Monash South Africa academics visit

13 September 2006

Back row (from left): Professor Iain Edwards, with Dr Agnes Babugura, Ms Pearl Dastile, Dr Marcellin Zounmenou, Ms Gertrude Dickinson, Mr Ashley Gunter and Ms Maria Damianova. Front row (from left): Dr Sabelo Ndlovu, Ms Michelle Small and Associate Professor Marilyn Lucas (last, right) from Monash South Africa's School of Arts; with Associate Professor Denise Cuthbert, Associate Dean (Graduate Studies), Faculty of Arts (centre), and Professor Graham Oppy, Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Arts, at Monash's Clayton campus.

A group of nine academic staff from Monash South Africa's School of Arts visited Monash University's Clayton campus last week.

The group comprised Head of School Professor Iain Edwards, Ms Michelle Small and Dr Sabelo Ndlovu (International Studies), Dr Marcellin Zounmenou (French), Associate Professor Marilyn Lucas and Ms Maria Damianova (Psychology), Dr Agnes Babugura and Mr Ashley Gunter (Geography and Environmental Science), and Ms Pearl Dastile (Criminal Justice and Criminology), as well as Ms Getrude Dickinson, secretary to the Head of School.

The main purpose of the visit was to enhance collaboration and communication between the two campuses.

The four-day visit was facilitated by Arts faculty Research Development Coordinator Ms Deepa Balakrishnan.

Aside from Professor Iain Edwards, it was the first visit by all to Monash's Clayton campus.

During the week, the group met with research and teaching staff in the Faculty of Arts to discuss possible collaborative research ventures and to consider the provision of assistance in administering units at the South African campus.

The group also undertook graduate supervisor training to enable them to start supervising research degrees at the South African campus.

Ms Balakrishnan said the visit was deemed highly successful by all concerned.

"The Faculty of Arts has been working closely with the School of Arts at Monash South Africa to increase collaborative research opportunities and to introduce new units at the South African campus," he said.

"The visit enabled the academics to establish a good rapport with their counterparts in Melbourne, as well as a basis for undertaking collaborative research work."

The visit was the second by a group of academics from the School of Arts at Monash South Africa to the Clayton campus this year. It is envisaged that more such visits will occur.