What's On at UWA

On Tuesday 2nd August 2016, ACICIS will hold an evening cocktail function at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery at The University of Western Australia.

On the night, the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor International will officially welcome ACICIS to its new host university.

The event will also wrap up ACICIS’ 20th anniversary year celebrations, which began in July 2015, celebrating our inaugural cohort who spent a year in-country beginning in August 1995.

The UWA Cultural Precinct, the UWA Institute of Advanced Studies and the Black Swan State Theatre Company are pleased to host a special Q&A event as part of The Caucasian Chalk Circle season presented by Black Swan State Theatre Company, in collaboration with the National Theatre of China.

Dr Wang Xiaoying (Director, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Vice President, National Theatre of China) will discuss Beijing Opera and his reading and interpretation of Brecht.

Panellists: Dr Steve Chinna (English and Cultural Studies, UWA); Professor Helena Grehan (Associate Dean, Research, School of Art, Murdoch University); Translation services by Dr Gary Sigley (Asian Studies, UWA).

**PREVIEW PERFORMANCE - The Caucasian Chalk Circle** Tuesday 2 August, 7.30pm | Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA

BOOKINGS: To book for the performance, use the promo code BRECHT when booking online with ticketek.com.au to obtain a 25% discount ($50.00* down from $67.00).

This program is presented as part of the Western Australian Government’s China Cultural Diplomacy Project, an initiative of the Department of Culture and the Arts.

CMSS’s Religion, State & Society Seminars will explore the role of religion in shaping lived experiences of Muslims in the contemporary globalised world. This involves exploring the interaction between Muslims and non-Muslim in political, social, cultural and economic spheres at local, national and global levels. Seminars will be on various topics, including terrorism and radicalisation, gender issues, democratisation, and secularism.

3 August Seminar by Professor Graham Brown

Title: Notes on the epistemology of religious violence

Across the social sciences, the hypothesized role of ‘religion’ in ‘religious’ violence varies widely. At one extreme, popularised in works such as Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations, religion difference in and of itself is seen as the cause of religious conflict. At the other extreme, many development economists – including myself – have sought to ‘explain away’ religion by focusing on socio-economic characteristics. Neither approach is entirely satisfactory, however; as the historian Keith Wrightson notes of the English Civil Wars, violence can ‘mean different things to different people’. In this talk, I will critically review these different approaches to understanding religious violence and tentatively propose a framework for bringing them together, drawing on the conceptual apparatus of ‘discursive institutionalism’.

Register via: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/myevent?eid=26775501245

A public lecture by Ben H. Shepherd, 2016 Fred Alexander Fellow and reader in History at Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland.

The German army is widely regarded as having been the most skilled and effective land-based fighting force of World War II, but also one whose reputation is massively tarnished by its involvement in Nazi crimes. These crimes included the extermination of Europe’s Jews, the mass death of Soviet prisoners of war, the ruthless economic exploitation of occupied territory, and anti-partisan warfare that claimed tens of thousands of civilian lives. The army committed such acts in large part because it subscribed to the ruthless ideological programme of National Socialism. But it also committed them because it saw in them a way of compensating for its own military weaknesses, something that gives the lie to its much-vaunted combat superiority. This lecture will examine the particular ways in which weaknesses in areas such as logistics, manpower, mechanisation and military intelligence contributed to the army’s involvement in Nazi crimes.

The Fred Alexander Fellowship is dedicated to the memory of Professor Fred Alexander (1899-1996), the founding Head of the History Discipline (then Department) at The University of Western Australia.

Professor Ross Baker presents ‘Another Bloody Breakfast' with special guest, Dr Clair McLintock, Lead Clinician of Obstetric Medicine and obstetric physician and haematologist at National Women’s Health, Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand.

Dr McLintock specialises in women with medical problems relating to pregnancy, has expertise in investigation of couples with recurrent miscarriage and in the assessment of women who have medical or haematological problems that may complicate pregnancy.

Join Professor Baker and Dr McLintock for this interactive question and answer session hosted by Chantelle Toohey.

Bangladesh has witnessed a rise in violence targeted at bloggers, writers, intellectuals, members of minority faith groups, and foreigners, by groups claiming to be affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Islamic State (IS). The seminar will explain the latest situation in Bangladesh and assess  the myriad of factors that are behind militancy and radicalisation in Bangladesh. 

UWA School of Music is a vibrant centre for research in music and music education, where a thriving community of scholars is engaged in exploring the frontiers of knowledge, working on a wide range of research projects with diverse outputs.

A free weekly seminar series, with presenters from within UWA and from the wider community.

Rosalind Appleby-The Rise of Australian Women Composers

In the early twentieth century, being a female composer was a dangerous game; one composer was diagnosed as mentally insane by her psychiatrist husband, several achieved success only after their divorces, and often the only way to get their music published was to lie about their gender. Still, the allure of writing music enticed women from all walks of life, and from the convent and the nappy-change table women began to compose. This presentation takes a fresh look at Australia's history and makes some startling discoveries about the contribution of women to Australian classical music. Drawing on research from her book Women of Note Rosalind puts together the missing pieces of history, sharing music and stories from women composers spanning the twentieth century to present day.

About the talk

Did you know that every piece of furniture once had to declare if it had been touched by ‘Asiatic’ hands? Or that Boans used to proudly advertise that all its furniture from its factory in East Perth was made with 100% White Labour? Starting with a small kitchen table in Belmont’s museum, Eddie Marcus will explore the background to the 1904 Act which divided furniture into two castes, and reveal what this meant for Western Australian workers to be grouped racially. It will turn out that concepts of White and Asian were very slippery indeed and the more people tried to categorise, the muddier these notions became. Immigration, race and cultural identity are hot topics in 2016, so it is very timely to look back more than a century and see if the past offers any guidance for our multicultural future.

About the Speaker

After completing his degree at Cambridge University, Eddie did a number of jobs (as well as becoming a perpetual student) before marrying a West Australian and moving here twelve years ago. After a stint with the State Heritage Office, he struck out on his own as a consultant historian with a speciality in the built heritage of this State. This has involved travelling all over Western Australia and exploring every aspect of our fascinating past. In addition, Eddie has also written a number of books, including a guide to Perth’s oldest pubs and the history of Guildford Grammar School chapel.

Members: Free, Guests: $5 donation

Medfest is a global, medically themed film festival seeking to increase interest in psychiatry and to inspire people through film.

Medfest was first held in the UK in 2011 and now comprises 46 independent events around the world. This year, Medfest comes to Perth for the first time.

A selection of short films, clips and animations are shown and discussed by a panel of distinguished or famous faces before the floor is opened for audience comments. This year the films will aim to consider the depiction of trauma in film and its relationship with healthcare and medicine. We will seek to encourage audience opportunity to reflect on the impact of conflict in a variety of contexts on both physical and mental well-being and to discuss the role of both medicine and mental health care in these situations as well as considering positive coping mechanisms and resilience in face of difficulties.

This is a free public event but attendees are encouraged to register via the website (www.medfest.org.au/perth).

Be transported from the everyday in our free lunchtime concert series, featuring the finest musical talent locally, nationally and within the School.

Free entry - no bookings required!

This week UWA's talented Guitar students, under the direction of Jonathan Fitzgerald present a program of works by Leo Brouwer, Erik Satie, Domenico Scarlatti, Paul Hindemith, Roland Dyens, Terry Riley and JS Bach. This diverse program includes works for solo guitar, duo and guitar ensemble.

Free performances every Friday during semester at 1pm and at 5pm!

A wide perception about China is that the Chinese only imitate foreign creativity. The notion of creativity is not heavily studied by sinologists and deserves a better discussion from an inter-disciplinary view. This presentation will examine how renowned individuals in Chinese history viewed creativity and how creativity was understood in a broader social and cultural context of the cumulativeness of knowledge and the dissemination of information. This perspective is not only constructive to sinology but also to topical global agendas, in particular the global governance of knowledge and intellectual property law

The ideal way to start your weekend, Fridays@Five offers unique musical experiences to delight all music lovers. See young artists be inspired through a variety of masterclasses, workshops, pre-concert talks, lectures and Q&A sessions. Delve deep into music or simply enjoy a free informal performance to kick-start your weekend.

This week the acclaimed Darlington Ensemble: Graeme Gilling (piano), Semra Lee-Smith (violin), Sally Boud (viola) and Jon Tooby (cello) perform Schumann's Piano Quartet in E flat major.

Bar open 5pm, performance begins 5.30pm. Free entry - all welcome!

YOU can meet our UniHallers and join us for a free exclusive breakfast and a tour before heading over to UWA Open Day.

This is a great opportunity for you to discover what it’s like to live on campus at UWA. On the day you will meet our UniHall ambassadors who will take you on a tour and share their stories about living at the Hall.

Register your place online at www.unihall.uwa.edu.au/event/unihallbreakfast2016

The Perth USAsia Centre in collaboration with Australia-China Relations Institute invite you to join us for what promises to be an engaging discussion with Professor the Hon. Bob Carr, Director, Australia-China Relations Institute. The Honourable Bob Carr is Professor in International Relations at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He is the Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI), the only Australian think tank devoted to illuminating the Australia-China relationship. ACRI Director Professor Carr will explore the prospect of another 850 million Chinese enjoying middle class status by 2030 and the impact that this will have on Australia’s economic future. We hope you can join us for this timely discussion and what promises to be a thought provoking event. Professor Gordon Flake, Chief Executive Officer, Perth USAsia Centre will moderate the Q&A session. Please share this special invitation with family, friends and colleagues that have an interest in this topic. We look forward to welcoming you then. Warm regards, The Perth USAsia Centre

Each year UWA SNAGS host a women in agriculture breakfast to introduce readily involved and influential women of the industry to those studying in the natural and agricultural sciences.

This year the event will be on the 16th August at 7:30am. This event has been a great success in previous years, with over a hundred attendees from range of different organisations.

We are pleased to announce our keynote speakers for this year are:

Mrs Maree Gooch - Finalist RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year WA 2016

Ms Elizabeth Brennan- President Australian Women in Agriculture

MC: Former ABC Rural and WA Country Hour presenter Mrs Rose Crane.

Tickets are $25 for students (with a valid student email address) and $40 for non-students and are available for purchase at

www.eventbrite.com.au/e/uwa-snags-celebrating-women-in-agriculture-breakfast-tickets-26416677995

Please note that this seminar has been postponed.

CMSS’s Religion, State & Society Seminars will explore the role of religion in shaping lived experiences of Muslims in the contemporary globalised world. This involves exploring the interaction between Muslims and non-Muslim in political, social, cultural and economic spheres at local, national and global levels.

Leading academics and researchers in the field will present papers on various topics, including terrorism and radicalisation, gender issues, democratisation, and secularism.

17 August Seminar by Professor Samina Yasmeen

Pakistan has been the site of Muslim militant activity since the 1980s. But the magnitude and significance of these activities have intensified in the post 9/11 world. A number of ‘jihadi groups, employ narratives that are designed to secure support for their specific interpretation of engaging in jihad. These narratives differ in terms of the identification of targets, the logic behind targeting them and the ultimate reward for jihad. The presentation will investigate the concept of narratives in jihad, discuss some of the examples of jihadi narratives, and contrast them with alternative interpretations of jihad propounded by other Pakistani scholars. This would also investigate the gender dimension in jihad: how women are included and identified in the jihadi literature and their inclusion is being contested by other Pakistani women who work in the deradicalisation space.

Register via: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/cmss-seminar-series-religion-state-society-tickets-26775503251

Lions Eye Institute (LEI) is giving you an opportunity to speak to and hear from some of the best eye doctors and researchers at an event organised during the National Science Week. This event will be divided into two sessions. In the first session you will be able to have a round-table discussion with LEI’s top doctors who will explain some of the most important aspects of eye sight, vision problems and their current and future treatments. In the second session you will hear directly from our diverse group of early career and student scientists about the latest research happening at LEI and their firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a scientist

In December 2015 the Productivity Commission released its much-anticipated review of the workplace relations framework. Far from being the blueprint for radical change that many had anticipated, it largely endorsed the objectives and design of the Fair Work regime – although it still proposed some important changes. Yet despite the report’s significance, only its section on penalty rates has prompted much discussion. In this lecture, Professor Andrew Stewart will consider the likely impact of the report in both the short and longer term. He will also look ahead to the prospects for reform under the government elected at the July 2016 election, in light of their policy platform, their chances of working with the new Senate – and the possibility of new and as yet unrevealed proposals.

The Annual Dean’s Lecture, (Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts) by Kristien Ring, architect, curator and author.

With more and more people moving to urban centres worldwide, new solutions for growth are needed: strategies for densification that actually improve and bring benefits to the surrounding neighborhood and enhance the walkability and livability of our cities. All too often, our city development is determined by profit-driven investments that lack quality.

Using international examples, mainly from Berlin, Kristien Ring introduces the idea of the "Self Made City".

Our cities are starting to be more defined by the people living there who are developing projects through self-initiative such as baugruppen, co-housing and co-working groups, co-op associations, and other project forms.

This talk and the associated exhibition will demonstrate: new models for project development; how cost can be greatly reduced but building quality increased; diverse architectural and ecological building solutions; how projects consider social issues that enhance urban vitality; hybrid and mixed-use typologies that fuel urban interaction; and strategies that allow participants to collaborate in order to create their own personal solutions.

The success of our cities in the future will depend upon how we use the built developments of today to improve the quality of life in the city and to strengthen its unique diversity.

This event is presented by the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts with the Institute of Advanced Studies. Kristien is a 2016 UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow.

Kristien Ring’s exhibition 'Self Made City' will be on display at the Cullity Gallery, located in the UWA Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts, Nedlands Campus, from 18 August - 9 September.

Those attending the SELF MADE CITY lecture are invited to the official opening of the exhibition, immediately after the lecture, in the Cullity Gallery on the UWA Nedlands Campus.