What's On at UWA

A public lecture by Jonathan Rigg, Professor of Geography, National University of Singapore and 2014 IAS Professor-at-Large.

We have become so used to Asia’s rapid economic expansion and the idea that the world’s future lies with the East rather than the West that the continuing and emergent challenges of rapid growth are often lost from view. Drawing on the experience of the countries of Southeast Asia, this lecture by Professor Rigg will explore the ‘underside’ of development. While not denying the enormous achievements of the countries of Southeast Asia over the last four decades, the lecture will highlight that in many respects the hardest challenges are still to be addressed.

Cost: free, but RSVP essential via www.ias.uwa.edu.au/lectures/jonathan-rigg

CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES

Neil Brewer is Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Flinders University. He was Dean of the School of Psychology for around 10 years between 2000 and 2013. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the APAs Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (2013-19). Most of his research is in the psychology-law area, especially eyewitness memory – but he also collaborates on some research on ASD and is nearing completion of a book titled “The crimes of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder”. He has been a long-serving Editorial Board member for all the leading journals in the psychology-law field and has also served on the ARC’s College of Experts and on the Future Fellowships selection panel.

He is invited regularly to present at conferences of judges and magistrates around Australia. His research has been cited in various court judgments including the US Supreme Court, NY Supreme Courts, the US Court of Appeals (District of Columbia Circuit) and in the Court of Appeal in Western Australia. He is an honorary consultant to the Innocence Projects in the USA and New Zealand, and has recently been advising police and parliamentarians on model procedures for conducting eyewitness identification tests in South Australia.



Abstract

Laboratory, field and archival case studies have demonstrated that witnesses to crimes frequently make mistakes when asked to identify a culprit from a photo-array. Despite promising advances over the last couple of decades, the likelihood of error remains unacceptably high. Here I will focus on two related issues. First, I will review a substantial body of our recent research which examines whether we are able to determine if an eyewitness identification decision is likely to be accurate. Then, I will outline recent experiments which explore some radical alternative procedures that remove the requirement for the witness to make a Yes-No identification decision, yet prove to be more informative about whether the police suspect is guilty than the traditional eyewitness identification test.

The UWA Friends of the Grounds will hold their 'Annual Plant Sale’ on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 May from 12-2pm at the Taxonomic Garden - near the Botany glasshouses.

There will be exotic and native plants as well as succulents and herbs for sale.

Sales are cash only and prices are around $5 and under. Please bring your own carry bags if possible.

Come and join us and bring your friends and colleagues along to purchase some treasures for your garden!

Please support the Friends with funds going towards the redevelopment of the Taxonomic Garden.

It began with chimney sweeps and is now publicly funded universal education. In this and other stories, this WXED talk will trace several pillars of today's Education system that arose from an adventurous Christianity. Is there today a potential for teachers and students in a new ongoing, adventurous and open conversation towards a transformative learning. This event is an experiment in thinking beyond the silos and we are looking for you to join the conversation.

Join Trevor Aung Than, an Australian physiotherapist who has worked in many guises in the industry; occupational health; community physio, orthopaedics and in the sports industry. In 2009 he left his successful suburban practice to join Cirque du Soleil in Macau, China as a Performance Medicine therapist. He has distilled what he has discovered over the years into what he now teaches. This workshop will introduce the concept of whole-body interconnectedness, how our bodies are actually connected by a large web-like network of fascial structures, from our toes to our nose. This workshop will teach you how to open these myofascial lines using movement, mobilizers and SMR (Self-Myofascial Release) techniques to help improve your fitness & sports performance. $40 for UWA Sports Association Members (all students) / $60 for community or non-Association members. (enrol at UWA Sports Recreation & Fitness Centre Reception prior to session)

This seminar is directed at bringing together legal and clinical practitioners to engage in a series of cross-disciplinary presentations and discussions, exploring the ethical and regulatory challenges in this important field of social, scientific and legal endeavour.

The 2014 Blakers Mathematics Competition is now open.

Eligible candidates are all undergraduates in first, second and third years at a WA university.

Entries must be received by Friday, 26 September, 2014. They may be mailed or given to Dr Greg Gamble, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009. It is recommended that a PDF-scanned copy of your entry is also emailed to [email protected]. Please mark your entry Blakers Mathematics Competition 2014, and include your name, address, email address, university, and number of years you have been attending any tertiary institution.

More details about how to enter can be found at http://www.maths.uwa.edu.au/students/competitions

Machine &/or mat based clinical Pilates classes focusing on efficient and effective movement patterns. Classes are designed to strengthen the body whilst enhancing mobility over the colder winter months! Classes may incorporate elements of myofascial and muscle release, contemporary Pilates and a variety of props.

'Group' (max 8 ppl) and 'Studio' (max 3 ppl) sessions available at various times throughout the day (incl. before or after work and lunch time sessions).

All sessions are conducted by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and private health rebates may apply depending on your level of cover.

For a schedule and prices email [email protected] or call 6488 3333.

The Prospective Students Office invites future students and their families to join us on a guided tour of UWA's stunning Crawley campus.

You will have the opportunity to explore our beautiful grounds and heritage buildings while learning more about the University, our courses and admission requirements.

The tour runs for about an hour, and ends at the Admissions Centre and Prospective Students Office, where you will be able to collect course information booklets and other brochures.

This tour will be held the morning of the Western Australia Day public holiday in June.

Online registrations will open in early February via the website mentioned below.

Please note: tours are not intended for the general public.

Climate simulation models suggest that mean temperatures on the Loess Plateau of China will increase by 2.5 to 3.75°C by 2050, while those in the cropping region of south-west Australia will increase by 1.25 to 1.75°C. The rainfall in south-west Australia rainfall is predicted to decrease by 20 to 60 mm, rainfall on the Loess Plateau of China is not expected to change.

Farming systems in both regions differ markedly in scale, but both have adopted water conservation techniques that benefit crop yields. In south-west Australia zero tillage and adequate use of fertilizers have enabled farmers to increase their rainfall use efficiency and yields of cereals, canola and legumes, while on the Loess Plateau, mulching with plastic, gravel and residues, crop sequence, fertilizer/organic manure application and supplementary irrigation have improved precipitation use efficiency and yields of several crops and enabled the production of maize in areas of the Loess Plateau where temperatures limit its production.

The implications of climate change and adaptation strategies such as agronomic management and crop breeding in the two regions will be discussed in relation to future improvements in water productivity and food production.

Further reading:

Turner, N.C., Li, F.-M., Xiong, Y.-C., and Siddique, K.H.M. (2011). Climate change and agricultural ecosystem management in dry areas (Guest editorial). Crop and Pasture Science 62: i-ii. Gan, Y., Siddique, K.H.M., Turner, N.C., Li, X.G., Niu, J.Y., Yang, C., Liu, L., and Chai, Q. (2013). Ridge-Furrow Mulching Systems - An innovative technique for boosting crop productivity in semiarid rain-fed environments. Advances in Agronomy. 117: 429–476.

Chai, Q., Gan, Y., Turner, N.C., Zhang, R.Z., Yang, Y., Niu, Y. and Siddique, K.H.M. (2014). Water-saving innovations in Chinese agriculture. Advances in Agronomy 126: 149-201.

Liu, C.A., Zhou, L.M., Jia, J.J., Wang, L.J., Xi, L., Pan, C.C., Siddique, K.H.M. and Li, F.M. (2014). Maize yield and water balance is affected by nitrogen application in a film-mulching ridge-furrow system in a semiarid region of China. European Journal of Agronomy 52:103-111.

PS* This seminar is free and open to the public & no RSVP required.

****All Welcome****

Come along to the UWA Business School's information evening for the Master of Business Administration (MBA), where you can learn about our new MBA Full Time as well as MBA Flexible. You will have the opportunity to meet professors and current students, have all your questions answered, and even apply on the night.

You will be able to meet professors and students from 5.30pm onwards, with the formal presentation beginning at 6.00pm.

The annual Australasian Development Economics Workshop, sponsored by DFAT, brings together development economists from Australia and internationally with particular emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.

The next workshop is the tenth in the series and will be hosted by the Business School, The University of Western Australia, Perth.

Professor Lant Pritchett (Harvard University) will deliver the keynote address. We will also have a roundtable discussion on the “Middle Income Trap” with Professor James Riedel (Johns Hopkins University), Professor Xin Meng (Australian National University) and Dr. Sudarno Sumarto (SMERU).

Register here: www.business.uwa.edu.au/research/conferences/10th-australasian-development-economics-workshop

The Institute of Agriculture's annual Postgraduate Showcase brings together some of UWA’s best PhD students at an advanced stage of their research. This year, nine presentations covering a wide range of disciplines will highlight some of the research and progress underway at UWA in the area of agriculture, food science and natural resource management. The event also provides opportunities for students to interact with industry representatives and future employers.

For catering purposes, please RSVP by 26 May to [email protected]

Economic growth and development depend on institutions such as administrative capability of the state and the capability of governments to affect the course of events through policies and programs.

Harvard University’s Professor Lant Pritchett will discuss how some countries manage to consistently fail to acquire capability and how growth dynamics depend on institutional dynamics. He will also discuss how to sabotage the techniques of economic development failure: such as the shallow mimicry of institutions, and unrealistic expectations about the pace of institutional change.

Lant Pritchett is Professor of the Practice of International Development at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and works as a consultant to Google.org

This event is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and is being held as part of the 10th Australasian Development Economics Workshop.

On Thursday June 5 at 6.30 p.m. in the Austin Lecture Theatre at The University of Western Australia, the Ambassador of Greece, Mr Haris Dafaranos, will give a public lecture on ‘Philhellenism’.

The lecture (open to the general public) will be preceded by a brief introduction offered by Emeritus Professor John Melville-Jones, who will speak about philhellenism in the ancient world.

The Ambassador’s lecture will be concerned with philhellenism in later times, and its relationship to the exercise of ‘soft power’, a term recently developed to describe the way in which nations may be able to attract support without using force or bribery.

Deciding what subjects to study in Year 11 and 12 can be a daunting process, particularly if you are not yet sure if university is the right pathway for your future goals.

Our information sessions will provide advice on UWA's courses, entry requirements and other helpful subject selection tips that will allow you to keep your future study options open.

You will also find out about the various events and activities we offer on campus for Year 10 and 11 students throughout the year.

UWA staff from the Prospective Students Office will be available to answer any queries you may have after the session.

Deciding what subjects to study in Year 11 and 12 can be a daunting process, particularly if you are not yet sure if university is the right pathway for your future goals.

Our information sessions will provide advice on UWA's courses, entry requirements and other helpful subject selection tips that will allow you to keep your future study options open.

You will also find out about the various events and activities we offer on campus for Year 10 and 11 students throughout the year.

UWA staff from the Prospective Students Office will be available to answer any queries you may have after the session.

Presentation Synopsis

Although quite common in past centuries, currently in the Western world even the thought of marriage with a biological relative usually evokes widespread suspicion and distaste. Yet some 1,100 million people live in countries where 20% to over 50% of marriages are between first cousins or other close kin. The reasons for these very different approaches to partner choice and their supposed influence on health and wellbeing will be presented and discussed, based on ongoing studies across four continents.

About the Speaker

Professor Alan Bittles was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and educated in Trinity College, University of Dublin (MA, 1972, ScD, 2004) and Queen’s University, Belfast (PhD, 1973). He currently is Adjunct Professor and Research Leader in the Centre for Comparative Genomics, Murdoch University, and Adjunct Professor of Community Genetics in the School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, where he was Foundation Professor of Human Biology and Director of the Centre for Human Genetics from 1993-2005. His present research centres on rare diseases, intellectual and developmental disability, and the impact of consanguinity and genetic sub-structure on disease gene expression, with projects in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Iran, Pakistan and the UK.

A few years ago we stumbled upon an interesting peptide biosynthesis in sunflower seeds. A small peptide was buried inside another protein and the peptide emerged from its hiding place by hijacking the protein processing machinery of the 'host' protein. This system has become a lead-in to studying the evolution of proteins.

It recently allowed us to trace the biochemical steps that we think led to the 'birth' or de novo evolution of a protein. With it for example, we can also ask how easily new proteins might be created and how they manage to mimic other proteins. We recently found the processing machinery that was hijacked has evolved a dual functionality. I will discuss the biosynthesis and what it's teaching us, but I promise not to get too detailed!

Bio

Assoc. Prof. Mylne (PhD, Botany) worked at the John Innes Centre in the UK (2001-2005), using molecular genetics to study proteins that accelerate flowering in response to prolonged cold (vernalization). In 2006 he moved to the Division of Chemistry & Structural Biology at The Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB, UQ) where he held a QEII Fellowship (2008-2012) and was the inaugural John S. Mattick Fellow (2010-2012).

In 2013 he joined the faculty at The University of Western Australia and took up an ARC Future Fellowship in the School of Chemistry & Biochemistry and The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology. His research interests are protein evolution and the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of bioactive peptides.

www.uwa.edu.au/people/joshua.mylne

PS* This seminar is free and open to the public & no RSVP required.

****All Welcome****

If you have a passion for great food and wine then you will not want to miss the 2014 Wine Show by the Bay. Sample a carefully selected range of local, national and international wines in a tasting fair where over 50 estates will showcase their wines. There will also be a series of wine and food masterclasses that guests can also subscribe to. General Entry Tickets are $20 per person and include a monogrammed tasting glass and entry to the wine fair. Additional masterclasses are $25 each. To Book please call 6488 8770. This event is open to the General Public.