-respected and successful businessman. After a seven-year legal career and an MBA in Switzerland, he became the Founding Director/CEO of FlexiGroup Limited - now a top 200/300 ASX-listed Fintech company of which he is Chairman. In addition to other business interests (e.g., real estate, telecommunications), he is regional Chairman of the World President’s Organisation, a Director of the Menzies Research Centre and a member of the Zoo Foundation. He has been a Director of the Florey Neuroscience Institute and Treasurer of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party.
Other Speakers
This event is by invitation only to our generous donors Graduate House
220 Leicester Street, Carlton 3053
Ms Maggie Wang
Mr Shubham Rawal
RSVP by Monday, 30th September 2019 P: (03) 9347 3428 E: publications@graduatehouse.com.au
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
Coming Monthly Luncheon Our last Monthly Luncheon for 2019 is on 13th November with Dr Ross McMullin who is back by popular demand!! More details will be made available in The November issue of this newsletter. Due to the Melbourne Cup weekend, the Monthly Luncheon is held in the second week of November. Dr Ross McMullin Historian and Biographer
Festive Season Jams are back by popular demand! Pineapple Lime Jam and Strawberry Jam On sale soon at Graduate House. Our jams are made here at Graduate House - that is, home made - and are free of preservatives, gluten and lactose! Look out for more details soon.
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THE GRADUATE UNION
of The University of Melbourne Inc.
Chairperson’s Cocktail Party The Hon Gaetano (Tony) Pagone Chairperson of the Council of The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc. invites Members to the Chairperson’s Cocktail Party
Graduate House
220 Leicester Street, Carlton
Friday, 29th November 2019
5:30pm to 7:00pm | Dress: After Five RVSP by Monday, 25th November 2019 email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or phone: (03) 9347 3428 This is a Member event and otherwise by invitation only
ABN 55 610 664 963 | IARN A0023234B
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GU Promotion / GU Newsletter
Function Menu Traditional Christmas SET MENU FOR LUNCH OR DINNER Available from 1st July until 18th December 2019 For each course, choose two options Table service is 50/50 drop
EntrĂŠe Thai prawn with tamarind sauce (df) (gf) Herb crusted chicken breast served with a brandy cream sauce Spinach and ricotta ravioli with roasted pumpkin sage sauce and shaved parmesan cheese (v) Main Course Seasoned turkey breast with apple and citrus stufďŹ ng served with gravy (gf) Seared salmon with saffron dill cream and a touch of champagne (gf) Vegetarian stuffed zucchini (v+) (gf) Dessert Plum Pudding with custard and brandy sauce (v) Cold set lime cheesecake Summer fruit salad (v+) (gf) Two courses $58.50 per person Three courses $69.00 per person Minimum 15 Guests (df) dairy free (gf) gluten free (v) vegetarian (v+) vegan
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GU Promotion / GU Newsletter
Function Menu Christmas Summer BBQ SET MENU FOR LUNCH OR DINNER Available from 1st July until 18th December 2019 IN THE GRADUATE HOUSE COURTYARD
Main Course Porterhouse steak (gf) (df) Lamb chops (gf) (df), Gourmet sausages Tikka chicken thighs (gf) Vegetarian burgers (v) Grilled summer vegetable platter (v+) (gf) Onions (v+) (gf) and a selection of summer salads (v) (gf) Dessert Blueberry pavlova (v) (gf), Fruit salad and cream (v) (gf)
$59.50 per person Minimum 15 Guests (df) dairy free (gf) gluten free (v) vegetarian (v+) vegan
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Promotion / GU Newsletter
A Global Leadership Event The Rotary Club of Carlton presents: How Can I Make the World a Better Place? An inspirational talk by Ian Riseley OAM, Past President of Rotary International who speaks on the Power of Volunteerism
Ian H. S. Riseley OAM is a chartered accountant and principal of Ian Riseley and Co., a firm he established in 1976 and which specialises in income tax and management advice for individuals and small businesses. Before this he worked in the audit and management consulting divisions of large accounting firms and corporations. Ian holds a Masters Degree in Taxation Law and Graduate Diplomas in Accounting and Income Tax. Mr Riseley has been a member of the boards of both a private and a public school, a member of the Community Advisory Group for the City of Sandringham, and involved in Sea Scouts and sporting groups, as well as honorary auditor or adviser for a number of charitable organisations. Riseley’s honors include the AusAID Peacebuilder Award from the Australian government in recognition of his work in East Timor, the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian community, the Distinguished Service Award and the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World from The Rotary Foundation. A Rotarian since 1978, Riseley has served as treasurer, director, Foundation trustee, and member and chair of numerous Rotary International and Foundation committees. He and his wife, Juliet, a past district governor, are Major Donors and Bequest Society members of The Rotary Foundation. They live on seven hectares at Moorooduc, where they practise their personal philosophy of sustainable and organic living. They have two children and four grandchildren. Rotary Club of Carlton
Monday, 7th October 2019 6:00PM arrival for a 7:00PM start Graduate House 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053 Bookings Website: www.trybooking.com/BEYFA RSVP: Tuesday, 1st October 2019 Cost $30 for Rotarians (+ Partners), Graduate House Members and Residents $35 for General Public Food Finger food provided Drinks at bar prices ABN: 55 610 664 963 | IARN: A0023234B
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
College Table Guest speaker Professor Milé Terziovski will lead the discussion on Entrepreneurship Professor Milé Terziovski joined Swinburne University of Technology in January 2018 as a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Director of the Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program. Professor Terziovski was appointed Department Chair of Business Technology and Entrepreneurship in July 2018. He is the former Dean of the Curtin Graduate School of Business and Head of the International Graduate School of Business at the University of South Australia. Professor Terziovski worked at The University of Melbourne as a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor and held the position of Executive Director of the Centre for Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship for 10 years. He also worked at Monash University as a Senior Lecturer for four years. Prior to this, Terziovski was an Engineer with the Rio Tinto Group and held management positions in maintenance, production and project leadership for over 17 years. He left Rio in 1991 to undertake PhD research at the Melbourne Business School. He has served on the President’s Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, established by the former President of the Republic of Macedonia. He is now a member of the Governance Board for the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand and a member of the Entrepreneurship and Technology and Innovation Management Divisions.
Friday, 18th October 2019 12:00noon arrival for 12:30pm start
Bookings Telephone: (03) 9347 3428 Email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Venue: Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053 Cost: $ 12 Members $ 20 non-members $ 15 loyalty card holders
ABN: 55 610 664 963 | IARN: A0023234B
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Feature / GU Newsletter
The Life and Times of a Post Merger and Acquisition Specialist Article by Member, Mr Robert Heaton Mergers and Acquisitions — often referred to as M&A — is the practice when one company buys another company, or when two companies decide to merge. There is a lot of legal and financial work that goes on beforehand to establish the terms of the acquisition or merger but once that is done and the paperwork is signed, you are suddenly faced with two companies, two management teams, two sets of systems, two sets of customers — in fact almost two of everything. From an efficiency or cost point of view, that does not make sense, so someone has to work out the most efficient and profitable way of bringing the two companies together. That is what I do! My involvement usually starts during a process called Due Diligence, which is when the acquiring company gets a chance to investigate the company they are buying. It’s similar to inspecting a car or a house before you decide to buy. For me, it starts with a simple question: Why did you decide to buy this company and what ‘vision’ do you have for when the two are combined? For most companies the answer falls into one of the following four categories: 1. We could not grow fast enough by organic means, so acquisition makes good sense. 2. We wanted to enter the Chinese market and this company already has a footprint and successful track record. 3. The acquired company has a range of products or services that nicely complement our existing product range. 4. The acquired company were fierce competitors, so we bought them out to eliminate the threat. Another key factor in mergers and acquisitions is ‘value add’, meaning that if you are a $10m business and you acquire another $10m business, the combined value should achieve greater than $20m. If it does not, you have not achieved anything, and your money would have been better off in the bank. My job, therefore, starts once the ‘vision’ is defined (and quantified). We start by developing a document called the Integration Plan. This document essentially lays out every activity that needs to take place right down to the Who, What, Why, Where and When of every action. It is the road-map and time-line for bringing two companies
Robert Heaton together. This same document aims to address the ‘risk’ attached to each action and in some cases what ‘Plan B’ might look like. My job is to get agreement on the plan and then manage (wrangle) all the resources and skills needed to make sure all the actions happen in the right sequence, at the right time, with the right outcome whilst still keeping both companies operating and ensuring that the value of 1+1 equals at least 3. If you are wondering how long this process takes, a typical M&A Integration can be a minimum of six months or as long as several years. There are three key factors in M&A Integration: timing, risk and outcome. These can be best described with a few examples: 1. You have now got two CEOs. Which one stays, and which one leaves? You certainly cannot procrastinate on this issue but what if one CEO has significant experience in the business that you cannot afford to lose? One of many options might be to retain one CEO in an advisor capacity and pay him/her on that basis. That way you retain the expertise but remove the statutory responsibility and you can terminate the advisory role when it makes sense to do so. 2. You now have two sets of customers, but the acquired customers do not know you and they may decide
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to go elsewhere if you do not act quickly. The same argument goes for suppliers. The answer in most cases is to act swiftly and communicate clearly with every single customer to assure them that you will honour any contractual agreements and to give them assurance of continued quality and service. But that said, there may be some customers you simply do not want so likewise you need to communicate that to them and persuade them to go elsewhere. 3. Because there is duplication, most employees will naturally feel nervous and threatened by the acquisition and will certainly be exploring other job options. In some cases, that is exactly what you want but in others it is the last thing you want. So again, the Integration Plan has to consider which employees need to be retained and which need to leave. It is not a job for the faint hearted and you can not allow emotions to get in the way. The most effective solution in the words of a former boss of mine is “Communicate and Communicate, then act swiftly and fairly. What he meant by this was when you have decided some employees are no longer needed it is important to communicate this clearly but then make the change quickly and make sure those people are adequately supported and compensated. In addition to these things, the Integration Plan must achieve things like identifying and securing all of the assets of the acquisition, making sure future customer contracts are the same, moving all employees onto
common job descriptions, deciding which systems to keep and which to lose and then successfully migrating all of the data. The list of the tasks can be endless, and priorities can change frequently. Again, it is not a job for the faint hearted. The good news is I do not do all this on my own. I am part of a team of people who have expertise in Finance, HR, Operations, Sales, IT, Governance, etc., and we work together to offer our expertise and service when it is needed and where it is needed. If you look at my role, I am similar to a conductor leading an orchestra. I have to make sure everyone is playing the same tune and the end result is a beautiful symphony that matches the vision that was perceived when the acquisition took place. The bad news, however, about what I do is there are no degrees in M&A. Most people who are engaged in this activity are seasoned professionals with extensive industry experience and often with a track record of executive appointments. That said, it is possible to get in on the ground floor and most of the major consulting houses (Price Waterhouse, Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young) will offer entry level roles in their M&A practice. I hope this has given a glimpse into the role of a Post Merger and Acquisition Specialist. If I have inspired you to want to learn more about Mergers and Acquisitions, I direct you to my company website www.gpmip.com where you will find many case studies and other materials. vvv
Pathway Story Lynda Cavalera FAMI CPM MAICD Lynda Cavalera is an accomplished marketing and sales executive with more than 25 years of experience across financial services, banking, retail, government, education and not-for-profits who is now serving as Chairperson of the Australian Marketing Institute. Lynda has strong strategic and commercial acumen and brings her ability to apply consumer insights and trends towards developing compelling brands and propositions, and creating solutions across the sales journey to give impact and value for both the customer and the organisation. In a recent interview with Lynda, we learned about her own journey, how she became interested in marketing, and how her different professional roles changed her and contributed to her learning after she graduated from university. The following is a summary of her graduate pathway story.
Lynda Cavalera ď‚„
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Feature / GU Newsletter
Lynda enrolled first in a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree at Victoria University but then switched to undertake a postgraduate degree in International Business (Marketing) at Monash University and then a Master of Business Administration (MBA) which she completed in 1999. After finishing her studies, Lynda worked across various sectors and marketing roles. She worked as Senior Marketing Manager at AXA and ANZ Bank, Senior Marketing Manager (PR, Brand, Communications, Sponsorship and Events) at IOOF, Senior Marketing Manager (Product Marketing and Communications) at Aviva, Head of Marketing at Kinetic Super and subsequently as Associate Director (Brand, Segments and Campaigns) at RMIT, among numerous other roles before becoming the Chairperson of The Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) and also her own consulting business. The AMI is the professional body for marketing practitioners in Australia, which represent professional marketers across all disciplines and sectors including public and private enterprise, education and not-forprofit. The Institute offers professional development programs to fuel progress in an individual’s marketing career and boost their skill set, the latest information and resources on marketing practice and opportunities to connect with fellow practitioners at all stages of their careers, among other services. Lynda was appointed as the Chairperson of AMI after her long association with the organisation. Lynda said, “I first started as a member of the association early in my career. I was invited to become a member of the Victorian State Committee which I sat on for a number of years and was then appointed to the national Board as a Director. After a couple of years as Director I became Deputy Chair and in 2019 was voted to the position of Chairperson.” Looking back at her career pathway, Lynda considers the whole journey a learning experience. “I see my career as a continuously learning journey. Each of my roles has changed me in some way and made me a better person and leader. I've also been very fortunate to have worked alongside amazing leaders and colleagues who have stretched, inspired and taught me so much.” One of the roles that influenced and taught her the most was when she was asked to lead an IT change program to build a new integrated customer e-commerce platform. “I'm not an IT expert. I went to a number of meetings at the beginning with the IT folks from the business and the IT consultancy and felt very much in over my head. I didn't even understand what they were saying and yet I was being asked to lead the project and the teams. After one of these meetings, feeling completely lost, I seized the courage to declare to the team that I had no idea what was going on. To my surprise, they all said they had no idea either and felt they were abdicating responsibility to the
IT consultancy group. That was a turning point for the project and team and also for me. I learnt that I wasn't expected to know everything and instead could rely on my team of experts, and my value was in leading the team and providing strategic and customer-led direction. The experience built my confidence in leading even when facing ambiguity and complexity and was a defining moment in my career journey.” Lynda values the notion of giving back to the community and has taken on a lot of volunteer roles. Her engagements with AMI as Member of the Board of Directors, then as Deputy Chair and now as the Chairperson are volunteer positions. “I have always been active in some sort of committee, whether it was a school committee for my children's school — including being chairperson for my children's kindergarten. I was also a long-time member of the Women In Finance Committee — set up to bring together women working in the then very maledominated finance industry — and then became involved with the AMI state committee. I've always felt it was important to be an active contributor and give back in some way to the community or industry you are a part of.” Her advice to people coming up through the ranks in their career? Lynda says they must be present in the journey and where they are at each stage in their career. “Sometimes we focus on climbing the ladder or chasing that next step, rather than making the most of our current situation and just letting things happen organically. It's often when we slow down that opportunities land in our lap.” Lynda’s second advice to recent graduates entering the workplace is “to take up tangential opportunities in your current role or organisation, or volunteer for projects that are outside your comfort zone. It's a good way to stretch yourself and grow as well as learn more about a business.” And her third advice is “looking at ways of giving back to your community, industry or association in some way — it can be very rewarding, broadens your thinking, and can be a great way to network and form lifelong professional relationships and friendships.” Lynda said that throughout her career she has learnt “to remain open and curious. Things are changing so fast that it's important to evolve and learn constantly.” At the same time, however, we must not be very hard on ourselves. “Often we are our own worst enemies and critics. It's important to silence that negative self-talk and be kinder to ourselves — no one expects us to be perfect or never ever stuff up.” So, Lynda concluded about some of the main things she has learnt in her career, “have fun and enjoy what you're doing. Life is way too short not to!” We asked Lynda if she has any specific advice for women starting out in their ‘graduate pathway’, and she said her advice will be the same as she gives her own daughter who is a recent graduate. “Utilise your current opportunity to learn as much as you can. Seek out opportunities that
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Feature / GU Newsletter
stretch you and take up the ones that are offered. It's a great way to expand both your professional and personal capabilities.” “Be receptive to feedback (even if you don't always agree with it — and you don't have to) but use it to learn more about yourself, how others may perceive you, to become more aware of your blind spots; and how you may need to change your tactics to influence different types of people.” “Maintain and build your networks in an organisation as well as more broadly through industry associations or university contacts — they can provide valuable support on your career journey, alert you to new opportunities and serve as a great source of information and insights beyond your own.”
“Finally, if you are looking for another role, be mindful that you don't need to tick off all the job criteria listed. It's a known fact that many women feel they need to meet all of the job criteria to apply for a new role, yet men confidently throw their hat in the ring even though they might meet only half. It's important to back yourself and go for roles that you can credibly do, even if there's a learning curve in some areas. Having a mentor or coach can really help you here too.” We thank Lynda for sharing the story of her very successful career and her experience and insights with our graduates and Members. vvv
Call-Out for Super Users for the Connecting Care Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Program In our September Newsletter, we featured a story about the Connecting Care Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Program, a digital program to transform patient care and research in the Parkville precinct, among the top five biomedical precincts in the world. The Program is being undertaken jointly by four prestigious health services: Melbourne Health, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The Royal Children’s Hospital and The Royal Women’s Hospital. Life Member, Ms Elspeth Fink-Jensen is the Change Manager for the Connecting Care EMR Program and passionate about this program. Ms Elspeth Fink-Jensen
Connecting Care is offering the opportunity for our Graduate Union and House Members to be super users for the EMR program. This is a short, paid engagement of up to four weeks in May 2020 to work with a team of more than 1,000 EMR super users needed to help support staff from go-live and for the four weeks following.
where issues are identified. Most of the super users will come from within the four health services, and this team will be supplemented with additional super users within the Parkville precinct.
The super user program is an important part of the Epic methodology and is integral to providing staff with the support they need in the early days using the EMR.
As a super user, you will: •
be the go-to person in clinical areas at go-live – answer questions and provide coaching;
Over 1,000 super users are needed to provide support in the first four weeks of go-live (starting 2nd May 2020). Super users will provide ‘at the elbow’ support to staff, coaching them on how to use the system, providing encouragement and following up with the project team
•
be trained, before other staff, giving you time to practise before go-live; and
•
act as a liaison between staff and the Connecting Care EMR team at go-live.
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Become a super user We are seeking super users who will be able to provide support in Medical, Pharmacy and Health Information Management. This role best suits people who are:
In addition to these shifts, you would be required to attend:
•
interested in the EMR program;
•
good communicators, active listeners and problem solvers;
• Epic training from 24th February 2020. Depending on the super user role you undertake, this could be between two hours and two days. This training will be held at one of the precinct health services and you would be paid to attend training. You will be required to achieve an 80% proficiency to be granted access.
•
organised;
•
•
comfortable learning new skills;
a pre go-live briefing (one hour meeting the week before go-live).
•
willing to mentor and motivate people;
•
a health service orientation if required.
•
enthusiastic and positive;
•
can work under pressure and stay calm; and
Depending on your super user role, there may also be e-learning videos to watch in your own time.
•
approachable, personable and friendly.
The Commitment The commitment for the super user is for workdays, nights and weekends, between two and four weeks. We request that you would be available to be a super user for a minimum of five shifts in the first two weeks following go-live which is 2nd May 2020.
Location You will be appointed to work at one of the partner health services located in Parkville: Melbourne Health, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, or The Royal Women’s Hospital. How to apply: The super user roles will be advertised in each health service in October or November 2019 and applications will be submitted via eRecruit. If you would like more information, please contact Elspeth Fink-Jensen, Change Manager, Connecting Care EMR Program at elspeth.finkjensen@mh.org.au. vvv
August College Table Review Wednesday, 16th August 2019 Public and Preventive Medicine by Dr Deborah Glass
Dr Deborah Glass is Associate Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at Monash University, working in the field of exposure assessment for epidemiology, and the Unit Coordinator for Monash University’s Master of Public Health – Chemical and Biological hazards. At the August Graduate House College Table, Dr Glass introduced her field to our Members and spoke about some of the projects she has been involved with as an occupational and environmental epidemiologist. Dr Glass graduated in Natural Sciences at Cambridge University in 1974 and went on to complete a Master’s in Occupational Health and Hygiene in 1979. She joined the Institute of Occupational Health, University of Birmingham as an occupational hygienist in 1985 16 / www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B
Dr Deborah Glass
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before coming to Australia in 1995 to join Health Watch petroleum cohort study. She completed a PhD at Deakin University based on her work in that study in 1999. Deborah has had many other roles, including member of the Occupational Cancer Risk Working Party of Cancer Council Australia, chair of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists mentoring committee, member of the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital committee and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH), among others. Dr Glass began her discussion by saying that “Occupational Hygiene is about making sure the work place is safe. It is to go to work places and making sure people are not overexposed to heat, noise, smoke, etcetera and that there are measures in place that would guarantee that people are well being at work. If they are not, then we have not done our job properly.” Epidemiology, Dr Glass explained, is a study of health at a population level. Epidemiology, literally meaning ‘the study of what is upon the people’, is derived from Greek epi, meaning ‘upon, among’, demos, meaning 'people, district' and logos, meaning 'study, word, discourse', suggesting that it is a study of human populations. Epidemiology, therefore, is to look at a group of people and realising that they have a tendency to have more of a disease than other groups or than might be expected and then to try to find a reason for this tendency/trend. There are usually different factors that contribute to a certain disease or health problem among a group of people. If we take breast cancer as an example, there are many factors involved — sex, gender and particularly age are some. Not all factors are of interest or concern to occupational hygienists. Dr Glass’s work is to determine the likelihood of a work-related or associated risk for a disease. In the example of breast cancer, the work includes investigating what occupational risks increase the chance of this disease. “Occupational situations that can cause breast cancer,” she noted, “are not many, but those we know of are shift works — working night shifts increases the chance of breast cancer.” It is not always easy to tease out the exact relation between an occupational risk and a disease. In the case of the shift work and cancer, for example, it is not yet clear how these are linked. “Is it because shift work affects melatonin, which studies have shown decreases the risk of cancer?” Dr Glass asked. “Or is it because people who do night shifts tend not to have a healthy life style, be fatter and being fat always puts people at the risk of cancer. So we know that night shift can increase the risk of cancer, but we do not know what happens in the body when a person is doing night shift that can lead to cancer.” Epidemiologists arrive at their investigations through a variety of ways; sometimes it is a question or hypothesis, sometimes it is through observation. For instance, a group
of Mexican workers in a factory which manufactured pesticide by using a chemical that caused testicular damage were sitting around a canteen talking about how few of them have children. That observation triggered a study and it turned out a chemical that the workers were using was a cause of testicular damage and that most of them were sterile. After researchers confirmed and reproduced these results, the company introduced policies and procedures to ensure greater care in the handling of that particular chemical. Another well-known epidemiological investigation is that of the association between some stone benchtops and a lung disease called silicosis. Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by breathing in a material called silica which can be found in sand, cement and similar objects. Silicosis is marked by inflammation and scarring in the upper lobes of the lungs. Particularly in its acute form, silicosis is characterised by shortness of breath, cough, fever and bluish skin. It affects mostly workers exposed to silica dust in occupations such mining, glass manufacturing and factory work. Silicosis was first identified in 2013 in Israel in a place where artificial stones were manufactured but there was nothing done in terms of preventive measures. “This is not a new risk,” Dr Glass noted, “the International Congress on Occupational Health found out about it a hundred years ago because of the tunneling of the Alps where cases of silicosis were identified.” Studies of silicosis have been carried out in Australia and Victoria. However, the problem, Dr Glass said, is that “these stones are made in small companies run in many cases by people who do not always speak very good English and who do not have a good grasp of the legislative frameworks. So there has been a problem of communication of risks to those people. This resulted — with that level of exposure to silica — in cases of silicosis that could only be treated by a lung transplant and that will only last about 10 years.” Another important element in the occupational study of silicosis and in the implementation of preventive measures is that silica stays long after it has caused damage, and the symptoms starts to emerge only after retirement. Many workers, therefore, are not aware of being affected in order to take the right action by reporting their work conditions and seeking to minimise harm and gain treatment. A similar case is the coal miners’ exposure to coal dust which causes pneumoconiosis — also known as black lung disease. Pneumoconiosis is common among coal miners and others who work with coal and is similar to silicosis since it is caused from inhaling silica dust and asbestos dust. The test for identifying pneumoconiosis is spirometry, which is a pulmonary function test used to measure lung function, specifically the amount and/or speed of air that can be inhaled and exhaled.
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Dr Glass explained, “these medicals were set up in 1984 when there were many cases of pneumoconiosis appearing among coal workers regularly. Then they did a survey and they found more cases. So they realised they need to stop this and decided to do spirometry because when you do spirometry, you can get an early check of lung damage and function and can, therefore, take those people out as soon as possible and stop their exposure to dust.” When Dr Glass and her team went to investigate the work conditions and these preventive measure supposedly in place, they found that the quality of the spirometry tests was “appalling”: “40% of the spirograms that were shown to them were unreadable — they were been done so badly. And the radiologists who have done the chest x-rays had looked at the result and said yes, that’s fine because they were not asked to read the images for the very fine small changes that you get in early stages of pneumoconiosis.” “Basically, Dr Glass continued to explain, “it was a case of a system failure. No one had stood back and asked 'Is this working properly?' One guy who was diagnosed was told that it is because of smoking because there has not been pneumoconiosis due to coal dust in Queensland for 30 years. And that used to be true but there has been changes in the mining process, which means the exposure and amount of exposure to coal dust have changed. If the mines are changing their mining process, they should look and see if their ventilation is still sufficient and efficient for the amount of dust the new process creates. Otherwise, cases of pneumoconiosis are going to appear.” When Dr Glass came to Australia she became engaged with Health Watch which was a study set up at The University of Melbourne in the 1980s of about 16,000 people working in the petroleum industry. She was responsible for studying cases with benzene exposure for leukaemia and blood cancers because there had been concerns over many years about an association. Dr Glass said, “we indeed showed that there is a connection between the two and that there is a high risk of leukaemia with even quite a low level of benzene exposure.” Since then and that study, preventive measure have been put in place, bringing down the exposure of workers and hence the risk and associated health problems. In explaining the cases of benzene exposure, Dr Glass mentioned other important elements of the assessments she undertakes as an epidemiologist. “One of the problems with epidemiology is that if you are not careful with exposure assessment, you get some high exposed people and some low exposed people and so you flatten the risk assessment, and do not see the risk. The risk assessment has to be done really well, otherwise it is like smearing vaseline on a lens with everything becoming less clear.”
Another problem with epidemiology, Dr Glass added, is that you need a big group of people in order to do a proper risk assessment. For example, some of the glues used in carpeting have been considered to be dangerous but people who work in carpeting are often employed in small groups. The occupational hygienist is thus not able to gain a sufficiently large enough cohort that they can study over time to measure the risk. Lots of job, Dr Glass noted, are under research because of that. Related to the above elements is the important difference between ‘causation’ and ‘association.’ “There are times when someone says x causes y whereas all that we know is an association,” Dr Glass said. “It is different to say benzene is associated with leukaemia rather than saying benzene causes leukaemia. What leads us to go from association to causation is a set of criteria developed in 1965 by Bradford Hill which looks at factors like temporality, — if the exposure has happened before the health problem, not after — coherence of data, biological plausibility, etc.” Another important factor that Dr Glass said epidemiologists must take into account is the reference group they chose for the study of the occupational hazards. “When you compare a working cohort like the Health Watch cohort with the general population, they will have a 20% lower death rate and that is an observation from almost all major industrial cohorts. There are several reasons for this, but one very important reason is that industries do not recruit sick people. So all the sick people are in the general population that you are using as a reference group for comparison, not in the working population. Besides, when you do a survey of the working population, if you ask them, for example, ‘do you have backache?’ they will say ‘no’ because they do not want to lose their jobs. And what has happened to some of the ones who had the symptom associated with the disease you are studying is that they have left and are now in the general population which is your reference group. So when you are studying a workplace, you have to be careful about the things that are affecting what your observations are.” The College Table forum concluded with those present reflecting on their learnings on the fascinating world of occupational hygiene and raising several further examples and avenues for discussion and reflection. We thank Dr Deborah Glass for her generosity of time and for her engaging, informative and interesting discourse. We are grateful also for the intelligent and insightful contributions from the attending Members.
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September Monthly Luncheon Review Wednesday, 4th September 2019 Investing in Innovation by Ms Kerri Lee Sinclair
The Graduate House September Monthly Luncheon was an interesting exploration of some of the main questions of our time: contemporary technological innovations and where they will take us in the future. The speaker, Ms Kerri Lee Sinclair, started by introducing the company Kin Group and her role there as Chief Investment Officer in Technology. Kin Group is a single family office for the GeminderPratt Family, the side of the Pratt family under Fiona Geminder, one of the two daughters of Richard Pratt, the founder of Australia’s largest packaging manufacturer. Family offices are private wealth management advisory firms that serve ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) investors. They are different from traditional wealth management shops in that they offer a total outsourced solution to the managing of the financial and investment side of an affluent individual or family. Ms Sinclair introduced Kin Group as first of its kind and as a world-class investment office in Melbourne which invests across global markets in the key platforms of manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), financial markets, technology and real estate. The office has a particular focus on food, technology and manufacturing, and among these the one that stands out when compared to most other family offices is technology. Kin Group is the first family office that has dedicated technologists working in this area, with Ms Sinclair overseeing and managing investments in technology. “We are serious about investing in technology,” Ms Sinclair said, “Kin Group looks for unfair growth — growth beyond reasonable expectations. Towards that end, we are passionate investors in technology. We believe it is critical to be both subject matter experts and meaningful investors in technology. This is why Kin Group is the only family investment office in Australia with a dedicated technologist and research team. If you believe in the hypothesis that the world has changed and continues to change then we cannot not have technology as part of that because it is a huge disrupter. So the reason for bringing me into the office is to have someone at the table who is evaluating technological advances the same way that there is someone who evaluates a manufacturing business and someone who evaluates a property investment, etc. We all then collaborate to see how we can make the most successful investment in the long term.”
Ms Kerri Lee Sinclair The difference between companies like Kin Group and funds, Ms Sinclair explained, is that in a fund, the organisation has been given capital and the people who are managing that money feel the need to allocate that capital because if they do not they are not doing their job. The problem is that if there is no good business to put the money into, very few funds last long. Therefore, while most funds have a five to seven year vision, a family office like Kin Group works according to a hundred-year vision. She further explained that Kin Group is both an investor and an operator. “We sit on the boards of all companies that we are investors in. The company is focused on both the opportunities technology provide, and the impact of its implementation in industry. So we have placed our bets on technologies we believe are fit for global disruption and industrial scale.”
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Kin Group has identified four key emerging themes in technology that they are working on for their growth: 1. intelligent manufacturing; 2. future of food and wellness; 3. trust as a platform; and 4. everything as a service. Since the family office has a long history and reputation in packaging manufacturing, they recognise the significance of investing in innovative manufacturing given the technologically-driven nature of our contemporary world. Intelligent manufacturing, therefore, is one of the key areas of the office’s investment focus. Kin Group, Ms Sinclair noted, “has both an informed view on where the market is going, and also the scale to shape that market through their actions. Some of the manufacturing is already automated and there are a lot of robots working, but it is going to be completely automated.” Moreover, “how can we manufacture packaging that when consumers do not need it anymore, it goes back to the earth? How do we package foods so that they can last longer?” In other words, “we have to look at how to make more sustainable packaging.” The second area of the company’s investment focus — future of food and wellness — relates to sustainable use of resources at the same time that we provide more nutritious food that guarantees consumers’ health and wellbeing. “Since there are more and more mouths to feed on earth with less clean land and water, we have to think about how we are going to use the resources.” As science continues to enhance our understanding of the human brain and body and as the awareness by consumers of these matters and the connection between the food they consume and their wellbeing increase, companies need to invest in producing foods that satisfy these criteria. “This means,” Ms Sinclair mentioned, “that technology and nutrition are going to be interconnected.” Trust as a platform, the third thematic investment category of the company, is about ensuring that consumers trust using the newly introduced technologies and platforms. Ms Sinclair explained the Kin Group's investment in trust in this way: “An even more interconnected, digital world requires more checks and balances than ever to ensure safety, compliance and transactional security. From maintaining transactional privacy to defending democratic ideals, there has never been a better time to invest in the future of trust. This is, however, not cyber security. We do not invest in cyber security because we do not believe that this is a thing — cyber security is a fear that is trying to convince you that something is dangerous — but we invest in trust. We think humans have the right to access trustworthy news, information and services.
So it is the responsibility of all of us to keep the world safe because that’s the basic human right and we should all participate in that.” The last thematic investment of the company is 'everything as a service'. About this aspect of their company’s investment, Ms Sinclair said that, “the age of ownership is ending. From how we get to work, to how we make dinner, to how we manage the data of the world’s largest businesses, ownership is less important than efficiency and expertise. Individuals and expertise would sooner outsource complexity than be stuck with cumbersome, costly infrastructure — the idea of what is an asset and who owns it is going to change.” Ms Sinclair then explained different kinds of investment in Australia. The first kind of funding is ‘Angel Funding,’ also known as 'Family and Friends'. This is the first money that an entrepreneur receives, and it tends to be from someone who knows them and wants to give them a go and help them. The business is usually not very wellstructured and the founder might need some help to build the business, typically valued between $1 million (M) and $3M. The second kind of investment is called ‘Seed.’ This is usually when the person has a minimum viable product (MVP), which means they have something that people like. However, they might need some validation of the business by someone, some initial market entry and some kind of engineering, software, mechanical, etc. The typical valuation goes up slightly to between $3M and $6M. ‘Post-seed’ is the third stage and kind of investment and is when the business is already in the market but not yet revenue-generating. This is the early growth stage, with a typical valuation of $6M to $10M. The business should have a commercial capability and revenue model where the founder knows how people are going to pay for their services, how they scale and how they can deliver their services globally. The fourth stage of investment is called ‘Series A’ and is the early expansion stage — if the business starts in Melbourne, they now go to Sydney. Ms Sinclair noted, “we recommend that businesses not go overseas until they have a good secure market in Australia. Australia is a small market, but it is not tiny so you should be able to have a secure market in Australia before going overseas.” ‘Growth’ is the fifth stage when the business has a leadership role in the market and is usually in multiple markets, with a revenue of $15M to $20M. Kin Group, Ms Sinclair said, has investigated all these stages of investment and has identified that the ‘Growth’ stage of a business makes most sense to them. “We invest in those companies that know what they want to do — this is a situation when money meets happiness and we can do a lot to help those businesses.”
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Kerri Lee then shared the Schumpeterian Cycle of Innovation and Entrepreneurship with the audience. This shows the waves of innovation from 1785 to 2020. “If you look at the waves,” she noted, “it becomes clear that the pace of innovation is getting quicker, so we have gone from a pace of 60 years to now through the fifth phase and cycle of innovation in 30 years.” The question then is what the next wave is going to look like. “Some people say it is artificial intelligence (AI) and machines taking over decision making.” Kin Group believes that what the fifth (last) cycle has really delivered is the ‘Global Age of Consumer’. “We started with internet about 30 years ago and then we got these platforms which allowed us to have open source software, cloud storage and social media — big companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, etc., — all revolving around the idea of not needing to have your own infrastructure. From that we now have a whole community of platforms like Alibaba Group, Uber and similar companies which provide services to consumers. Kin Group, therefore, believes that the next phase in the innovation cycle is ‘enterprise services.’ This is why “the hardest thing for most startups today,” Ms Sinclair noted, “is the path to market: first finding product-market fit and a way to
reach customers, and then building a ruthless machine to acquire, monetise and retain them.” A recent report from Silicon Valley Bank revealed that startsups spend almost 40 cents of every venture capital (VC) dollar on Google, Facebook and Amazon on customer acquisition. “... that is ultimately the challenge: these companies are getting so big that they can cause disruption.” Most startups that are seeking capital are, in effect, looking for money to pay the big tech companies, not to pay for the cost of real innovation. For instance, Facebook withdrew their arrangement with a company called Stackla, which was successful and about to issue an IPO [initial public offering], and so killed that business. The company might get back on track, but consumers quickly shift to another service provider that meets their needs. Hence Kin Group invests in innovations in technology in order to respond to this challenge and disruption in the current consumer and service-centred global market. We thank Ms Kerri Lee Sinclair for a very engaging and informative talk and all our Members who attended, participated in the discussion and enjoyed the delicious lunch. vvv
Rhodes Scholars Farewell Dinner Graduate House, 7th August by Member, Mr Graham Craig
Rhodes Scholars in Victoria held their annual farewell dinner at Graduate House on Wednesday, 7th August for the new Scholars with links to Victoria. This is the third occasion on which we have held our event at this wonderful venue. This year we said farewell to two Rhodes Scholars going up to Oxford: Siobhan Tobin, who was awarded the 2019 Victorian scholarship; and Gia-Yen Luong, the South Australian recipient, who obtained a postgraduate degree at Deakin University. Garry Brown, a 1963 Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, gave the keynote address. He spoke of his time at Magdalen College, Oxford and how he came to be at Cal Tech soon after graduating at what proved to be a critical time in the space race. Siobhan Tobin spoke of her plans to read for a DPhil in Physics and Gia-Yen Luong described her recent experience of teaching in the Northern Territory and told of her intention to study for a Master’s in Education.
From left: Professor Emeritus John Poynter (1951 Rhodes Scholar and former National Secretary of the Rhodes Scholarships in Australia), Gia-Yen Luong (2019 Rhodes Scholar for South Australia), Siobhan Tobin (2019 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria) and Professor Emeritus Garry Brown (1963 Rhodes Scholar).
In all 39 guests attended a memorable farewell dinner at Graduate House. www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B / 21
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Women's Forum Review Wednesday, 21st August 2019 The Importance of Language
Below are some salient points from the forum: 1. Language is an essential part of being a human. We are a unique kind of living being in being able to express ourselves in words.
7. Many languages have similar roots and therefore share similar vocabulary and grammatical structures. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese all come from Latin.
2. Our perception of ourselves is shaped by the language we speak. People who speak two or more languages recognise that they think and act differently across the different languages that they speak.
8. Different languages become internationally important at different times according to the politics of the era. For instance, Latin used to be lingua franca. Now it is English.
3. There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world. The most popular language is Mandarin Chinese, spoken by more than 1 billion people.
9. Language can sometimes create misunderstanding. Within pop culture, people sometimes get a tattoo in a foreign language without knowing what message the tattoo is sending. It is important to check with a native speaker before having a message tattooed oin your body. The same applies to T-shirts when sometimes the wearer has no idea what message the T-shirt is advertising.
4. In some countries, there are not only different dialects of their national language, but also different languages spoken in different regions and parts of those countries. India is one example, where there are 22 major languages with Hindi and English being their two official languages. 5. While most countries now have one or two official languages, it is very important to preserve indigenous languages. They are the key to past eras, legacies and wisdom that can shine a light on the history of the countries and human kind in general.
10. Overall, language is our key to connection, understanding and knowledge, but it can cause difficulty and trouble if it is not used properly or when it is used incorrectly.
6. Studying and/or learning a language can provide insight into a people’s kind of thinking, feeling and culture, and enhances knowledge of one’s own language.
The next Women’s Forum is on Wednesday, 16th October 2019 with the topic: What is a suitably good life for me as I age? 10:00AM for 10:30AM start. The forum is free. Lunch is at Member and non-member prices. 22 / www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B
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Mac’s Musings
by Life Member, Mr Mac Nicoll 1. Mac’s musings on that journey Over the last decade, Marg and I have made this trip at least 500 times and we often say how fortunately placed we are to make the journey. Come with us and we will describe it. Drive down Mcllwraith Street to the corner of Pigdon Street and wait at the stop sign. When ready, turn left into Pigdon and head west towards the park. On the right there is the Princes Hill High Primary School where Fiona and Bee studied for all their primary schooling, apart from our 1980 year in Papua New Guinea, where we lived at Manggai Provincial High School on the west coast of New Ireland. The next block is dominated by Redmond Park, an attractive high-rise village of older people including several friends who have been part of CAN over the years. Reach the park, pause to check for traffic and, when safe, turn right and now begin the journey along the edge of Princes Park. Pause at that tricky, dangerous point where I once had a collision on my bike, the point where the road crosses the main bike track through Princes Hill and where drivers are instructed to give way to walkers and riders. At 200 metres, turn left into Park Street and wait at the lights until you turn left again into Royal Parade, passing, on the left, the ornamental pond with its two fountains, surrounded by a well grassed slope where many are relaxing in a lovely setting. Continue south and notice, among other things, the Bowls Club, the large stretches of grass where people can walk their dogs at certain hours, pass the main oval, once known simply as Princes Park but in recent decades changing its name as it rewards sponsors ... Optus Oval, Ikon Park ... and several more forgettable names. What an attractive avenue now, mature trees on both sides, piles of autumn leaves, a large stretch of grassed oval for soccer and AFL and cricket in its season. What a beautiful entrance to the city is provided by Royal Parade ... and we use it so often, never tiring of its charm. On our left is the space where Marg and I would bring our children and Ziggy our dog, letting her run, jump and gather to her heart's content; nearby is the shady avenue with the Moreton Bay fig trees that link with Cemetery Drive; cross the busy east west highways at two points as we approach the university; then come the last few hundred metres where we keep a lookout for car parking
HOPE, a painting by Marg Nicoll in 2011 spots on the west side and where, eight times out of 10 we spot a space, make a right hand turn and squeeze into an allocated spot, often grateful that we have a disabled sticker. I open the boot, take out Marg's walker, lock the car, remember to slam the boot shut and begin the walk down to that remarkable medical area which encompasses Royal Melbourne, The Royal Women’s, Melbourne Private, Peter Mac, Walter and Eliza Hall, and more. We walk to our appointment, pausing for the lights near Uni High and the car park entrance, where a fearful wind tunnel causes minor chaos to pedestrians. The presence of a small coffee shop just near our doctor's rooms enriches the experience, while at Peter Mac we have a choice of two very busy and excellent eating places. Driving to hospital appointments can hardly be the most pleasant time of the week but you would be surprised at how often we say to one another how calming this 15 minute drive can be and how grateful we are that we chose to live in Princes Hill in 1966 when it was one of the cheapest parts of Melbourne's suburban network. Little did we expect that this wonderful medical area would be our most frequent destination! It will always have a special place in our memories and provoke at least some very positive memories of those drives along Royal Parade, Melbourne's most beautiful boulevard... ***
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The peace of the earth be with you, The peace of the heavens too. The peace of the rivers be with you, The peace of the oceans too. Deep peace falling on you. God's peace growing in you.
What tales they could tell ... of the day they received the news that seemed like a death sentence ... of the fear of how the family would react ... of the joy of healing being affirmed ... of the sadness of hearing those words "I'm afraid it's come back again" ... of the unexpected kindness of a stranger.
— This hymn is adapted from a traditional Guatemalan song, “La Paz de la Tierra”. The translator and composer are unknown, although several contemporary arrangements have been published.
People sitting quietly, people raucously sharing a story, people gesticulating as they talk excitedly and become the centre of attention.
2. Mac's musings at Peter Mac Monday morning, 29th October 2018. In the ground floor cafeteria at Peter Mac. Noise — people ordering, people serving, people waiting to be served. Noise — doors opening and closing, people entering and leaving. Groups of people, couples, singles, people everywhere. Fit people, sick people, young people, middle aged people, elderly people. A swarming mass of humanity at 10:30AM, patients, visitors, staff from nearby hospitals as well as from Peter Mac. All crammed into this bright, sunny attractive space at the entrance of this extraordinary building, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. And every one of these 200 people squeezed into this café has a story to tell, an experience to share, a sadness to be comforted, a life to live out on this extraordinary tiny planet whirling through space.
Outside, Grattan Street is bathed in morning sun, cars crawl along looking for a park, people busily on their mobile phones as they wait for friends, some striding purposefully, others strolling haphazardly, lost in thought ... And then I enter the ground floor waiting area, where it is quiet and still; voices, when used, tend to echo through the space; people head for those extraordinary lifts, some puzzled by the unusual way the lifts are accessed. Others sit and look upward, gazing through 13 storeys of sweeping white curves of the balconies to the sky above; people sitting alone or in pairs and in occasional groups, quiet and still, waiting, watching in a haven of peace, And what a marvellous building this is, hinting at hope, healing, health, the best of modernity, a haven of peace after the noise and busyness of the café. Marg is well cared for in this place. We are surrounded by people who care, people skilled in their chosen professions, people who are contributing to the healing of the world. Thanks be to God. May your week bring signs of hope. vvv
Viv Nguyen Appointed as Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission Graduate House extends our congratulations to Member, Ms Viv Nguyen on her appointment as the new Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission. Viv succeeds Helen Kapalos – former Australian journalist and television presenter – and commenced her four-year term on the 26th August 2019. The Victorian Multicultural Commission was established as an independent body in 1983 and is now constituted under the Multicultural Victoria Act 2011. It champions diversity and inclusion across all areas of society and strengthens multicultural communities by helping them participate in all aspects of Victorian life. Commissioner Viv Nguyen 24 / www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B
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As the main link between communities and the government, the Commission’s role involves: •
identifying issues faced by diverse communities through consultations and their Regional Advisory Councils;
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investigating and researching issues faced by communities;
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advising the Minister for Multicultural Affairs on community issues;
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giving recommendations to government to improve laws and policies through submissions;
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developing partnerships to improve settlement support services; and
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helping diverse communities to access government services.
The Commission promotes cultural diversity and participation by encouraging all Victorians to embrace our shared multicultural identity by: •
promoting the social, cultural and economic benefits of diversity;
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encouraging Victoria's diverse communities to express and preserve their cultural heritage and traditions;
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promoting better unity, understanding and harmony among all communities; and
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delivering Victoria's largest multicultural celebration, Cultural Diversity Week.
Ms Nguyen served on the Council (board) of The Graduate Union from April 2016 to May 2018 and as Co-Vice-Chairperson of the Finance and Audit subcommittee. Viv brought significant corporate, community and board experience in governance, business frameworks, financial, risk and project management, leadership, advocacy, and communications with multiple stakeholders and in complex environments. Holding a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Applied Finance degree, both from The University of Melbourne, Viv has also completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course. Viv has been a non-executive director with City West Water, the Grampians Water Corporation and Western Health; and a Commissioner for the Victorian Multicultural Commission from 2005-2008 and the Queen Victoria Women’s Trust. She initiated the Dual Identity Leadership program for young Australians of Vietnamese background with funding from the Scanlon Foundation.
a range of culturally and religiously diverse communities, supporting local African communities to engage with state and local governments to strengthen social cohesion. More recently, Viv has supported organisations and community members to transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). As a business leader with over 20 years of experience, Viv has built a B2B (Business to Business) financial planning business from $50 million to $1.4 billion prior to acquisition, and held executive positions as Head of Risk for Margin Lending, Chief of Staff to the Chief Risk Officer and Head of Diversity at ANZ. She has worked as the Business Practice Manager at Melbourne City Mission, as a strategy consultant for the Suncorp Group, completed a strategic review of the Bennelong Group’s wealth management strategy, extended her networks with Oppeus Executive Search and was part of the Project Management Office on the change and risk management program at Guild Insurance. Viv was selected as Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission due to her 25 years’ experience in the corporate, community and public sectors, and her strong background in promoting the social, cultural and economic benefits of multiculturalism, and in advocating for the needs of Victoria’s diverse communities. “I’m excited to be able to offer my experience and passion to Victoria’s multicultural communities. I am committed to working with communities and government to continue the work of creating a Victoria where everyone can fully participate, no matter a person’s background, religion or identity,” Viv said upon her appointment to the role. As Chair, Viv will steer the Commission to identify and address issues faced by diverse groups, encourage communities to express and preserve their heritage and traditions and advise the Minister on community issues. Our Association is very much looking forward to working with Viv and the Victorian Multicultural Commission and to exploring means of involvement and engagement with the Commission's great work by our graduates in residence from all over the world. vvv
As president of the Vietnamese Community of Australia’s Victorian Chapter, Viv helped build support for Australia’s first Vietnamese cultural museum. She has worked with
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Extracurricular / Extracurricular / GU Newsletter
Extracurricular
Let’s talk about Australia’s paracetamol poisoning problem Most of us take paracetamol every now and again to reduce pain or fever and are unlikely to associate it with harm. But a new study has revealed a concerning increase in paracetamol poisonings, and resulting liver damage, in Australia over the last decade. In fact, paracetamol is the number one pharmaceutical that Australian poisons centres receive calls about. Paracetamol is safe if used appropriately, at a maximum of four grams per day in adults (equivalent to eight 500mg tablets). The quantity that constitutes a toxic dose depends on circumstances and the person’s weight, but any adult ingesting more than four grams a day could be at risk. The annual number of cases of paracetamol poisoning increased by 44% from 2007-2008 to 2016-2017. During this time, more than 95,000 paracetamol-related hospitalisations were recorded. Liver injury from paracetamol has doubled over the same period. More than 200 people died from paracetamol poisoning in Australia in the ten-year period. Paracetamol itself is not toxic, but in large amounts it leads to build up of a toxic metabolite (or break-down product), which binds to liver cells, causing these cells to die. In severe cases, liver failure means the person will need a liver transplant, or they won’t survive. Symptoms of paracetamol poisoning — nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain – indicate damage has already started to occur. Patients who take a very large overdose are more likely to sustain liver failure despite treatment with the antidote. Paracetamol poisoning and resultant liver injury is preventable, and some simple public health measures could have a significant impact. In Australia, paracetamol can be purchased outside of pharmacies (for example, in supermarkets) in packs of 20 tablets. In pharmacies, packs of 100 can be purchased without needing to speak to a pharmacist. In both cases, there are no legal restrictions on the number of packs one person can purchase. This is out of step with many other countries, especially the UK and Europe. The UK restricted packs to 32 tablets in pharmacies and 16 tablets outside of pharmacies in 1998, as a response
to increasing deaths from paracetamol. This resulted in long-term reduction in paracetamol poisonings, liver injury and deaths. Many European countries don’t allow non-pharmacy sales of paracetamol, and have small packs in pharmacies. Denmark has gone one step further, restricting paracetamol sales to those aged 18 and over. The Therapeutic Goods Administration recently announced modified release paracetamol would become Schedule 3 in 2020, meaning it will be behind the pharmacist’s counter. This restriction is a step in the right direction, but ignores the fact regular paracetamol can be purchased in large quantities without consultation with a health-care professional. Due to its widespread use, paracetamol is likely to remain a common source of poisoning. Restricting pack sizes and restricting availability of modified release paracetamol are crucial first steps. We also need increased public awareness of how to use paracetamol safely.
26 / www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B
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Innovation / Extracurricular / GU Newsletter
Innovation
PhotonAssay: Detecting 'unseen' gold with x-ray vision Australia is the world’s second largest gold producer with an annual gold production valued at approximately $15 billion. Analytical services, worth nearly $1 billion globally, are an essential part of the mining value chain, from exploring for new deposits through to running profitable extraction operations. In an industry facing declining ore grades, rapid analytical technology has the potential to unlock substantial productivity gains in gold mining and production, and open up a significant new market for real-time analysis services in on-site applications. For example, gold processing plants may only recover between 65 and 85 per cent of gold present in mined rock. Given a typical plant produces around $1 billion of gold each year, this means hundreds of millions of dollars worth of gold is going to waste. Even a modest five per cent improvement in recovery would be worth around half a billion dollars annually to the industry. In response to this challenge, CSIRO has developed an automated solution that offers mineral analysis data in minutes. It is a reliable alternative to traditional chemical analysis methods that can take days to turn around results.
Chrysos, named from the Greek word for gold, is initially focused on gold analysis, but the technology could eventually be applied to a wide range of other metals including silver and copper. Major mining services company Ausdrill became the first to adopt PhotonAssay in 2018. Ausdrill is offering PhotonAssay at its MinAnalytical laboratory in Perth, with two more systems to be established in the Kalgoorlie goldfields. Ausdrill has longer term plans to take the innovation to Africa. Chrysos plans to eventually bring the solution closer to mine sites for near real-time turnaround on assay results directly where critical operational decisions are being made. Edited article from CSIRO: https://www.csiro.au/en/ Research/MRF/Areas/Selective-ore-management/ Sensors-for-mineral-analysis/PhotonAssay-xray-golddetection vvv
The technique – based on Gamma Activation Analysis – uses high powered x-rays to bombard rock samples and activate atoms of gold and other metals. A highly sensitive detector then picks up the unique atomic signatures from these elements to determine their concentrations. Marketed as PhotonAssay, the solution offers a rapid alternative to the conventional, 500-year-old fire assay technique, which involves sending samples off to a central laboratory, where they are heated up to 1200°C and generally destroyed. PhotonAssay is non-destructive and can deliver results in just a few minutes without generating any of the toxic waste products that are problematic in other assay systems. CSIRO has partnered with a network of experienced investors and industry professionals to form Chrysos Corporation Limited in late-2016 to quickly bring the technology to market.
X-ray analysis offers rapid turn aound on assays
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Academic and Professional Development Meetings / GU Newsletter
The following groups from The University of Melbourne have convened meetings, workshops and events at Graduate House during the month of August 2019.
Committee of Convocation
Department of Infrastructure Engineering Staff Meeting
Faculty of Business and Economics MCR Planning
Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program
21st August
6th August
20th, 21st August
5th, 6th August
10 attendees
55 attendees
32 attendees
32 attendees
Melbourne School of Professional and Continuing Education Palliative Care, Clinical Research
UoM - MSPACE and Operational Performance Group
2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th August 234 attendees
1st, 15th August 92 attendees
The patronage of organisation Members in charitable, not-for-profit, government and professional development sectors is acknowledged, as is that of our many Members who hold their functions at Graduate House.
Australian Centre for Heart Health (ACHH)
Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE)
Australian Society of Music Education (ASME) Victorian Chapter
Association of German Teachers of Victoria Inc. (AGTV)
1st August 17 attendees
1st August 19 attendees
14th August 9 attendees
8th August 15 attendees
Australian Asian Association (AAA)
Australian Calabrese Cultural Association (ACCA)
Australian School of Applied Management (ASAM)
Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Victoria
12th August 6 attendees
13th August 6 attendees
12th, 19th, 27th, 28th, 29th August 139 attendees
23rd August 87 attendees
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Academic and Professional Development Meetings / GU Newsletter
Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) 28th, 29th, 30th August 45 attendees
John Cain Foundation Monthly Luncheon
Dr Sana Alsarghali Constitutional Law
Journal of Spatial Science Editorial Board Meeting
16th August 15 attendees
13th August 17 attendees
Melba Group Lunch Meeting
International Coach Federation (ICF) Victoria 16th August 25 attendees
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor Course
21st August 40 attendees
30th August 14 attendees
Order of St John
St Vincent de Paul Parkville Conference
Phoenix Australia Board Meeting
Probus Carlton Parkville Club Inc
12th August 8 attendees
19th August 10 attendees
27th August 11 attendees
13th August 70 attendees
Rhodes Scholars (Victoria) Dinner
Ripponlea Institute VET Small Business
Rotary Club of Carlton Lunch, Board and Heritage Cluster Meetings
7th August 39 attendees
16th August 12 attendees
13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th 106 attendees
Social Education Victoria (SEV) Meeting
Social Work Department Writing Group
The Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) - VCE Physical Education
13th, 27th August 24 attendees
27th August 8 attendees
22nd August 65 attendees
26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th August 140 attendees
The Graduate Union Collegiate Events and Governance Meetings
Turkish Teachers Association of Victoria Language Curriculum and New Turkish Resources
2nd, 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 28th August 246 attendees
31st August 30 attendees
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Seen at Graduate House / Feedback / GU Newsletter
Seen at Graduate House Retired Veterinarians Group
Three or four times a year a group of about 30 retired veterinarians meet for lunch with an invited speaker. The group is made up of veterinarians who worked in government service, academia, for pharmaceutical companies or in private clinical practice. Most are graduates of The University of Melbourne where they completed their veterinary degrees and, in many cases, also postgraduate degrees. The guest speakers are selected to cover topics of interest to the group including advances in veterinary and biomedical science and issues of more general public interest. Graduate House has been the chosen venue for these lunches for several years because of the convenient location and the excellent facilities, which provide an opportunity for attendees to renew and maintain friendships over lunch.
Retired Veterinarians Group lunch
Tell us how we did. Your feedback is important. The lucky feedback winner for August is Life Member Mrs Ena Ahern who won a bottle of De Bortoli Sacred Hill Brut Cuvée
All Dining Room Feedback Forms will be in the Monthly Draw and in the running for the Year‑End Prize of a $500 Coles Myer Gift Voucher drawn at the Members Christmas Party on Friday, 13th December 2019.
30 / www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B
Resident News / GU Newsletter
Resident News
Cancer Council Victoria's Relay for Life Hema Preethi Subas Satish (pictured, middle) is a past Resident Member and current non-resident Member of The Graduate Union. A second year PhD (Medical Biology) student at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, affiliated with The University of Melbourne, Hema is working on engineering novel therapeutic antibodies to trigger cancer cell death. Ms Subas Satish received the 2019 Graduate House Research Scholarship and served as the President of the Graduate House Student Group (GHSG) committee from December 2018 to June 2019. Hema is taking part in Cancer Council Victoria's Relay for Life event this year along with a few others from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Relay for Life is about celebrating cancer survivors, remembering loved ones lost and fighting back against cancer. Relay for Life will take place over 24 hours from 10:30AM on Saturday, 26th October to 10:30AM on Sunday, 27th October at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park. Teams commit to walking or running around the track to signify that "cancer never rests, so neither do we". Participants in Relay for Life also aim to raise donations for Cancer Council Victoria that will be directed towards cancer patient care and treatment, as well as cancer research.
Hema Preethi Subas Satish (pictured, middle) Hema is hoping to one day translate her research into a cancer cure, and is personally aiming to raise $200 this year for cancer patient care and treatment. Please support and help Hema raise money at her official Cancer Council Victoria's Relay for Life fund-raising page: bit.ly/2ksLrth. vvv
Mooncakes at the Meet and Greet At the Residents’ Meet and Greet on Friday, 13th September, we welcomed new and returning Resident Members to Graduate House and celebrated the mid-Autumn Festival with free mooncakes for all. Falling on the 15th day of the eighth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest festival in China after the Chinese New Year. It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest. A mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The dough is made from golden syrup, lye water, vegetable oil and plain flour. The filling usually contains lotus paste.
Mooncakes to celebrate the mid-Autumn Festival The festival is for lunar appreciation and moon watching. Mooncakes are offered between friends or at family gatherings while celebrating the festival. A delicious way to meet, greet, and eat with, fellow residents! vvv
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Promotion / GU Newsletter
In the midst of a Royal Commission on aged care it is timely to reflect on our capability as a nation to care effectively for our older citizens Australia's Ageing Population: how will we cope? By 2031 almost one in four Victorians will be over 60. In rural and regional Victoria, the number will be one in three. The increasing number of older people will create new markets for innovation and economic development. At the same time, an ageing population brings with it the challenge of addressing systemic ageism and pervasive age discrimination. Join us for an analysis of these issues by the CEO of The Council on the Ageing Victoria, which represents the interests and rights of Victorians aged 50+.
Tina Hogarth-Clarke commenced work as CEO of COTA Victoria on 22nd July 2019 after a year as a board member. Before that she ran her own aged-care consultancy, assisting companies with strategy formulation and offering advice to the general public looking for care. Tina has considerable governance experience with a range of not-for-profit organisations. When
12:30pm - 2:00pm, Wednesday, 16th October 2019
Where
Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053
Cost
$40; concession $30
Bookings
https://www.trybooking.com/BFOBO
32 / www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B
Diamond Jubilee Campaign / GU Newsletter
The Redevelopment of Graduate House We Now Have a Total of 50,000 Postgraduates in this Precinct In 10 years, there has been a 93% increase in postgraduate enrolments in this precinct (The University of Melbourne and RMIT). In five years, the increase has been 42%. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, there was an 8% increase.
We Must Increase Opportunities for Collegiate Living The growth in the number of postgraduate students means an increased demand for housing and student services. With proper funding, Graduate House will be able to continue to meet this demand and provide affordable housing and services for postgraduate students.
In the heart of the education and Graduate Precinct, Graduate House offers graduates from all over the world a direct link to their higher educational needs. Our redevelopment will provide graduates with a safe, friendly and culturally-rich education experience. Graduate House aims to create a community that sees its residents as people rather than as cash-injections on asset acquisitions.
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Diamond Jubilee Campaign / GU Newsletter
43
%
of Victoria’s graduate-enrolled students are in this precinct
Graduate Enrolments in this Precinct Victoria
120K
120K
RMIT and University of Melbourne
80K
80K
40K 40K
0
2001
2017
100
%
OF YOUR DONATION GOES TO THE BUILDING.
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Diamond Jubilee Campaign / GU Newsletter
Diamond Jubilee Campaign Contribution Form Graduate House, as the only dedicated postgraduate residential college of The University of Melbourne, commemorated our 60th anniversary in 2017 by opening the next chapter in the life of our historic building. Our Diamond Jubilee Campaign will see us construct a new, 11-storey residential building to continue to provide quality accommodation and a vibrant collegiate environment for our Resident Members. Please help us realise this exciting plan by lending support now.
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5,000
Other, please specify:
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$
$
$
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First Name
Last Name Postal Address Postcode 00000000 Contact Number Email I wish to be named as a supporter
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All contributions above $2 are tax deductible
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ABN 55610 664 963 | IAR No. A0023234B
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Diamond Jubilee Campaign / GU Newsletter
Cheque
Directed to: The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne Inc.
Bank Transfer
Account Name: Diamond Jubilee Campaign Bank: ING Bank (Australia) Limited BSB: 923 100 Account Number: 6079 1331 Swift Code: INGBAU2S Description: Surname_Firstname_2018
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To donate, please cut along this line and send the completed form to 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC 3023, Australia
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