June 2007
News and Events List
Contents
- The World and Scotland too: Tom Nairn at 75
- Koori student secures place at Penn State
- Novel success for Creative Writing lecturer
- RMIT in Second Life
- Creative Media students launch ‘green’ computer game
- Students scoop $24,000 at printing awards
- Students get ahead in advertising
- A prize to be treasured
- ‘Napoleon’s Double’ – book launch 21 June, 2007
The World and Scotland too: Tom Nairn at 75
RMIT’s Professor Tom Nairn.
Tom Nairn, an Innovation Research Professor in the Globalism Institute at RMIT University since 2001, is one of the world’s great thinkers about nationalism and globalization. His radical, vigorous, and incisive work continues to ignite and provoke.
Celebrating 75 years
To celebrate Tom Nairn’s 75th birthday, the high-profile open Democracy magazine features a selection of major intellectual figures such as Perry Anderson and Juliet Mitchell reflecting on what makes Tom Nairn – their friend and colleague – forever young.
Over the years, Tom has been involved in a very wide range of political, intellectual and cultural activities. The Director of the Globalism Institute, Paul James, describes Tom as: “One of the most important essayists of our time, acerbic and politically passionate; a writer with a rare ability to relate long-term issues about the human condition to what is happening now in the world”.
The Guardian and l l’Unità
Tom Nairn has devoted much time to publication of non-academic or para-academic material, such as writing for non-refereed journals, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets and on-line venues.
His interventions into the public realm include regular contributions to Anno (Rome), Bulletin of Scottish Politics (Edinburgh), Dissent (USA), Il Contemporaneo (Rome), Kursbuch (Berlin), Les Temps Modernes (Paris) New Statesman, Mondo Operaio, Libération, The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, and the London Review of Books. Over the period of 1989–1994, he wrote a fortnightly article for The Scotsman (Edinburgh) dealing mainly with the development of the constitutional independence movement, and he has served as London correspondent of l’Unità . Overall the combination of his academic publications and public role have been ground-breaking, and had a major effect on the course of his field of expertise
His contribution to studies of nationalism and globalization, and therefore his potential contribution to the new Global Cities Institute at RMIT, is difficult to overstate. Writing in the London Review of Books, Neal Ascherson stated that Nairn has been ‘for twenty years the dominant political philosopher of his country, and an influence on the ideas of the post-1968 generation all over Western Europe’.
The Break-up of Britain
Tom Nairn is widely known for developing in the early 1960s what would later be named the Nairn -Anderson thesis on British decline, which is much-cited and commented upon, and has had a definitive influence upon studies of nationalism and politics in Britain and beyond. He is one of the four most widely cited authorities on nationalism in the world today, along with Benedict Anderson, Anthony Smith and the late Ernest Gellner. His influential book The Break-up of Britain (1977) gained much attention for its prediction of the unsustainability of the United Kingdom state and its probable fragmentation into a number of different republics.
His much acclaimed book After Britain (2000) continued the argument of The Break-up of Britain, concentrating especially on Scotland and devolutionary politics, along with the structural tensions within Blairism. Through his analytical and translating work, he is credited, together with Perry Anderson, with introducing Antonio Gramsci’s work to Anglophone culture, especially the notion of ‘hegemony’, which has had a major influence on the field of political and cultural studies since.
To see the discussion of Tom’s impact see the British website:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/debates/article.jsp?id=6&debateId=27&articleId=4667 (unresolved)
[Source: Deborah Sippitts, Design and Social Context Portfolio]
Koori student secures place at Penn State
Student Joel Benetti is heading for Penn State.
RMIT University Koori student Joel Benetti is to become the first student to travel to the USA on an Indigenous overseas placement.
Mr Benetti, 21, will leave in August to spend a semester at Pennsylvania State University.
The placement, valued at $9,000, has been organised by RMIT’s Ngarara Willim Indigenous Centre in partnership with the University’s Education Abroad Unit.
Mr Benetti, who is majoring in Cinema Studies as part of his Bachelor of Communications (Media) degree, will spend 10 weeks at the university ranked 13th in the US.
“I have always wanted to go to America so I jumped at the chance. I am looking forward to experiencing a different culture and having new experiences which I can learn from,” said Mr Benetti.
Mr Benetti is a rapper, musician and a keen basketball player. He has played more than 50 gigs with the Victorian Arabic Social Services’ Anti Racism Action Band in the last two years.
He was chosen for his commitment to his course and his good marks. The classes he takes in America will count towards his degree.
Stuart McFarlane, Ngarara Willim Indigenous Centre Manager, said: “People like Joel are really making a difference. Their experience leads to learning and growth not just for him, but also for his peers and his community.
“He is expanding his cultural knowledge and he is letting other students know it is possible to incorporate international travel into their studies.”
Pennsylvania State University, commonly known as Penn State, has more than 83,000 students and is on America’s east coast.
The Indigenous placement program has been running for two years. In 2005 Koori RMIT student Joel Wickham became the first to complete a placement. He studied at the University of Alberta, Canada.
Mr Wickham said:“My advice to Joel is to pursue connecting with the local people and culture at every opportunity. The most memorable moments in my time in Canada always revolved around relationships and culture.
“I hope Joel has the same opportunity to experience a culture that he may learn from and bring back in himself, to inform and provide insights about our own culture.”
[Source: Simon Hunter, Media and Communications]
Novel success for RMIT lecturer
The cover of Antoni Jach’s latest novel, Napoleon’s Double.
School of Creative Media Lecturer Antoni Jach has written a novel focusing on Napoleon’s campaign to conquer Egypt and the Baudin expedition to New Holland.
Napoleon’s Double, published by the Giramondo Publishing Company, will be launched at Melbourne’s Spanish Club in Fitzroy on 14 June. The venue holds 600 and all book lovers are welcome.
The book will be launched by the eminent philosopher John Armstrong, author of Love, Life, Goethe.
“Rather than a historical novel, Napoleon’s Double is a work of ideas,” said Mr Armstrong.
“Antoni Jach invites us to become citizens of history — alive equally to the past and present.”
Mr Jach's previous novels, The Weekly Card Game and The Layers of the City, were met with critical acclaim.
Napoleon’s Double begins with seven conscripts who set out to follow Napoleon on his campaign to conquer Egypt.
One of them is commanded to serve as Napoleon’s double and to act as a decoy for assassins.
Mr Jach said: “I’m delighted to be published by Giramondo. They are the best literary publisher in Australia and Ivor Indyk is the best editor of literary fiction in the country.
“I hope my novel, with its echoes of Voltaire, of Borges and of Calvino, will find an audience both here and overseas.
“I would like to thank my postgraduate writing students for their ongoing support and encouragement.”
Antoni Jach is a lecturer in Creative Writing (postgraduate) in RMIT’s School of Creative Media.
[Source: Simon Hunter, Media and Communications]
RMIT launches Second Life island
Avatars gather on the 246 square metres of digital land on RMIT’s island.
Second Life lets the imagination run wild.
RMIT University has opened its RMIT island in Second Life, initially funded by the Design.
Second Life is a digital world in which more than six million users interact in virtual cities, towns and landscapes.
The island features digital sculptures, buildings and art created by Architecture and design students.
The island was created as part of a course exploring virtual worlds using DSC’s School of Architecture and Design Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory.
Unlike many other universities using Second Life, the RMIT island is not used as an online campus, but as a creative space for students to learn in.
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Margaret Gardner AO, said: “The island gives RMIT a new and innovative way of showcasing the talents of its students.
“It stands as an example of how far RMIT has come in the last 120 years and how we continue to pioneer new methods in teaching and learning.”
Thirteen Architecture and Design students have spent the semester working on the island. Lectures and coursework have all been held online in Second Life.
The island features a “library of dance moves”, which users can select and imitate, and a library of fashion in which users can read about and model items on a catwalk.
For one project the students designed a “library of performance”, in collaboration with RMIT Library, which explored the future possibilities of library spaces within Second Life.
To use the island students must register with Second Life and create an online identity (avatar). Once on the island they can choose from a range of materials and tools to build with.
Greg More, Architecture and Design Lecturer, who is leading the project, said:
“Second life presents a whole new set of issues for designers. People can fly, interact and experience a design from all angles.
“This presents students with the opportunity to explore digital design concepts that aren’t realisable in the real-world, inturn promoting creative thinking. It also gives them access to an online design community which they would not otherwise have the opportunity to interact with.”
The island is 246 metres square. Each student was assigned their own piece of land and given a limited number of objects and materials to work with. It can be accessed by registering for free on Second Life.
[Source: Clare Gleghorn, Media and Communications]
RMIT students launch ‘green’ computer game
A rickety bridge in Terra Transeo’s ancient forest.
The Terra Transeo team at work.
School of Creative Media students have designed a new “green” computer game in which players pit their wits against pollution.
The game, Terra Transeo, is set in a smog-ridden city where it is impossible for nature to survive.
The aim of the game is to save the last tree in the city by collecting clues and items to help it to grow, restoring the city’s “life force”.
The game, which took 30 students five weeks to produce, is part of RMIT’s School of Creative Media’s Animation and Interactive Media program.
It features evil androids, paralysing spiders, Indiana Jones-style obstacles, teleports and items players can interact with.
Terra Transeo has been designed to professional game studio standards using the same platform as the award-winning multiplayer game Unreal. Each student was assigned a professional role during the project.
Student Kate Mills, who was part of the concept team, said: “This project has given us all a great insight into what it takes to produce a computer game from start to finish.
“It has been incredibly rewarding and we can be proud to have produced a polished, challenging game with a sound environmental message.”
To win, players must find teleports hidden around the city and collect the soil, water and sun elements in the forest they are teleported to.
[Source: Simon Hunter, Media and Communications]
RMIT students scoop $24k at printing awards
Graduate of the Year Angela Clarke (left) and Apprentice of the Year Danielle Mueller. Photo courtesy of Peter Kohn, ProPrint Magazine.
Two RMIT University students have received $12,000 each at the annual Printing Industry Training Awards.
The awards, co-sponsored by the printing industry and RMIT, celebrate the achievements of students in their studies, workplace training and industry placements.
Danielle Mueller, third-year Graphic Prepress Apprentice, was named Apprentice of the Year.
Miss Mueller, from Hobart, also won a Graphic Prepress Excellence Award, the Eastern Studios sponsored Prepress Award and the VHRR poster competition.
“This is excellent for me and my future. I am now running my own graphic design business and this can only help to ensure its success,” said Miss Mueller.
Angela Clarke, Printing and Graphic Arts (Multimedia) student, won Graduate of the Year.
“I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to expand my learning through the experiences that await me across the globe! The generosity and support from RMIT, The Collie Print Trust and all the sponsors is very inspiring,” said Ms Clarke.
Both students will receive $12,000 from the Collie Print Trust to aid future study or work in the printing industry.
About 350 guests gathered at the Clocktower Theatre Centre, Moonee Ponds, for the event, now in its 56th year.
The ceremony was hosted by RMIT’s International Centre of Graphic Technology, part of the School of Design (TAFE).
A total of $60,000 in grants was presented to students by RMIT and through awards sponsored by companies including Fuji Xerox, PMP Print and Brissett.
Allan Ballagh, Director of TAFE at RMIT, said: “The success of our students in these awards exemplifies not only the quality of teaching and learning available at RMIT but also how our students are benefiting from industry sponsorship and the strong relationships that RMIT has with major industry partners in this sector.”
[Source: Simon Hunter, Media and Communications]
Students get ahead in advertising
A poster developed as part of Red Table’s Y Party campaign.
School of Applied Communication students have finished third in a global competition to design a $US10m “put an end to poverty” advertising campaign.
The competition, run by the International Advertising Association in conjunction with Dentsu Advertising, Japan, saw 29 schools from 20 countries competing.
The aim was to devise a world-changing idea to help eradicate poverty by 2015. The client was the United Nations Millennium Project.
Seven third-year Bachelor of Communication Advertising students took part in the challenge, forming ad agency Red Table to develop their entry.
Zoe Hawkins, Tim Liew, Francis Derham, Sumana Sukumar, Ed Howley, Chris Ellis and Lucinda Johnstone Smith made up the team.
They came up with the idea of forming a spoof political party, the Y Party, to mobilise young voters to donate money.
Jill Powell, Advertising Discipline Coordinator in the School of Applied Communication, who led the project, said: “We knew they were capable of coming up with great creative ideas, but the brief required them to push themselves into places they'd never been before, and involve themselves in the whole advertising process and not just the creative.
“They had to scope the project, develop the strategy and cost out the production and media. Their efforts were extraordinary.”
Red Table’s entry included a series of press ads targeting commuters with the strapline “Do nothing and nothing will happen”. They also developed plans for a website, tshirts and interactive billboards.
The home page design for the Y Party’s web site.
Student Lucinda Johnstone Smith said: “This was by far the most challenging project I have ever undertaken.
“The brief was so enormous and so open that it was overwhelming at first, but after several weeks of reading and researching we decided on a very specific path — choosing one particular fact (Australia’s failure to donate 0.7% of its gross national income) to educate the public with.”
RMIT came third in the Asia-Pacific South category.
Read Red Table’s competition entry.
[Source: Simon Hunter, Media and Communications]
A prize to be treasured
Bracelet from Saaremaa, an original creation by Associate Professor Robert Baines.
School of Art’s Associate Professor Robert Baines has been named a “Living Treasure” for his internationally-acclaimed work in Gold and Silversmithing. He is also a gold and silversmithing artist, researcher, academic and author.
Associate Professor Baines has been named as one of three Australian artists who will display their work in the prestigious “Living Treasure: Masters of Australian Craft” exhibition series.
The annual exhibition is held by the Object Gallery, Craft Australia and the Australian Craft and Design Centres.
The final three artists were chosen from a shortlist of 10 Masters of Australian Craft.
“Receiving the award is a very nice acknowledgement of my artist practice over a period of 30 years,” said Associate Professor Baines.
“I also see it as recognition of my professional practice informing my teaching and my endeavour to enrich the learning experience at RMIT and internationally.”
Professor Elizabeth Grierson, Head of the School of Art at RMIT, said: “Associate Professor Baines is an artist scholar of the highest international standing and a wonderful role model for his students at the RMIT School of Art.
“The School, RMIT and Australia should be very proud to have him in their midst.”
Associate Professor Baines’ work is collected in prestigious public collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer, France; and the National Gallery of Australia.
He will exhibit his work at the Object Gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney, in 2010.
NAPOLEON’S DOUBLE - Book Launch
Giramondo Publishing Company is pleased to invite you and your guests to the south-of-the-river launch of -
NAPOLEON’S DOUBLE by Antoni Jach
Date: Thursday, 21 June
Time: 6.30 pm
Venue: Readings St. Kilda (112 Acland St, St.Kilda)
Creative writing lecturer Antoni Jach’s book will be launched by the eminent philosopher John Armstrong, author of ‘Love, Life, Goethe’, ‘The Secret Power of Beauty’ and ‘The Conditions of Love’.
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