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Issue 2 March 2003
‘ Water’:
a unique event in the International Year of Freshwater
Water will be a symposium, exhibition and display that brings together
Academy members, community organisations, professional societies and institutes,
educational organisations (primary, secondary, TAFE and tertiary), local,
state and federal government as well as representatives from the arts,
business, tourism, environment, sciences, innovation and other sectors.
This event will be the Academy’s major event for 2003 and is planned
for later this year. Negotiations are currently underway with local councils,
the Institute of Modern Art as well as engineering, science and education
groups to fix a suitable date and multi-purpose venue. Water is a unique
event which will not only examine new water technologies, water management
but will also examine how water is reflected in Australian cultural, scientific
and daily life. Visual art exhibitions, scientific and educational displays,
public lectures and discussions reflect the cross-platform vision of the
Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences. It is hoped that this event will
allow Academy members an opportunity to network with other members of their
sector but, more importantly, it also encourages networking ACROSS fields
in a stimulating and positive environment. It will be the Academy’s
major contribution to UNESCO’s and DESA’s International Year
of Freshwater 2003. Members will be informed as soon as venues and dates
are announced.
The Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences congratulates the Australian
Academy of Science’s five new Queensland Fellows who were elected
on 27 March:
•
Professor Perry Bartlett
Professor, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical
Sciences, University of Queensland
•
Professor Rossiter Crozier
Professor (Personal Chair), School of Tropical Biology, James Cook University,
Queensland
•
Professor Peter Drummond
Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Queensland
•
Professor Maria Orlowska
Professor of Information Systems, Head of Information Systems Division
and Deputy Head of School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering,
University of Queensland
•
Professor Mark von Itzstein
Professor and Director, Centre for Biomolecular Science and Drug Discovery,
Griffith University, QueenslandQAAS’ 3-year Outlook
QAAS has received triennial funding from Education Queensland’s Staff
College. This funding will is given to support the Executive Officer’s
position and is allocated for 2002, 2003, 2004. In addition, this funding
strengthens ties between the Academy and Staff College and we envisage
many positive partnerships including: mentorship programs, membership discounts
for Education Queensland (EQ) members, development of the EQ Speakers Circuit
and collaboration on all relevant QAAS or EQ events and/or programs.
In addition, final contractual negotiations are underway with Arts Queensland
for a second triennial funding agreement. Arts Queensland is now having
the final contract drafted: a contract which will ensure addition three-year
funding for the Academy’s Executive Officer position.
All this adds up to a strong long-term outlook for the Academy. With ensured
staffing, the organisation can seek out further funding, improve membership
benefits and increase membership in general, run partnership programs and
key events as well as keep our office up-to-date and on target.
Already we have improved databases and website management, improved membership
information networks, increased funding and partnership opportunities,
increased networks and affiliations with arts and sciences organisations
in Brisbane and across Queensland. If you, or your organisation would like
more information on any of the Academy’s services or potential programs,
please contact Jane O’Donnell, Executive Officer on 3210 0165 or
on office@qldacademy.org.au.
President’s Column
Our energetic Editor Jane O’Donnell has asked me how the idea of
establishing the Queensland Academy came about. Well it seemed to me that
there was a need in our community for a generalist organisation whose members
could examine subjects of importance to our State from an overall viewpoint.
Over many years I had read the publications of the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences, especially Daedalus - and was very impressed by records
of the multidisciplinary symposia reported therein. These reports are of
great value in providing a balanced view on important questions that concern
not only America, but also the world at large.
With this knowledge in mind, in 1983 I organised the Interlink I Symposium,
integrating Art, Science and Technology. This very successful event was
held in Brisbane and showed how these three aspects of our culture could
work together for mutual benefit.
It seemed to me then that we should aim to set up a State Academy for Queensland,
one that embraced all the arts and sciences. There are a number of such
State Academies in America. The Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal
Irish Academy are of this type. In most continental European countries
their words for “science” are much more embracing than the
English word has become and mean, as well, “knowledge” and “learning”.
So most European Academies of Science cover the humanities and social sciences,
as does the Japan Academy. They have been doing so for hundreds of years.
In very recent times the four Australian Academies – of Science,
of Technological Sciences and Engineering, of Social Sciences, and of Humanities – have
established the Australian Academies Forum, which performs the same function
of the multidisciplinary overseas art/science academies in bringing diverse
groups of specialists together. A similar Forum now exists in England.
Our Queensland Academy was in process of formation well before these groups
converged. It is unique in Australia.
John O’Hagan
New Staff
The Academy would like to welcome aboard Jean-marc Doumenc, QAAS’ new
Technical Officer.
Jean-marc was appointed on a casual basis in late March and is responsible
for web base management. Over the next few months, members will be able
to see vast improvements in the website – already our website has
been brought up-to-date and membership is now accessible online. The Academy’s
aim is that the website will become an interactive information source enabling
members to not only access information on current Queensland publications
and events across the arts and sciences but also to provide other members
with information on their research, projects, business or general feedback.
Jean-marc is currently finishing his MA in Creative Writing with QUT but
has extensive experience in publications as well as web and database management
in Australia and France.
If you would like to contact Jean-marc, please email: it@qldacademy.org.auStaff
Update
We thought it high time, you got to know ALL our staff a little better… and,
in time, all our Council Members too.
The Academy’s Executive Officer is Jane O’Donnell MA.
Jane completed her Masters in Theatre with QUT and is now doing her PhD
with the University of Wollongong. Although based in Brisbane, Jane’s
research takes her around Australia, observing and interviewing small to
medium theatre companies in relation to their collaborative and creative
processes and how such processes are effected by an increasingly globalised
climate.
Jane has a multidisciplinary background with a firm focus on theatre. She
finished an undergraduate degree with University of Queensland in Journalism
and also a completed an Honours degree in French before working in arts
and cultural administration and, later, in arts marketing. For the past
ten years, she has also worked as a professional actor in Canberra and
Melbourne and is now firmly entrenched in the Queensland Academy, her PhD
and creating her own theatre work.
If you wish to contact Jane, please email: office@qldacademy.org.auMembership
Update: What does it mean for you?
As a QAAS Member, Fellow, Honorary Fellow or Companion you are entitled
to list the following letters after your name:
Member: MQA
Fellow: FQA
Companion: CQA
The Academy’s mission, in addition to promoting the arts and sciences,
is to enhance and encourage multidisciplinary networks across Queensland
and further afield. As our organisation grows, so too do our communication
and information networks and the aim is to provide members with vital opportunites
to share and learn about new innovations and ideas from all disciplines
and at the interface of disciplines. We encourage feedback and ideas from
our members and if you or your organisation wish to promote or discuss
your work with other members, please let us know and we will arrange for
private communication or joint events.
QAAS is also improving its website to include ‘What’s On’ information,
newsletters and updates on events and members.
Currently all Associates, Members, Fellows and Companions receive regular
news, updates and discounts to all QAAS affiliated events and are recognised
as leading and contributing members of the Queensland community.
Over the coming months, QAAS will also be liaison with Queensland
businesses and organisations as part of the QAAS Member Privileges Program.
Members will notified of any discounts and/or services as soon as they
are made available. Stay tuned.
National Trust House Naming Ceremony
Although firmly signed as ‘National Trust House’, the heritage
building which houses the QAAS office at 95 William Street is officially
celebrating its naming on Wednesday, 9 April. His Excellency Major General
Peter Arnison, AC, CVO, Governor of Queensland and Patron of the Queensland
Academy of Arts and Sciences, will officiate the ceremony.
QAAS President, Dr John O’Hagan, and QAAS staff are proud to represent
QAAS at the event.What’s On: Re-sited
In the previous and first QAAS newsletter, we introduced a column called ‘What’s
On’. This column was designed to not only provide event information
from all Sciences and Arts disciplines across Queensland that might be
of interest to our members, but also to encourage members to email or phone
us with any events they would like publicised.
Given the growth in the number of events for the next few months and given
that we now have a new Technical Officer who is available to place all
such information on our website, we are currently in the process of developing
an electronic ‘What’s On’ page on our website. This webpage
will be available to all web users as of mid-April and any listings will
be added to the page as they come in. QAAS encourages members to send any
information on upcoming events or information of interest to: it@qldacademy.org.au
Make sure when sending in your listing you include contact numbers for
yourself or your event as these are what will be listed on the ‘What’s
On’ page. If you have any comments or feedback, don’t hesitate
to contact ‘What’s On’ on the above email or contact
our office directly on (07) 3210 0165.
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