What's On at UWA

Rising economic inequality has become a global concern over recent years. A number of studies point to a widening of the gap between rich and poor, a trend that could well be undermining the social consensus on which democratic capitalism has successfully functioned since the Second World War. This presentation outlines the nature of the issue and explores some of the analytical and political challenges involved, paying particular attention to where Australia sits in the global debate. Dr Alan Fenna is a professor of politics at the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy, Curtin University. He researches in the areas of economic and social policy, and Australian and comparative federalism and has just completed an Australian Research Council funded study of the redistributive impacts of the Australian welfare state. He is the author of Australian Public Policy (2005); co-editor of Government and Politics in Australia (2014); and co-author of Comparative Federalism: a systematic inquiry (2015) as well as a range of academic journal articles and book chapters. He has been awarded the Australian Political Studies Association’s Mayer Journal prize for the best article in the Australian Journal of Political Science three times and served as President of the Australian Political Studies Association 2009–10.

About the talk

Gold was the lure for many Chinese coming to Australia. To many Australians the early Chinese came, found their fortune and returned home with full pockets. However this was not the case for the majority of early Chinese. When gold was found in the Swan River Colony, regulations limited Asians from gaining mining permits. There is so much more to the Chinese story prior to and after the discovery of gold.

This talk gives a brief background into the life of the early Chinese in WA and then takes a journey through Karrakatta Cemetery to reveal some untold stories.

About the Speaker

Kaylene Poon is a third generation Australian-born Chinese. Northbridge was her childhood stamping ground, as her parents took over the only Chinese grocery shop in James Street in 1954. Being next door to the Chung Wah Hall meant her father was instrumental in assisting many elderly Chinese living out their final days, far from family and loved ones.

Currently Kaylene is the Local History Officer for the City of Melville, based at the Wireless Hill Museum. She previously worked for the WA Museum at the History (the former Lunatic Asylum) and the Maritime Museums. In 1999 together with the National Trust she assisted in the development of an educational package for secondary and primary students and for a decade offered interactive visits to the Chung Wah and James Street.

Members: Free, Guests: $5 donation

In a malarial infection, there is a competition between the malaria parasite and the host. If the malarial parasite can reproduce sufficiently rapidly, it can reach a level of parasitaemia that is lethal to the host. However, if its rate of growth is slowed, the host’s adaptive immune response can kill the parasites before the lethal level of parasitaemia kills the host. The host response that controls the growth of malarial parasites has been largely thought to be the adaptive immune response. This talk will introduce the concept that perhaps as important is the innate immune response as mediated by platelets. Platelets are able to recognise infected red cells, bind to them, activate and kill malarial parasites. This talk will describe the research underpinning this observation. It will also introduce a large-scale ENU screen that has been performed to identify host molecules that are important in the host response to malaria.

Professor Simon Foote is a molecular geneticist. He is the Director of The John Curtin School of Medical Research at The Australian National University. He has been Dean of The Australian School of Medicine at Macquarie University, Director of the Menzies Research Institute at the University of Tasmania and Divisional Head at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Whitehead Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professor Foote has a medical degree and PhD from Melbourne University and a DSc from the University of Tasmania. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the Academy of Technological Science and Engineering and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Research. Professor Foote is interested in the genetic control of susceptibility to disease, with particular focus on infectious disease. His laboratory has identified loci governing the response to leishmaniasis and malaria. However the major focus of the laboratory is on trying to identify new drugs to combat malaria. By using the example of natural mutations that affect the red cell and making it difficult for the parasite to grow, his laboratory has found genes, that when mutated, prevent growth of malarial parasites. These genetic changes point the way to the creation of a new type of treatment that will be steadfast against the development of drug resistance. His laboratory is also interested in the genetic susceptibility to other diseases of humans. He is currently working on investigating the reasons that renal disease is so common in Aboriginal communities and in the genetic changes that underpin the familial nature of some of the common cancers.

The annual Ian Constable Lecture acknowledges the contribution of Professor Ian Constable AO, founding Managing Director of the Lions Eye Institute and founding Professor of Ophthalmology at The University of Western Australia. This year we are very pleased to have Professor Simon Foote, Director of The John Curtin School of Medical Research at The Australian National University, presenting his talk: Genome research produces new anti-malarial drug targets. Please note tickets are free but registration is essential due to limited capacity.

A public lecture by Professor David Yermack, Chairman, Finance Department, Stern School of Business, New York University and UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow.

The finance industry, which earns disproportionate profits, is set to be revolutionised by advances in financial technology (FinTech) rendering many finance jobs obsolete. The changes also challenge our existing notions of money and value.

In this public lecture, David Yermack, a leading authority on FinTech, will provide an accessible guide to the FinTech revolution and its implications for both laypersons and finance professionals.

Join the Sydney International Piano Competition’s 40th Anniversary celebrations with an electrifying national recital tour by Russian pianist, Konstantin Shamray. Konstantin is the first and only competitor in the 40 years of the Competition to win both the First and People’s Choice Prizes, in addition to six other prizes. He will perform for one night only in WA with program highlights including Mozart, Chopin, Bartok and Tchaikovsky.

Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=257849 $55 Adults $49 Concessions $20 Students

Join Russian pianist Konstantin Shamray as he works with talented UWA Piano students.

As part of the 'Moved Readings Project', the play will be read on the New Fortune stage with the help of willing students, staff, friends and family. No experience is required, as the readings will take place with script in hand! We hope to provide a dynamic learning space that creates a fun and entertaining experience for anyone who has an interest in early modern drama, acting, theatre studies, or watching colleagues perform outside their comfort zone. Come along and join in!

Rock art motifs are appropriated and recontextualised in many different ways. Sacred images end up as integral parts of national and state symbols; in new artistic media; on the covers of academic journals and monographs; on T-shirts, trinkets, and other tat; and in many other contexts worldwide. Both on and off the rocks, Indigenous rock paintings and engravings are powerful tools that can be and are used to shape, manipulate, and challenge cultural and socio-political identities. In this talk, I present results from recent archival- and field-work in Canada, the USA, Scandinavia, southern Africa, and Australia. I also consider heritage centres concerned with job creation, promoting community archaeology, and – above all – challenging visitors’ preconceptions of rock art and of the Indigenous peoples who made it.

*Requires ticket - pruchase via Eventbrite or Chuffed (links at end)*

Join Team WA Homeward Bound 2018 for a lively evening of conversation and celebration on behalf of WA women in science. In a provocative moderated discussion, panelists share stories and insights from their leadership journey. Live music, silent auction, wine and canapés included (tickets $100). Cocktail attire.

Panelists: Professor Lyn Beazley (Science Ambassador), Diana Jones (WA Museum), Professor Carolyn Oldham (UWA), Professor Melinda Fitzgerald (Curtin U.)

Proceeds support Team WA Homeward Bound 2018 as we embark on a leadership journey to Antarctica for gender equity and environmental sustainability action.

Team WA Homeward Bound 2018: Rachel Zombor, School of Psychological Science UWA & Neurosciences Unit WA Health; Veronique Florec, Post-doctoral Researcher, UWA; Anais Pages, Research Scientist, CSIRO; Jessica Brainard, Curator, New Museum Project, Western Australian Museum; Valérie Sage, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO

Chuffed: https://chuffed.org/project/homewardboundwa-2018

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/from-perth-to-antarctica-a-leadership-journey-for-women-in-science-tickets-37326152527

A public lecture by Professor Gary Kendrick and Dr John Statton, UWA Oceans Institute.

Seagrass meadows are among the most highly valued ecosystems on earth, worth $34 000 ha-1 yr-1 as they protect our coastlines, clean our polluted waters, capture atmospheric carbon are habitat for fish and feed many coastal communities of the world. We are losing seagrass meadows at rates comparable to those for coral reefs globally. An estimated one quarter of the world’s seagrass meadows is already lost. How do we turn about this loss? The main tools of an applied scientist are removing the drivers of loss and to enhance recovery through rehabilitation and restoration.

At the UWA Oceans Institute, and in collaboration with industry partners, we are developing large scale restoration techniques that can be used to both restore seagrasses and to enhance existing seagrass meadows for sustainability. To achieve large-scale restoration of degraded seagrass meadows, we take a lessons learnt approach from terrestrial restoration practices and apply this within a marine setting. Our research focuses on four key areas: seed harvesting and seed sowing, seed dormancy and germination, seedling growth and survival, and genetics to assess adaptability to environmental change. In this lecture we will present our gardening secrets for growing seagrasses for restoration.

About this Series: All at Sea - Restoration and Recovery Our oceans and coasts provide us with food, energy, livelihoods, cultural and recreational opportunities, yet they are coming under increasing pressure. This UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Oceans Institute Lecture Series explores the wonders of our seas, the challenges they face and how research at UWA - in a diverse range of fields including marine science, ocean engineering, health, humanities and social sciences are contributing to ensure sustainability.

Legendary American percussionist Jan Williams joins forces with UWA’s Piñata Percussion ensemble and the percussionists of the Australian National Academy of Music (VIC) for American Legends, an amazing journey of contemporary American masterworks.

Jan Williams is one of the most significant figures in the world of contemporary percussion. His collaborations with leading twentieth century composers John Cage, American maverick Lou Harrison and Pulitzer prizewinner Elliott Carter have influenced contemporary music worldwide.

Tickets: https://www.fac.org.au/whats-on/post/american-legends/

$24 Adults | Concessions $19

Be transported form the everyday in our free lunchtime concert series, featuring the finest musical talent locally, nationally and within the School of Music! This week's concert presents the UWA Piano students performing designated works, along with a special performance by Shuan Hern Lee!

Fridays@Five offers a unique musical experience to delight all music lovers, from young artist led concerts, informal musical drinks on the famous grassy knoll, behind the scenes workshops to lectures and masterclasses. Join us this week for performances by the UWA Guitar students!

Anxiety Group Therapy Program for Children

Does your child experience heightened levels of anxiety?

Is he/she aged between 8-12 years?

Would you like to learn some skills to help you and your child?

If you answered yes to each of these questions, an upcoming treatment group at UWA may be of interest to you. We are running therapy groups for children with anxiety. The treatment will closely follow the ‘Cool Kids’ program, an effective group therapy for decreasing anxiety. It runs for 10 weeks, for 1.5 hours each week on a Saturday morning, with sessions for both parent(s) and child held at the same time.

The group sessions will be at the Robin Winkler Clinic (Myers St Crawley) at the University of WA. Your child can continue with any existing therapy or medication throughout that he/she is already involved in throughout the group program.

If you are interested, please contact Emily South at [email protected] or 6488 2644 for more information.

DATE: Saturday 14th October to Saturday 16th December 2017 (10 weekly sessions)

TIME: 10am- 11.30am COST: $60 in total

Join us for the 2017 Manning Clark House Day of Ideas as we ask what a robotic future could look like and what it might mean for human beings.

Speakers:

'Will robots take over our jobs? An insight into the future of work.' Anu Bharadwaj, PhD candidate, Centre for Transformative Work Design, UWA Business School

'Robotics and AI: medicine as you may not know it.' Dr Anjali Jaiprakash, Advance Queensland Research Fellow, Medical and Healthcare Robotics, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision, Queensland University of Technology

'Aliveness and the Off-Switch in Human-Robot Relations.' Dr Eleanor Sandry, Department of Internet Studies, Curtin University

'Pushing Past the Trolley Problem: the ethics of driverless vehicles.' Anna Sawyer, Road Safety Manager, RAC, PhD candidate, Philosophy, School of Humanities, The University of Western Australia

'Trust me, it’s our little secret: robots, trust, and memory.' Dr Chris Stanton, The Marcs Institute for Brain, Behaviour & Development, Western Sydney University

'A Brief History of Automata and Automation: from marvels to machines.' Dr Elizabeth Stephens, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Queensland.

'Make Lovebots not Warbots: robots and relationships.' Sean Welsh, PhD candidate, Department of Philosophy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

This symposium brings together a panel of experts from across Australia to discuss ways to support regional and remote students to succeed in higher education. The purpose is to explore the value of investing in higher education from the perspective of the individual, community and the university sector and to question what we need to do to become a truly ‘clever country'.

The symposium will feature the following panel of experts:

Professor Grady Venville Chair (Dean of Coursework Studies, The University of Western Australia)

Tim Shanahan (Chair, WA Regional Development Trust)

Professor Sally Kift PFHEA (President, Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows, Former DVC – Academic, James Cook University)

Professor Steven Larkin (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Education and Research, University of Newcastle)

Vicki Ratliff (Director, Equity Policy and Programmes, Australian Government Department of Education and Training)

Professor Sue Trinidad (Director, National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education)

The symposium will be held in The University Club of Western Australia Auditorium, and refreshments will be provided. Attendance is free, but tickets are limited so RSVP is essential. Reserve your ticket here: http://bit.ly/2xunNxe

A QAWWALI SUFI MUSIC NIGHT BY

USTAD FAREED AYAZ, USTAD ABU MUHAMMAD QAWWAL & BROTHERS Masters of Qawwali Sufi music Ustad Fareed Ayaz, Ustad Abu Muhammad Qawwal and Brothers are an acclaimed and award-winning Qawwali group from Pakistan, popular for their Sufi performances and have performed extensively across Europe, USA, Canada and Asia Pacific.

WHEN: 16 October 2017 TIME: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM VENUE: UWA University Club, Auditorium, Hackett Drive. TICKETS: Standard $20; Students $10 (Pay at the venue. Please bring exact change).

REGISTER by email to [email protected]

Join the UWA Symphonic Chorus, Vocal Consort, Wind Orchestra, Brass Ensemble and celebrated organist Dominic Perissinotto for an evening of exquisite music in the beautiful acoustic of the St Patrick's Basilica.

The program will include:

Bruckner: Mass No. 2 in E Minor

Gounod: Petite Symphonie

Grieg: Funeral March for Nordraak

King: The Viking March

All tickets $15 - https://www.trybooking.com/SECW

China’s growth is slowing, but demand for renewable resources is growing. With the combination of rapid technological change and fluctuating transport costs, are our assumptions about the immediate economic future of Australia correct?

In this Public Forum, Tianqi Lithium is partnering with South West University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) and UWA to bring together panel experts from SWUFE and UWA, with expertise spanning from economics and finance to trade and resource management. With a particular focus on WA, join our panellists as they discuss the implications and challenges of renewable resources on Australia’s relationship with China.