March 2012 News on Campus @ Bond University
+ BOND NEWS + BOND NEWS + BOND NEWS +
DEMAND FOR SKILLED IT GRADUATES INCREASING
The Information Technology industry in Australia is booming again; however the number of IT graduates continues to decline. According to the Australian Computer Society, national university enrolments in ICT are half what they were a decade ago, yet an additional 14,000 jobs are forecast to be created in 2012, a figure which does not include the myriad of expanded IT roles and career opportunities in businesses making use of IT.
This demand for jobs, which is expected to continue upwards, is resulting in a shortage of workers with skills and knowledge in the latest IT trends.
Bond University’s School of Information Technology is doing its best to alleviate the problem by offering a suite of undergraduate and graduate programs that match the current and emerging demand for graduates with skills in IT and business. “The nature of the IT industry is ever-changing. As such, our IT degrees constantly evolve to ensure they are up-to-date with the latest technology, developments and trends and match graduate learning outcomes and professional attributes to high demand career pathways,” said Head of School, Professor Iain Morrison. “Our academic staff closely monitor developments in the IT industry and in information-rich organisations, ensuring they are aware of the latest research and knowledge reports.
“The School of Information Technology has a wide range of industry partnerships and offers highly valued industry internships, as an integral part of its courses, which also help ensure that we know what skills businesses are seeking in their employees and what the important trends are in business innovation using IT.”
This knowledge has led the School of Information Technology to recently introduce new study options in cloud computing, information assurance and mobile applications, to ensure their graduates come out work-ready and able to engage in high-value work environments in fast-moving career pathways.
It seems this decision is on the mark, as a recent survey conducted by IBM highlighted that organisations are adopting the emerging IT capabilities and increasing investments in these areas. Similarly industry projections from the EU and US highlight job demand in these areas is already high and growing rapidly.
This continued growth and investment in the industry world-wide has opened up a wider range of career paths in business and IT, in addition to traditional IT jobs. At Bond, students are able to undertake a range of study plans to underpin this broad set of career options. There has never been a better time to equip yourself with the IT skills and knowledge, and business orientation, the industry is crying out for.
For more information about Bond University’s IT study options contact Rob Field as listed above,
JUDGE-IN-RESIDENCE
Dr Tom Altobelli started practising family law in 1984 and is now widely regarded as a leading expert in the field. Prior to his appointment to the Federal Magistrates Court in 2006, he was Special Counsel to Watts McCray and also Associate Professor in the School of Law at the University of Western Sydney. His books on family law are widely used by family lawyers and students of family law across Australia. Along with other commitments, Federal Magistrate Altobelli joined in Law Faculty classes; presented an evening lecture on "Children, parents and family lawyers - what makes them resilient?"; and participated in a DRC Basic Mediation Course. He inspired many Bond students, visiting lawyers and mediators!
Humanities and Social Sciences International Bursary
Bond University is pleased to confirm that a Graduate International Bursary for the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences is available to international students commencing in either Bond’s May or September 2012 semesters. The Graduate International Bursary offers students wishing to study at a graduate level, a 15% tuition remission bursary to supplement their tuition fees at Bond University.
The bursary aims to encourage students from across the world to study with this dynamic Faculty. The Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences has an exciting array of programs and areas of study on offer for individuals who wish to undertake studies in communication and media, humanities and social sciences.
All international students who make a general graduate application for a degree within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences will be automatically considered for the bursary. Successful students will be notified when they receive their letter of offer from our Admissions Team.
WHY STUDY ABROAD? - THE ACADEMIC VALUE OF A SEMESTER STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM
Goucher College, a private, coeducational liberal arts college of 1,475 students in Baltimore County, Maryland because was the first college or university in the nation to require that 100% of its students study abroad.
Your study abroad / International office works hard to provide high-quality international programming and opportunities that will:
* Introduce you to exciting new ways of seeing and knowing.
* Allow you to pursue special academic interests in a fresh context, including service learning or an internship.
* Help you develop a new international perspective on your major.
* Give you the opportunity to explore in-depth aspects of the history, society, and culture of the host country.
* Permit you to take electives unavailable at your home college.
* Start you on the road to a new minor.
* Let you fulfill some of your general degree requirements.
Bond University in Australia will be an amazing experience for you. Contact Rob Field for more information.
INDUSTRY DEMAND DRIVES NEW PROGRAMS AT BOND UNIVERSITY
Bond University has announced the introduction of a number of exciting new programs for 2012, representing key growth industries of the 21st century. These programs include the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, responding to a critical shortage of skilled medical laboratory scientists forecast within the next five-to-ten years and a new infrastructure program in the School of Information Technology that will offer an infrastructure specialisation in cloud computing.
An emerging technology, cloud computing provides the option of accessing unlimited data storage and software requirements ‘on demand’ from an online storage provider and has the potential to significantly reduce business costs and improve customer service. Studying cloud computing at Bond will give students the knowledge of all the infrastructure options available and the ability to recommend solutions to businesses. It joins other specialisations offered by the School of Information Technology including security and mobile applications.
The School’s partnerships with industry leaders Microsoft, IBM, and most recently, global IT giant Tata Consultancy, provide opportunities for information sharing and research and ensure students benefit from a cutting-edge, progressive curriculum that incorporates real-time developments.
From this year, students across all Bond degrees will also be able to undertake a new subject being run by the University’s Career Development Centre, called the Bond University Professional Practice Program (BUPPP) that has been designed to maximise graduates’ employability. Described as the most comprehensive subject of its type at any university in Australia, BUPPP spans the duration of a degree, providing a learning framework around employability experiences and providing recognition to students undertaking activities such as internships, which are available both in Australia and abroad.
Bond University also intends to continue its strong presence in the international mooting arena in 2012, following a strong performance in 2011, during which Bond Law students won an impressive three international mooting competitions, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Competition in The Hague, Netherlands.
In further recognition for the University, its MBA program is ranked in Australia’s top ten MBA programs (2011 Financial Review BOSS MBA survey), while in the independent Good Universities Guide 2012, Bond is Australia’s highest rating university, earning the most five-star ratings of any university across an impressive ten key performance indicators.
Below is a brief outline of our graduate finance program offerings:
Master of Business (Finance)
Course content: Provides a solid foundation of business subjects. Students can then choose up to five finance subjects in a specialisation.
Suitable for: Students who are seeking a sound knowledge in finance, but are not likely to go into a straight finance career.
Master of Financial Management
Course content: Strong focus on finance subjects complemented with foundation business subjects.
Suitable for: Students who wish to pursue a career in finance, including career switchers, who do not have a background in the field.
Master of Finance
Course content: All finance content, including several advanced subjects.
Suitable for: Students who already have completed undergraduate study in finance with a strong GPA and need advanced knowledge in finance for a high level finance career.
| ALUMNUS PREPARES ROYAL WELCOME FOR JAMIE OLIVER |
For Bond hospitality alumnus, Karen Westfield, Jamie Oliver’s upcoming Australian tour in March has all the hallmarks of a royal visit. The UK’s favourite celebrity chef is heading Down Under for the official launch of his first Australian restaurant – Jamie’s Italian – where Karen has been holding the reins as General Manager since it opened in Sydney’s CBD last October.
“Jamie is truly a genuine person – exactly as you see him on TV,” says Karen, who met the man himself during her eight-week training period in the UK. “But this will be the first time he’ll see the restaurant in operation so, yes, it’s a bit like getting ready for a royal visit!” UK-born Karen was one of Bond’s inaugural Masters in International Hotel and Resort Management graduates, having been sponsored through the course by the School of Hotel, Resort and Tourism Management’s industry partner, Marriott International. Now working at the helm of Jamie Oliver’s flagship Australian restaurant, Karen sees that her decision to complete the Masters degree was a decision that has completely changed her life. “When I decided to do the degree, my thinking was that if I’m competing against ten other candidates for a job and we all have similar levels of experience, surely having a Masters degree will help me to stand out from the crowd,” says Karen.
“When the General Manager’s position at Jamie’s Italian was advertised, they called within an hour of me submitting my application. “The Operations Director, particularly, was very focussed on issues like business management and cost control, and asked why I decided to go back to university - so, yes, I think having a Masters degree was definitely a factor.
In the meantime, Karen’s studies are proving invaluable as she manages a 185-seat restaurant spread over two levels where staff are serving up to 800 meals a day. “Jamie’s Italian has been phenomenally successful – I think it has even blown away the UK team,” she says. “The service style is a lot like Jamie himself – casual, friendly and set up for walk-ins. We only take reservations for groups of six people or more and we limit the number of those because we want people to be able to come and eat whenever they feel like it, rather than having to book days or weeks in advance.” Nevertheless, there’ll undoubtedly be a special table set aside when Jamie hits Sydney town for the official launch in March. |
BOND’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESSES
On Wednesday, February 2, 20 new international scholars attended the International Scholars Dinner at Bond University. Attendees represented nine different countries and were welcomed to celebrate their success as a Bond University scholar.
Scholarship recipients were awarded with their scholarship certificate and were addressed by Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Alan Finch. The event allowed the University to officially recognise the recipient’s achievements, introduce them to the Student Ambassador Program and welcome them to the Bond community, where it is anticipated they will play an important role as international student representatives.
International scholarship applications are open now for the September semester. For further information, contact Rob Field
EVENTS local to Bond University
Jetstar Gold Coast Titans Vs Melbourne Storm - Saturday
Jetstar Gold Coast Titans are out to beat the Melbourne Storm this Saturday at their home ground, Skilled Park. Enjoy all the live action from the new-look side in 2012. Live the Titians!
Australian Surf Life Saving Championships - Monday 26 March - Sunday 1 April
With plenty of entertainment on and off the beach including a free kids carnival held on Sunday 31 March, come along and catch all the action. The Aussies is a one of a kind event bringing 8000 lifesavers from 310 clubs across the country to the Gold Coast to compete in over 300 events. Join in the fun!
Gold Coast Film Festival 2012 - Thursday 19 - Sunday 29 April
See exciting films from across the world. Presented by Australia Fair Shopping Centre the 2012 festival will run at Birch Carroll and Coyle Cinemas in Southport. This is the only film festival in Australia to be working with Supanova Pop Culture Expo so don't miss your chance to experience this.
Pink Floyd - A Finger On The P.U.L.S.E - Saturday 21 April
Attention all Pink Floyd fans, one of the world's largest live Pink Floyd concert experiences will be on the Gold Coast for one night only. Beyond the Darkside is a 3 hour live spectacular that reaches all the excitement of Pink Floyd's Live 1996 PULSE concert. Get your tickets now!
Gold Coast to host 2018 Commonwealth Games
The Gold Coast has taken its place among the great Australian cities after winning the 2018 Commonwealth Games Bid. Anna Bligh, the Queensland Premier, said the Games could generate up to AUD$2 billion in economic benefit with up to 30,000 full time-equivalent jobs created between 2015 and 2020.
Over AUD $500 million will now be invested on sport and transport infrastructure as a direct result of the successful bid. In response to the announcement, Andrew McEvoy, Managing Director Tourism Australia said, “This is great news for Australian tourism. As a great and passionate sporting nation, I have no doubt that the Gold Coast will do Australia proud in hosting these Games, just as Melbourne did in 2006 after Sydney’s success in the 2000 Olympics”. Find out more at the official Gold Coast 2018 website.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOLADES
CAMPUS UPDATE
Construction of the new Soheil Abedian School of Architecture building is also well underway. A natural extension to the rapidly growing Institute of Sustainable Development and Architecture – the Soheil Abedian School of Architecture building has been designed by internationally renowned architect Sir Peter Cook from CRAB Studios in London. A significant project for the University, the Gold Coast, and the architecture profession in general, the building once complete will house 350 architecture and environmental science students.
This year will also see the continued development of Bond’s research program, which has gone from strength-to-strength over the past 12 months and saw Bond University win several research grants, including a prestigious Australian Research Council grant. It is pleasing to see the University’s research culture flourish and we look forward to continuing this focus in 2012
Business Experience Week
The Faculty of Business completed the first Business Experience Week from March 13 to 15, with over 80 students from 13 different schools attending. Each day had a different focus and provided opportunities for attendees to gain an insight into their area of interest. Commerce Day, which was sponsored by CPA Australia, had 18 attendees. Management Day attracted 34 attendees and Events, Hotels and Tourism Day also had 34 students attend.
The three days were well received and the students provided some very positive feedback. Emily from St Andrew’s Lutheran College commented, “The week has been fantastic. It has really opened my eyes up to possibilities I wasn’t even aware of. The opportunity to talk to current students at lunch was also beneficial as it gives you a firsthand insight into what life is like at Bond.”
Humanities and Social Sciences Experience Days
The last of the Faculty’s seven Experience Days for 2012 was held at Bond last week. In total over 100 local secondary school students had their first taste of careers in journalism, advertising, public relations, psychology and criminology. Students participated in mock case studies, question and answer sessions, interactive workshops and talks by Bond academics and industry professionals. The days were extremely successful with positive feedback and interest received, along with a positive student story in the Gold Coast Bulletin.
ISDA PROJECT PROCUREMENT EXECUTIVE PROGRAM
This two day program will examine project procurement in Australia today. It is designed to examine the contractual framework options, new contracting forms, the role of qualitative bid evaluation, alternative contractor selection methods, the importance of incentives and the reliance now placed on stakeholder relationship management.
The program will also examine recent international developments in project delivery systems and the implications for the future of procurement in Australia.