All aboard the Vodkatrain!

Eight BHO2193 Tourism Product Design and Delivery students were selected as finalists in the Vodkatrain/BHO2193 prize. The major assignment in this subject required students, working in pairs, to produce 5 minute Skype videos of interviews done with Vodkatrain tour guides situated in places like Beijing, Suzdal and Moscow. The selected 8 students also attend a seminar on Social Media in the Travel Industry. Students had the option to submit their videos to Vodkatrain for judging and to use in marketing campaigns, and all participants received a certificate of thanks from Vodkatrain.

Ryan Green (4th from the right) and Bridgette Meaden (on the far right) emerged as victors - both receiving a $3,000, 3 week Vodkatrain trans-Mongolian Railway trip, during which they’ll be Vodkatrain’s social media reporters. Ryan and Bridgette will be blogging, posting on Facebook, tweeting and Youtubing their experience throughout the tour.

Logistics news

Delegation from China on Modern Logistics Training

Twenty five delegates from the Jiangsu Development and Reform Commission in China visited VU this month for executive training on modern logistics. The delegation was a direct result of the Victorian Government mission to China in September 2012, and VU was privileged to conduct the pilot program. The three days executive training were facilitated by Dr. Himanshu Shee, followed by two visits to IGA Distribution center in Laverton, and Corporate Express in Port Melbourne. The training was targeted mainly on Australian Logistics industry’s trend, decision behind process development and technology applications, cost efficiency drive and the strategies for survival in the era of global financial crisis. The experienced logistics delegates were most impressed by the industry visits, program content, and discussions. It was a great opportunity to exchange knowledge with the delegation.

At the IGA Distribution Centre, a demonstration of the normal operation of receiving, storing and dispatching drew attention to the functional layout, personnel scheduling/work flow, safety measures, and overall productivity. Among the technology applications, the delegation was particularly impressed by the voice recognition and pick-up system and the general Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). The dematic crane in the National Distribution Center (NDC) was the main attraction and the delegates noted the efficient and cost effective process of handling small orders.

At Corporate Express in Port Melbourne, a similar voice recognition and pick-up system was demonstrated to an accuracy of 99.89%. Further, the sustainability and ethical practices adopted by Corporate Express added to the value of the site visit. As one participant said, ‘We know it, but we're not able to practice in logistics management’. All realised that the Australian Logistics Industry is way ahead on many fronts than its Chinese counterpart. All members of the delegation were presented with certificates by Executive Education Director Dr. Joe Griffin, who is confident that the pilot program will be continued in 2013.

Supply chain students on Industrial Visits

Dr. Himanshu Shee from the School of Management and Information Systems took a group of 40 postgraduate students to the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Corporate Express (CE) distribution centre (DC) in Altona and Port Melbourne October 2012.

The Corporate Express DC deals mainly with office supplies to corporate offices, while TMC produces Camry and Aurion cars for domestic and overseas markets. The supply chain students had the opportunity to go through the logistics DC operations mainly the processes such as receiving, put away, retrieving and dispatching. The voice picking technology of the DC was major point of discussion.

Car Assembly line at TMC was the major attraction for the students and the students were keen to know more on the logistics operations behind it. Both the visits added much to the class room discussion on the way supermarket industry and car manufacturing sector operate in Australia. Kaizen (i.e. continuous improvement) and Kanban (i.e. components parts ordering) application were the major area of discussion while on plant tour. The learning from the visit was added to the report that the students prepared on various topics and submitted for assessment.

VU alum launches TV program

VU Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) graduate Kris Bondin is hosting a new TV program airing in Channel 31, called 'Money and Your Life'.

This unique show is dedicated to helping everyday Aussies get their finances back on track. Kris Bondin, CEO of Bills to Pay, uses his expertise in budgeting to help each week’s guests organise their finances, save money and live a better life.

Each week, Kris invites an expert from an expert panel to help guests overcome other challenges they may be facing; these experts come from all different fields such as family law, financial planning, event planning, child care and recruitment.

With such an array of experts, Money & Your Life is uniquely positioned to provide assistance to many Aussies in differing circumstances. So, no matter where you are in your life, this show will have something for you!

Tune in for the opportunity to win some great prizes, thanks to our sponsors.

• Melbourne: Monday nights at 8pm on Channel 31 - Digital 44
• Brisbane: Monday night at 7:30pm on 31 Digital
• Adelaide: Monday night at 7pm on Adelaide 44

Potential Unlimited 5 Launch

A band performs at the launch

Earlier this month, Potential Unlimited 5 launched another 11 acts through their unique VU student record label. Students of the Music Publishing and Recording unit were required to identify, contact and license a particular song from an emerging band or artist. They were then required to construct marketing tools and identify areas of marketing which would be most beneficial to their chosen act. They also uploaded these marketing materials to the Potential Unlimited website - www.amusicdegreethatrocks.vu.edu.au. The groups were then given 80 copies of the CD to go out into the market and use to promote their chosen act.

A soloist takes the stage

On Thursday 4th of October, the Potential Unlimited 5 launch was held at Kindred studios in Whitehall Street, Yarraville. The launch event was an undertaking by students from the Live Performance Management unit, and forms part of their assessment.

Due to be finished in December, Kindred studios will house the VU Music & creative industries units in a state of the art facility. The Publishing and Recording and Live Performance students who put together the Potential Unlimited 5 CD and launch event were impressed with what VU is building at Kindred studios, and were happy to have Potential Unlimited 5 launched there to help bring attention to this exciting new facility.

When completed, Kindred will offer a brilliant creative environment for students to work on sound production, performance, composition, studio work, live sound production, sound production software, public address system to name just a few.

Potential Unlimited has proven to be a very popular assignment for the unit Music Publishing and recording unit, with one group concluding their assignment presentation this year by saying, 'We really liked the music industry, and after this experience, we like it even more!'.

Part of the audience enjoying the launch & venue

Student Danica Bulovic said of the evening, 'I think we had at least approximately 90 people there at one point, which was a really excellent turnout. The vibe of the night was really laid back, in my opinion, just like going to see local bands at your local pub. We had free beer on tap and 4 really cool bands play - Velour Fog, James Gowans and band, The Evidence and Luna Ghost - with the set up of the venue allowing everyone in the room to have a really excellent view of the stage.'

Potential Unlimited 4 was shortlisted in the 2011 Independent Music Awards, a US based, global competition for all forms of music. With a judging panel is drawn from US based music industry executives as well as some prominent artists, last years panel included Keith Richards. Potential Unlimited 4 went on to win in the Campus Records category, becoming the only non-US campus to ever win in this category - a feat we will hopefully replicate this year with Potential Unlimited 5.

2012 Kirby Moot wrap-up

On the 10th, 11th & 12th of October, Victoria Law School (VLS) held the 2nd Annual Hon. Michael Kirby Contract Law Competition.

L-R: Robin Brett QC, Prof. Andrew Clarke, Judge Misso
(Semi-final, 12th October 2012, Adelaide University 1 v Bond University)

There were a total of 80 participants, from 22 teams and 12 different Universities around Australia. These included Victoria University, Bond University, University of Queensland, University of Western Sydney, The University of Newcastle, The University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT, Deakin University, Queensland University of Technology and Latrobe University.

Hon. Prof Frank Vincent AO QC, Hon. Prof Michael
Kirby AC CMG, Michael D.Wyles SC

Victoria Law School entered three teams; they all competed extremely well and were part of the final eight. The final, between Adelaide Team 1 and VLS Team 2, was close, with VLS being the victors on the day.  Congratulations to VLS Team 2 on a superb win.

The event was a great success, giving all participants a rich clinical and learning experience. The VLS would like to thank each and every team member and their dedicated coaches. The standard of advocacy was superb; the competitors are terrific ambassadors for the next generation of legal and professional talent.

A huge debt of gratitude goes to each of our Arbitrators. Their ethic of public service is deep and profound, and on behalf of all students we thank you for your time, dedication and wisdom. Particular thanks goes to our stellar cast of arbitrators for the final, the “dream team” of Justice Kirby, Justice Vincent and Senior Counsel Wyles.
We are lucky in law to have enduring friends and partners in our sponsors Lexis Nexis, Oxford University Press and Leo Cussen. Thank you for your generous contribution to this event.

John Eldridge & Rebecca McEwen, Adelaide Uni 1
(Grand-Final, 12th October 2012, County Court)

Thirty VLS student volunteers generously gave their time and effort to this event. This is fast developing into a jamboree - an all-in effort - and one of great camaraderie.

Special congratulations for a magnificent organising job to Vivi Tan and student Melissa Radosavac, and Allyce Cowan from our administration office. 

We’re delighted this competition is named in Michael Kirby’s honour. Michael is our patron and special friend; he is an Adjunct Professor of Victoria Law School and a Doctor of the University.

We look forward to VLS MKM 3 in 2013. We look forward to welcoming regional and international teams in due course.

A big thank you to everyone involved, and congratulations to all of our competitors. They did VLS proud.

Results

2012 Kirby Moot winners: Victoria Law School Team 2 - Robert Forrester and Mitchell Latham. The winners were awarded $1000 prize money, together with an Oxford University Press Australian Law Dictionary, and a book pack containing law guidebooks and legal skills books.

Victoria Law School Team 2 (Highest scored team in the prelim
round & and Winner of the moot) L-R :Hubert Algie, Vivi
Tan (Moot Co-ordinator), Robert Forrester, Mitchell Latham,
Stephen Tamburro

Runners Up: University of Adelaide Team 1 were awarded $800
Best Speaker in the Preliminary Rounds: Mitchell Latham (Victoria Law School Team 2) and Rebecca McEwen (University of Adelaide Team 1) each received $250
Best Speaker in the Final Rounds: Amy Reid (Bond University) received $250
Highest Scoring Team in the Preliminary Rounds: Victoria Law School Team 2 received $400
Best Team Memorandum for Claimant: Queensland University of Technology Team 1 received $200
Best Team Memorandum for Respondent: Queensland University of Technology Team 2 received $200

Observers at the 2012 Kirby moot Grand Final

VU Students receive Industry Awards

Jason Connor with his award

Congratulations to our Jason Connor, who took out the 'Australian Transport & Logistics Young Achiever of the Year Award' at the 2012 Australian Freight Industry Awards.

Jason, currently studying our Master of Business (Supply Chain Management) course, received his award in recognition of outstanding performance in his role as Operations Manager at CC Containers.

The award was presented by The Hon Terry Mulder MP, Minister for Public Transport & Roads, at a ceremony held at the Palladium Ballroom, Crown Casino.

Congratulations, Jason!

Now, over to India, where VU Alum Professor Mukti Mishra, Chairman of the Centurion Group of Institutions, received the Roll of Honour certificate in the Skills Champion: Emerging Warrior category from the Federation of Indian Chambers if Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

The award was in recognition of extraordinary contribution in developing technologies, distinctive training solutions, path breaking research and commitment towards the skilling movement in India. This is the second FICCI award the Professor Mishra and the Centurion Group has won, the first one being for 'Best Skills Project in Rural Community' in 2010.

Industry partnerships reap rich rewards for students

2012 ICCI scholarship winner, Alison Bottcher

The School of International Business prides itself on its close links with industry partners. These links feed into teaching materials and help students to excel, both in their studies and in the world of employment.

This was illustrated recently through two important partnerships formed in the Event Management area; one with the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA), and the other with iVvy Pty Ltd (introduced this year by Martin Robertson). Both partnerships have directly benefited students undertaking the BH3421 Business Events unit, as part of the Event Management specialisation, and given further benefit to the high-achievers in the unit.

ICCA sponsor a yearly scholarship giving students an opportunity to attend their prestigious Annual Congress, wherever it is held in the world that year. This is the third year the Scholarship is being offered; last year, the Congress was in Leipzig, Germany.

Attended by leading practitioners from around the world, the Congress discusses, deliberates and finds responses to the issues affecting the organisation, the transportation and the accommodation of international meetings and events. This year’s scholarship award winner, Alison Bottcher, who is in the second year of her Law and Event Management program, will be attending the conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Not only is Alison going to enjoy an amazing opportunity to network with representatives from around the world, she will also be representing Victoria University’s School of International Business throughout. Follow Alison’s travels and experiences, and congratulate her on her success by following her blog.

Alison said of her scholarship; 'It’s a brilliant opportunity. I am very happy to receive the scholarship, and really looking forward to learning from experts from around the world. Going to Puerto Rico is, well, really exciting too!'

Alison is also receiving the Certificate ‘Introduction to iVvy Event Management software’.  iVvy produce state-of-the-art cloud based event management software which the school uses in its event management units.This year, BHO3421 Business Events students had have the opportunity to gain professional certification through successful completion of exercises using the software. Congratulations to all those students who received a certificate this year!

Gillian Essery, Alison Bottcher, Olga Junek (lecturer), Martin Robertson (lecturer and coordinator of the Business Events unit ) and Colin Drake (lecturer and coordinator of the event specialism area), Anastasia Keras and Olivia Dal Bo.

Twenty of the 137 students who enrolled on the unit this year managed to gain a special 'Certificate of Excellence'. As this was only given to those who successfully completed 100% of the work correctly, they should be particularly proud of their work. Three of these students - Olivia Dal Bo, Gillian Essery, and Anastasia Keras - who received this certificate of excellence were also the very close runners-up in receiving the ICCA Scholarship.

In other news from International Business staff, Martin Robertson, Olga Junek and Leonie Lockstone-Binney had their article 'Is this for real? Authentic learning for the challenging events environment' published this month in the Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism 12 (3), p225-241

AFISS hosts interview workshops

Earlier this month Accounting Finance and Investment Student Society (AFISS) ran the first instalment of their Workshop Series. The workshop, hosted by Ernst & Young's HR team, provided students with the opportunity to learn first-hand how to prepare a structured approach to job applications, allowing them to best highlight their demonstrated skills in alignment with requirements of the position.

AFISS workshop participants

Topics included:

• how to make your application stand out
• application don’ts
• what employers look for in interviews; and
• wow to answer interview questions with the S.T.A.R (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique

Although the workshop was administered by Ernst & Young, the techniques described easily translate to the application process of other large financial employers. The session also gave students the opportunity to network with, and ask questions of the E&Y HR team after the presentation.

AFISS will be hosting more workshops in the same vein this semester, some of which will be held within the corporate offices of their sponsors. The next workshop in the series (AMP Horizons presents Rapport Building Workshop) will be run on the 4th of September.

Moot news

Following the success of the inaugural Hon. Michael Kirby Contract Law Moot Competition, the Victoria Law School is looking forward to this year's competition in October. We have so far received registrations from the Queensland University of Technology, University of Newcastle and the University of Western Sydney, and Victoria Law School will likely register multiple teams.

In other mooting news, the VU mooting team comprising of Melissa Radosavac and Robert Forrester advanced to the semi finals in the 13th International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot Competition, held from 6-10 July at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. Robert won the best speaker in the finals award. The team was coached by Vivi Tan and  Associate Professor Bruno Zeller.

A/Professor Bruno Zeller sits on the bench for the ADR Moot final

Associate Professor Bruno Zeller, visiting professor at City University Hong Kong, wrote a moot problem for a mediation/arbitration for the The International ADR Mooting Competition. Held from 29 July – 4 August 2012, the International ADR Mooting Competition is an international mediation and arbitration competition open to all universities. It is conducted by City University of Hong Kong in association with the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and Columbia University (New York).

The International ADR Mooting Competition is an international mediation and arbitration competition that is open to all universities. It is conducted by City University of Hong Kong in association with the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and Columbia University (New York).  Associate Professor  Bruno Zeller judged several moots, and sat on the bench for the final.


AFISS workshop participants

2012 Students In Free Enterprise National Conference and Competition

VU SIFE team with CaAtherine Meredith (far left), Deputy Dean Pauline Stanton (second from right) and  George Comodromos (far right)

Between 11-13th July 2012, the SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) National Conference and Competition was held at the Grand Hyatt in Collins Street, Melbourne. SIFE VU (Students in Free Enterprise at Victoria University) represented Victoria University and competed against 24 universities around the nation and proudly presented our five major projects that we have been working tirelessly on during the past twelve months.


Not only did the Nationals Competition provide attendees with the opportunity to see what projects other university teams had implemented, it also provided an amazing opportunity for students expand their networks with a panel of industry professional judges and students from other universities.

Although the team was unable to make it to finals, they nonetheless represented Victoria University in a positive light and made their presence known within the competition.

The team presenting team that participated in the competition comprised of Deepa Chand, Wei Ying Zee, Madhusha Wijayarathne, Baixue Ma and Sara Abbay and were supported by our Faculty Advisors, CaAtherine Meredith and George Comodromos and the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law Pauline Stanton and VU Alumni Tim Baxter.

Post Nationals, the team once again looks forward to continuing with our hard work and progressing with our projects.

Awards add up for John

John Ibrahim accepts his award from CPA Australia representative, Diana McGowan

A Bachelor of Business (Accounting) student has taken out Most Outstanding Second-Year Student honours in this year's Faculty of Business and Law Awards - a year after receiving the Most Outstanding First-Year Student award. The Most Outstanding Second-Year Student Award was sponsored by CPA Australia.

John Ibrahim, a mature age student, said he was delighted to follow on his first-year success with another award. "It is nice to get the recognition, as I have worked hard," he said.

John admits being mature-aged student has its advantages, giving him a focus, ambition and commitment he may not have had earlier in life. He decided to embark on an accounting degree after 10 years spent managing petrol stations with a business partner.

"Being married and having small children, I realised that I needed a career with longevity that would not be too strenuous as I got older. And I have always had a strong mathematical background: numbers interest me, as does understanding the tax system. I think that kind of knowledge is good to have for anyone interested in business and making good decisions in their career and retirement," John said.

So where does one of the School's most promising students hope to be in five to ten years' time?

"I would be happy to be working with some accounting firm, or have my own accounting firm or a small establishment with a few others." Joanne Carpenter was awarded the Matthews Steer Scholarship for Most Outstanding First Year Student.

See a full list of award winners.

Faculty Graduation News

1033 students from the Faculty of Business and Law graduated at ceremonies held at Flemington Racecourse in late May. The Faculty was well represented, with two excellent valedictorian speakers in Simon Glage and Chloe Tubbs.

Valedictorian: Simon Glage [BBUS (Banking and Finance / International Trade)]
Simon achieved a perfect record of 24 high distinctions in his course, which was a complete change in direction for the qualified physiotherapist. Simon embodies the opportunities Victoria University provides for those who seek a change in direction to develop new skills and capabilities, as well as the importance of lifelong learning.

Valedictorian: Chloe Tubbs [BBUS (Tourism Management / Event Management)]
While finishing her studies, Chloe worked at Destination Melbourne, where she now has a full time job as Marketing Coordinator. Chloe has won several VU and industry Awards, including WIL Student of the year (2011) and the Melbourne Airport Developing Tourism Leaders. She has been a great ambassador for the industry and Victoria University.

Two of our graduates were also successful in receiving University Medals this round, Arlene Sherren and Eliza Foley.

University Medal Undergraduate: Arlene Sherren [BBUS (Marketing/Event Management)]
Arlene Zelina Sherren received consistently high grades in her units of study, and was a model of attention, participation, good will and conscientiousness in class activity. Both creative and analytical, we look forward to hearing more on her future success. www.arlenezelina.com.au

University Medal Undergraduate HONS: Eliza Foley, Bachelor of Laws (Honours Level 1)]
During her time as a student Eliza was the winner of one of the mooting awards in the International Phillip C Jessup Moot court competitions, as well as being a grand finalist in the Clayton Utz mooting competition the year before. Eliza is currently working as a graduate solicitor to Freehills, a large firm of solicitors in Melbourne. Eliza has volunteered her time over several years to work as a paralegal at the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, where she provided legal support to lawyers advising refugees on their rights, and assisting with applications for permanent residency.

Dr Valerie McGowan: Victoria University Medal for Excellence for Higher Degree Research.
In her PhD, Valerie compared quality management methods in Japan and Australia, and from extensive interviews and case studies, she found that the successful Japanese approach to quality control management placed emphasis on technical aspects of quality control in comparison to the Australian practice, which focussed on people issues and labour management relations rather than formal structures. Valarie was supervised by Professor Peter Sheehan from the Centre for Strategic and Economic Studies.

Congratulations are due to all of our Valedictorians and University Medal winners, and to all of our graduates!

VU Students are Good Sports

A current and a past Faculty of Business and Law student are amongst a group set to represent Australia on the international sporting stage in 2012.

Gregory Farrell, a BBUS (Accounting) graduate,currently studying a Bachelor of Laws, and Ironman Triathlete, has qualified to compete at the Ironman World Championships on Kona, Hawaii in October 2012. The pinnacle race in the sport of triathlon, the Ironman World Championships consists of a 3.8km open water swim, 180km individual time-trial cycle and a full distance 42.2km marathon run.

Bachelor of Business graduate and current Education student Renuga Vithi Veeran is set to represent Australia at the London 2012 Olympic games in the Women’s Badminton doubles; the London 2012 games will be Renuga’s Olympics debut. Gregory and Renuga are pictured above with Vice Chancellor Peter Dawkins, and Executive Dean, Business and Law, Colin Clark.

Other competitors with VU connections are Exercise Science & Human Movement student Ross Smith, who will be competing in the Men’s Badminton doubles. Ross has competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Also making his Olympic debut is VU Alumni Ivo Dos Santos. After placing first in the 2012 Oceania Judo Championships in Cairns earlier this year, Ivo’s ambitions were realised when he made the Olympics team. Ivo also teaches adult and children’s judo classes, and endeavours to nurture the next crop of Australian judo stars.

Current Education student Stephanie Cumming is shooting goals with the Australian Emerging Opals Basketball team, and will be competing in the 4 nations Tournament in China later this month. Stephanie was also 2011’s VU Sportswoman of the Year.

Former student shares current knowledge

James addresses the class

James Thackray, a former student of Planning for Long Term Wealth Creation unit (BEO3347), who is now a Private Client Adviser with RBS Morgans, returns to his former class as a guest speaker on the 25th of May, 2012.

James was able to convey to the class the reality of working in this area, the joy of stock market investing, and technical details on the operation of the stock market. He also provided a summary of micro and mac ro factors affecting markets around the world.

The students found James’ hour-long talk useful and informative. Thank you James!

Accounting, Finance and Investment Student Society Q&A

Students at the AFISS Q&A chat with a presenter at the event

The Accounting, Finance and Investment Student Society (AFISS) hosted an industry Q&A night for their members earlier this month, and the evening was a great success. The 50 plus students in attendance gained valuable insights into the day-to-day dealings of professionals in the Accounting and Finance industries, and heard first-hand what employers are looking for in graduates.

Attendees learnt from the business leaders things such as the hardest interview questions they like to ask, the skills in which they look for when they hire and other valuable hints which indeed was of great value for us students in daunting times ahead. The guest speakers included an Executive Manager from CBA, a Planner and Development Coach from AMP and the CFO of Next Digital.

AFISS will be holding more events in the same vein next semester. If you are a professional in the Accounting and Finance industry and would like speak at a future event, please contact Katherine Pham at AFISS@students.vu.edu.au

VU shines at CIMA Global Challenge

L-R: Jenni Truong, Elaine Bie, Head of School Russell Craig,
Mentor Dr Jayce Naidoo, Rafael Paguio, Cathy Gong, Nancy Jiafan

CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is the world’s largest professional body of management accountants. Four VU students participated in this year's 'CIMA global business challenge' competition. Participants prepare and present relevant, well considered recommendations and solutions to a fictitious business scenario.

The VU team were made up of Jenni Truong(Team leader), Cathy Gong, Nancy Jiafan and Elaine Bie, with Dr. Jayce Naidoo their mentor. It was a great opportunity for the students to showcase their talents in business management, and they excelled in the challenge of the competition.

The first round involves several teams from universities from all over Australia competing to reach the top four. The four teams then compete at the national finals, where the winning team is sent to represent Australia at the international finals in Sri Lanka.

Although our students did not qualify, they submitted a very strong entry. We'd like to commend the VU team for their participation and dedication to the quality report submitted. They've done the School of Accounting and Finance, and VU, proud!

China’s best at Victoria Law School

A VU PhD student has been awarded for his academic and research achievements by the Chinese Government. The award, conferred by the China Scholarship Council, is to honour the academic merit and research achievements of Chinese students studying abroad. To be eligible for the award, the students must be enrolled in a PhD degree, be under the age of 40, at least in the second year of their study and not receiving any direct finance support from the Chinese government.

Yongqiang Li, a PhD student from Victoria Law School, is 2nd VU PhD studentto recieve the award since its inauguration of this award in 2003.

In 2011, supervised by Professor Anona Armstrong and Professor Andrew Clarke, I co-published a research report, 3 journal articles and more than a dozen conference papers, including one paper published in Economics Letters. Read more about Yongqiang Li's win at the VU website.

SIFE at VU - Making a Difference in the Community

Deepa Chand, President of VU's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), gives us a report on their activities so far this year.

SIFE VU is a student organisation formed within the Faculty of Business and Law, part of the global SIFE network. SIFE’s mission is to empower the community through education. By joining SIFE, members develop skills and networks, and their affiliation with SIFE is positively acknowledged by employers.

With over fifty passionate and motivated members, and with the assistance of our amazing Faculty Advisors, CaAtherine Meredith and George Comodromos, SIFE VU is currently involved in delivering four projects:

1. Greening VU
   Greening VU is the biggest SIFE VU project. Greening VU focuses on reducing paper coffee cups and bottled water on VU campuses, thus reducing their carbon footprint. Initially concentrated on the Footscray Park campus, Greening VU will encourage the VU community to switch to environmentally friendly alternatives such as reusable water bottles, keep cups and water filters.
   The Greening VU team is made up of 18 keen and enthusiastic students who are currently working on research and marketing strategies, including a three-minute promotional video. The Greening VU team aims to have a pilot run of the project by the 2012 SIFE National Conference and Competition in July.
2. Cooking at the Village
   ‘Cooking at the Village’ is targeted at the students residing at the Student Village in Maribyrnong. SIFE VU research has shown that students living away from home for the first time purchased fast food on a regular basis – an option that while convenient, is unhealthy and expensive. ‘Cooking at the Village’ was devised to equip students living away from home with basic cooking skills.
   A group of SIFE members partnered with the Student Village ResLife team to organise a series of on-site cooking classes held during semester 1, 2012. The classes have been very successful, with many participants expressing their great appreciation for them.
   ‘Cooking at the Village’ aims to teach recipes that are healthy, quick and easy, and budget friendly recipes, providing students with a lifelong skill in the process.
3. Australian Business Week 2012
   This year’s Australian Business Week (ABW) competition will be held at the City Flinders campus over four consecutive Saturdays, concluding on 2 June 2012, when the winners of the competition will be awarded.
   Teams of Victorian Year 10 and Year 11 students are competing across a variety of tasks, all centered on business management. SIFE VU will be assisting in running the Australian Business Week by mentoring the teams of high school students and facilitating group discussions regarding how to fulfill the requirements of the competition.
4. SIFE Warm Up
   We all know how cold Melbourne winters can be; just imagine if you didn’t have that knitted scarf and woollen coat to keep out the chill. What if all you had at night to keep you warm was a threadbare blanket instead of your favourite doona?
   The ‘SIFE Warm Up’ project was launched on Monday, 16 April with a knitting class. Participants brought along a pair of size 5 knitting needles and a ball of 8ply wool, and the SIFE Warm Up team showed them how to knit a scarf. In 2011, the project collected over 100 items for donation to a charity in the Western suburbs, who then distributed the items to families in need.  You can help SIFE Warm Up by donating scarves, knitted hats/beanies, blankets and jumpers of all sizes. Donations can be delivered to the Biz Help Office,  Footscray Park, level 3, room G347.

SIFE VU is eagerly working on these projects in preparation for the SIFE Australia National Conference and Competition that will be held at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne on the 11th, 12th and 13th of July.

During last year’s National Conference and Competition at the Hilton Sydney, where eight SIFE VU members proudly presented our 2011 projects, the SIFE VU team awarded the ‘Spirit of SIFE Award’ in recognition of the strength of our developing projects.

In 2012, SIFE VU is looking forward to the National Conference and Competition in July, where the above four projects will be presented, with the aim of winning the title of SIFE Australia National Champion.

Supply Chain Grads Hit the Road

Five of our Supply Chain Management graduates were recently accepted onto the highly sought-after Linfox Graduate Recruitment Program.

The five who made the grade were selected from over 400 applicants.

From February 2012, Minh, Yeni, Kate, Tim and Queenie (pictured right) will each undertake three six-month job rotations with Linfox. The job rotations will see them gain valuable experience in various roles and in various locations throughout the company.

All five will then take up permanent positions with the company in mid-2013.