What's On at UWA

Following the successes of previous Focus Day events for the family, the Berndt Museum is hosting another special focus day celebrating the exhibition Ukiyo-e: Japanese Prints of the Floating World at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery on Saturday 1 March 2014 from 2 - 4pm.

Including floor talks, a tea ceremony and an origami workshop, there is something for everyone in the family, so bring everybody along!

This event is free to attend, however, REGISTRATION is essential due to limited seating. To view the program and register for the event, please visit: http://focusday2014.eventbrite.com/?aff=uwacal

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of our Campus Partner - Asian Studies, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, UWA

Archaeomusicology: some thoughts on the origins of music

This seminar will be dominantly grounded in the archaeology of Africa. Early music is archaeologically elusive. The first plausible musical implements only appear in the archaeological record after modern humans reached Europe, but we are certain that music existed long before this. Its origins must lie, alongside our human origins, in Africa. This seminar will therefore look at the archaeological underpinnings for the origins of music in Africa: the first symbolic thinking, ideas about the origins of complex modern language and the world’s oldest art. We will then look at the first peoples of Africa, in particular the Kalahari Bushmen and the central African Pygmies and explore the fundamental role of music in their religious practices. Extrapolating from this ethnographically informed view of music, I will then consider how archaeological evidence may provide glimpses of the nature and purpose of early music.

first flock is a special event for University of Western Australia first-year students to welcome you to your on-campus art gallery.

This is a complimentary event proudly hosted by the Cultural Precinct and the Cultural Precinct Collective.

This event is free to attend, however, RSVP is essential to http://firstflock2014.eventbrite.com/?aff=uwacal

The event will include screenings of Anime films, free sushi and door prizes!

Be transported from the everyday every Thursday in our free lunchtime concert series.

FREE 50min Concert every Thursday during Semester at 1:10pm. No booking required, just turn up!

In January 1993 the Kaifeng Municipality announced the launch of the Construction Office of the Jewish History Museum “in accordance with the country’s policy in foreign affairs, minorities and religion.” The museum was meant to commemorate the historical community of Kaifeng’s Jews, established in the late 10th century by a small group of Persian Jewish traders, whose synagogue endured for over 700 years. No reference was made to the living descendants of these Chinese & Jews or of their revival of cultural identity eclipsed since the destruction of the synagogue in which had been gaining gradual momentum since the advent of China’s “reform and openness” policy. This reconstruction of identity was influenced by multiple and often contradictory articulations on the significance and utilisation of Chinese & Jewish culture. These included notions from ethnologists, businessmen, rabbis, tourists,philanthropists, diplomats, evangelists and government officials, both local and national. This paper aims to deconstruct the variety of discourses that impacted both the revival of Sino Judaic identity and the subsequent establishment of the Construction Office. It examines the ways in which manifold expressions competed and combined to create the fluid boundaries of “culture” and to elevate it towards a series of politically significant events.

Rock art is one of Archaeology’s most varied, visible and theoretically-informed artefacts. But this ‘artefact’ (Latin: arte + factum ~ ‘thing made by [human] skill’) is not simply brought into the world by human agency. Rather, rock art is both constitutive of human-ness and leads its own life. More than simply visually spectacular imagery, rock art embodies a complex and multi-sensorial entanglement of human-stone relationships. An emerging issue for research and curation is what our human obligations towards rock art are beyond anthropocentric notions of knowledge and conservation. I propose to probe this and related issues using ancient and modern Indigenous rock arts from northern Australia and southern Africa.

Sven Ouzman's research interests include rock art, graffiti, heritage politics, Indigenous knowledge, intellectual property issues, landscape, creolisation & cross-cultural contact, monuments, origins, and understandings of time. His research in Australia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa has led to documenting over 2500 rock art sites- producing 234 site reports and conducting 7 excavations. Details of his publication output and curatorial work can be found at: Assoc/Prof Sven Ouzman UWA Staff Profile.

Come along and hear from Teach for Australia about their 2-year graduate program. This session will deliver information about the program, the application process, and an opportunity to ask an alumnus about what the experience was like.

"Our award-winning leadership program affords an accelerated two years of unprecedented personal growth and a Masters level of professional training. Come along to ask an alumnus why Australia's most outstanding young leaders are choosing our associate experience to rapidly advance their careers and make an impact on educational inequity".

All disciplines (particularly Science and Maths Graduates) outside of education are encouraged to attend and find out more.

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. But whether you know nothing, a little or a lot about it, you are welcome to join our weekly meetings (Tuesdays, 1-2pm, Law Seminar Room 3) where we discuss exciting topics such as: Is English killing other languages? How do babies learn to speak? Does our gender affect the way we use language? What languages should be taught in Australian schools? Can criminal justice do justice to your own language?

Sounds interesting? Want to find out more?

Come to our Assembly General Meeting: Tuesday, March 11th, 1-2pm, Law Seminar Room 3 (Room 105, Law).

We are going to elect our new Vice President and our new Treasurer.

You can also check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uwalinguisticssociety

We look forward to seeing you :)

International Women's Day 2014 will be celebrated on Tuesday 11 March.

The Vice-Chancellor, Winthrop Professor Paul Johnson will be the Guest Speaker. Professor Johnson will be speaking about the case for gender equity in higher education.

The event will take place at the University Club Banquet Hall from 2-3pm, and will be hosted by Ms Gaye McMath, Chief Operating Officer.

Afternoon tea will be provided.

Please RSVP to [email protected] by Monday 4 March to indicate your attendance and dietary requirements.

Patricia Alessi

Dost thou know thy tongue’s true tune?: Discovering the early opera ‘mezzo-soprano’ voice for today’s interpreters

The Arab world has changed dramatically in the past three years. As the Egyptian revolution celebrates its third anniversary, the Egyptian military under Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is resurrecting dictatorship under the veneer of constitutional legitimacy and on the pretense of fighting terrorism. Many of the leaders of the Tahrir Square uprising of January 2011, including some of Egypt's most prominent intellectuals, have been arrested, jailed or muzzled. Al-Sisi is set to run for president and is expected to win handily. He was recently promoted to Field Marshal, the highest rank in the Egyptian military, despite his lack of military combat. Syria is still ablaze. The horrific scenes of starving Syrians in Homs, Aleppo, and other cities and towns reflect Bashar al-Assad's determination to destroy his country in order to stay in power. The Syrian civil war is priding to neighboring countries and is threatening regional stability and security. The Geneva II talks are stalling. The lecture will examine these developments and assess the future of these two countries as well as other countries, especially in the Gulf, that are struggling with their protest movements and calls for reform.

Dr. Emile Nakhleh is a retired Senior Intelligence Service Officer, a Research Professor at UNM, a National Intelligence Council Associate, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Since retiring from the US Government, he has been consulting with different US government entities on national security issues, particularly Islamic radicalization, terrorism, and the Arab states of the Middle East. He has published frequently on the “Arab Spring” in the Financial Times and the Inter Press News Service. At CIA, he was a senior analyst and director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program and of regional analysis in the Middle East. He was awarded several senior commendation and distinguished medals for his service, including the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal and the Director’s Medal. His research and publications have focused on political Islam and Muslim world engagement, Islamic radicalization and terrorism; and US policy toward the Middle East and the Muslim world. He holds a Ph.D. from the American University, Washington, D.C., in International Relations, an M.A. from Georgetown University in Political Science, and a B.A. from Saint John’s University, Minnesota, in Political Science. He is the author of numerous academic books and scholarly articles including A Necessary Engagement: Reinventing America’s Relations with the Muslim World (Princeton University Press, 2009);Bahrain: Political Development in a Modernizing Society (Lexington Books, 2011; originally published in 1976 and translated into Arabic in 2006); “Intelligence Sharing and Co-operation: Opportunities and Pitfalls,” in Steve Tsang, ed., Combating Transnational Terrorism: Searching for a New Paradigm (Praeger, 2009); “Propaganda and Power in the Middle East,” Current History (December 2013). Some of Dr. Nakhleh's previous publications include: The Gulf Cooperation Council: Policies, Problems, and Prospects (Praeger, 1986); The Persian Gulf and American Policy (Praeger, 1982); and Arab-American Relations in the Persian Gulf (Washington, DC, 1975).

If you're a Year 12 student (or a parent of a Year 12 student), this session will provide information about UWA's courses, admission requirements and how to achieve your study and career goals.

UWA Prospective Students Office staff will be on hand to answer your queries following the presentation.

Be transported from the everyday every Thursday in our free lunchtime concert series.

FREE 50min Concert every Thursday during Semester at 1:10pm. No booking required, just turn up!

The School of Social Sciences has the honour of hosting His Excellency Ambassador Mr Bong-hyun Kim, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Australia. The Ambassador will share his views on the topic of “Middle Powers on the Global Stage: Collaborative Initiatives by the Republic of Korea and Australia” on Friday 14th March, 2014 2.30pm in Austin Lecture Theatre (Arts Building).

In his talk, Ambassador Kim will discuss collaborative political initiatives that the middle powers such as Australia and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) are increasingly engaging in, and what kinds of globally significant roles he envisions for both countries. Following his initial presentation, Ambassador Kim will engage in a discussion with attendees.

The talk will be facilitated by Associate Professor Eun-jung Holden (Centre for Exploration Targeting) with a welcome from Professor Alistair Paterson, Head of School of Social Sciences This event is free of charge, and open to students, staff and the general public.

Since 1995, artist Anne Ferran has been examining and rediscovering Australia’s colonial history, through museum collections, photographic archives and archaeological sites.

Her investigation into Australia’s colonial past, especially its lost histories of incarceration, offers a rich opportunity for archaeologists and historians concerned with recent and contemporary pasts to consider how the materiality of places, landscapes, remains, and objects, both reflect and shape practices that produce identity and memory.

As part of the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery's campus partnership with the University of Western Australia's faculties, academic staff from the disciplines of History and Archaeology will share their research in this special symposium at the Gallery.

The symposium is free to attend, however, REGISTRATION is essential. For more information on the program, speakers attending and to register, please visit: http://shadowland-symposium.eventbrite.com/?aff=uwacal

Visting New York Times editorial board member Carol Giacomo will be at UWA and talking with students on covering the world from home and abroad; looking at the challenges facing journalists covering foreign policy issues. An established commentator on US foreign policy, Ms Giacomo also discusses President Obama’s Asia rebalance and how it affects US relations with major countries in the region.

#Altac careers have been described as off the tenure track, but within the academic orbit. These positions are serviced by “hybrid humanities scholars” who work in a diverse range of institutions including universities, cultural heritage bodies, libraries, museums, academic publishing, and the public sector. Roles often include a combination of administration, project management, teaching and research work.

This free, 3-hour workshop will explore strategies and tools to help PhD candidates and early career researchers imagine and build alternative academic careers. It will include a panel session with several practicing “alt-academics”, hands-on activities and plenty of lively discussion and debate.

This FREE workshop is designed to introduce humanities researchers to the HuNI Virtual Laboratory.

Researchers will be given an introduction to the contents and capabilities of the HuNI VL, and its relationship to the various contributing datasets. They will learn how to create their own account in HuNI and use it to build and share collections of data relevant to their research. They will also learn how to annotate entities in HuNI to show relationships between them, and how to export information from HuNI.

After completing the workshop, attendees will be able to start using the HuNI Virtual Laboratory as an integral part of their research. The workshop is not intended to be an in-depth look at the technical architecture and functionality of the Virtual Laboratory, and is not designed for technical experts.

Two sessions are being held from 9am - 12pm, and 1400-1700 (the afternoon workshop is a repeat of the morning workshop). You must register to attend this free workshop.

Federated Archaeological information Management Systems (FAIMS) is a National eResearch Collaborative Tools and Resources (Australia) funded project to produce a comprehensive information system for archaeology and related fieldwork disciplines. Through community engagement it has developed flexible, robust and extensible tools for acquiring, refining, and archiving archaeological and related data. It allows data from field and laboratory work to be born digital using mobile devices, processed in web applications (local or online), and published online through a data repository. Means for facilitating the production of semantically, as well as syntactically, interoperable datasets have been built into the application at multiple points in the data lifecyle. Since the needs of archaeological fieldwork and research vary – and because many earlier efforts to construct archaeological data resources failed from being overly prescriptive – the project has developed the core of a federated, open-source system, encouraging the growth of an extensible range of options at each stage of data management.

This workshop follows early demonstrations of the system at the Computer Applications in Archaeology conference (Perth, March 2013) but now presents these tools (especially the mobile platform) in a much more mature state.

You must register to attend this FREE workshop.

The biennial conference of the Australasian Association for Digital Humanities (aaDH). aaDH was formed to strengthen the digital humanities research community and is a member of the international Alliance of Digital Humanities Organisations (ADHO).

Join us from 18th – 21st March 2014, on the beautiful UWA Campus.

This year’s conference themes are as follows:

WORKING WITH TEXT; NEW MEDIA and the DIGITAL; METHODS, APPROACHES and USES; WORKING WITH DATA; BUILDING the DH COMMUNITY and PRESENCE; INDIGENOUS AND CROSS-CULTURAL DIGITAL RESEARCH

All delegates are required to register in advance. Registration closes on 9th March 2014, at 12:00 midnight WST.

Workshops and a Masterclass with Dr Anthony Beavers will be held on the 17th and 18th of March. The Master class on Computational philosophy and the moral implications of automated decision making, held on the 18th of March from 14:00 – 17:00, is at iVEC@ECU, Building 13, ECU Mt Lawley Campus.