The Australian Institute of Higher
AIH_Connect V o l u m e
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AIH CELEBRATES CULTURAL DIVERSITY By: Christine Ivy C. Valeza
Education Newsletter
Inside this issue: Multicultural Party
1
Bhutan on Something Precious
1
The Dean’s Column
2
What’s in the Library
2
Around the World and Back Home
3
Menagerie
4& 5
Recognitions and Announcements
6
The AIH Higher Education Student Council held its first student activity on 26 October 2011 in Rooms 1 and 2 at the AIH premises. It was our very first “AIH Multicultural Party” and the primary aim of the event was to celebrate cultural diversity among the AIH community. In her welcome address, the AIH Higher Education Student Council President revealed that the Multicultural Party was the first activity proposed by the Student Council at their first meeting. She likewise revealed that “the officers were all in agreement that there should be an activity like this which will showcase how culturally diverse AIH is and, despite it being culturally diverse, still comes together as one in peace and harmony”. Everyone had their eyes and
ears open when Professor JooGim Heaney delivered her Dean’s Address. She introduced the AIH and AICL Executives and staff and emphasized their cultural and racial backgrounds. On her final note, she stressed the value of respect which the AIH community owe to each other in view of the fact that AIH is a culturally diverse institution. In line with this, she announced that the “speak only English policy” will be strictly enforced starting next semester. The Dean’s address was immediately followed by the swearing in of office bearers of the AIH Higher Education Student Council. Kumar Dhakal, a student from Nepal, serenaded the audience with his own acoustic version of “I’m yours” and “Just the way you are”. Everyone was singing along with him as he
(cont. p. 2)
was delivering his soulful music. The Nepalese students won the heart of Judge Aris Ortanez with their dancing to the tune of a Nepalese song making them the winner for the best student performance against the Philippines and Bangladesh. Judge Marian Yang had a hard time choosing the winner for the best traditional d r e s s however; the Nepa l e s e students persuaded her by their dazzling traditional dresses. Neither did
Bhutan Reminds Japan Of Something Precious By: Kaori Mukoyama Japan has spent many decades concentrating on developing and building its technology and economy. After world war Ⅱ, Japan worked very hard to catch up to and overtake developed countries such as the USA or the UK. Japan increased its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) rapidly and became one of the biggest economies in the world in a short period. However, in the past decade, the Japanese economy has faltered, causing the GDP to drop. Japan is no longer an“economic giant”. This has triggered a low birth rate, an increase in unemployment (this
(cont. p. 3) caused the highest rate of suicides among developed countries), and unstable pension systems. Also, the race for technological superiority has broken down community, social connections and community relations. People have lost social skills and the ability to communicate. Furthermore, failure and lack of success are not accepted in the highly competitive and closed Japanese society. These factors contribute to making people anxious about their future, feeling that there is no hope. A recent survey shows that 6.5 out of
10 Japanese are not happy with their lives. The rate is lower than any other developed country (Japan T i m e s , h t t p : / / www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ nn20111130f1.html, 10th December, 2011). In November, 2011, the Bhutanese King and Queen visited Japan. This was widely reported in the media, because their visit let Japanese realize something important that has been lost. Bhutan is a tiny kingdom located in the Himalayas. The economy has grown rapidly in recent years but it
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“If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another.”
The Dean’s Column
Dr. Joo‐Gim Heaney Executive Dean
Dear AIH Students AIH_Connect Readers:
and
At AIH Higher Education, we held a Multicultural party on October 26th organized by AIH’s very first Student Council. In the October 2011 AIH_Connect, the inaugural President of this Council, Christine Ivy Valeza, described the Council’s mission as
Winston Churchill
“developing friendly relationships among students, upholding their welfare, and organizing activities and events.” The Council’s officers certainly fulfilled their mission by holding the Multicultural Party! Attended by over 60 people at the Pitt Street campus, the event showcased cultures from many countries, delightfully colourful traditional costumes and to top it all, home cooked food and performances from a large number of countries. The event highlighted the confluence of different cultures, which not only provided for contrasting sights and tastes but also an opportunity to experience shared similarities. Humans differ amongst each other not only in their country of origin, but also in their religion, culture,
ethnic background and even in their heritage based on when they were born and what each of their countries was experiencing at that time. For example, the foods that came from the Philippines were a combination of Spanish and Asian flavours, infused with the local coconut ingredients. Or think of Nepalese costumes, intervowen with the bright colours of India but with threads and silks of other Asian regions such as Mongolia or China. But think….what a rich planet it is that we live in! And how much all of these cultures enable us to appreciate and enjoy a variety of experiences .
(Cont. below)
Newspapers in the Library!!!! The AIH Library now receives the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) every day from Monday to Friday. The SMH is a fantastic resource for your assignments, the latest developments and news in the Business and Accounting industries and generally interesting items in
and around Sydney for your recreation. Also remember to keep in mind that for previous issues of the SMH and other Australian newspapers such The Daily Telegraph and The Australian go to the Australia/ New Zealand Reference Centre (ANZRC) electronic
AIH Celebrates….
Suggested Reading/s:
(from page 1)
By: Luke Carter (cont. below)
database. To access ANZRC simply go to your Blackboard account then to My AIH Library/ Content and scroll down to see the access details for the resource. ANZRC has full text remote access to the last 12 years of both the SMH and The Daily Telegraph. So whether you just want to
The Dean’s Column…. (from top)
Judge Jim Yang have it easy when choosing the best traditional meal. Nevertheless, a Bangladeshi rice dish cooked by Swarna triumphed at the end with its delicious taste.
The event was a huge success and everyone undeniably enjoyed every minute of it. There were approximately 40 dishes shared and enjoyed and everyone’s stomach was full when the party concluded.
Newspapers…. (from top)
read today’s headlines or use the newspapers for your research the Library
has got you covered.
The Multicultural Party therefore was indeed a celebration of Spring and a Spring at Circular Quay with celebration of Jacaranda Trees the students’ and staff’s different cultures. It celebration of friendwas also a celebration ships and relationships of humanity, its richat AIH . ness and its diversity. Thanks to the Student Best regards, Council, our special Professor Heaney Student Administrator Natalia, and all the students and their friends, whose hard work paid off. So most of all, it was definitely a
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Around the World and Back Home Something Precious…. (from page 1)
is still one of the worlds’ smallest, being 1/20 of the Japanese GDP. However, GNH (Gross National Happiness) shows that 97% of 700,000 Bhutanese declare themselves happy with their lives. The Bhutanese give priority to close family, friends and relationships for their happiness (Japan Times, http://www.japantimes.co.jp/ text/fd20111211bj.html, 10th December, 2011). Japan used to be undeveloped and extremely poor. People helped and cared for each other they lived like the Bhutanese do now. The obsession with rapid development has involved many sacrifices for Japanese happiness. The Japanese government is interested in adopting GNH (Gross National Happiness) to measure wealth of the mind and spirit. After the huge earthquake hit Japan in March 2011, people began to reconsider their priorities and the recent visit by the Bhutanese King and Queen highlighted this. “A nation is made by the people” – Japan has to face the difficult problem of fulfillment of poverty of the mind and a massive shift in its priorities.
ANZ sells stake in Vietnamese bank January 7, 2012 Extracted in part from (and see for full story) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-07/ anz-sells-stake-in-vietnamese-bank/3761896? section=business
The ANZ group is selling its 9.6% stake in a joint venture in Vietnam with the major local lender Sacombank. The ANZ joined the venture in 2005 in an effort to enter the Vietnamese financial sector and has opened up 10 of its own ANZ branches since then. Its current customer focus is lending to the country’s export sector and starting up credit card accounts with Vietnam’s more affluent members of society. The major reason, which has been expected for some time now according to industry insiders, for the sale of its entire share of the lender, is that both the ANZ and Sacombank offer retail banking and are actually competitors. In a market that has around a 100 banks and
local lenders having limited capital and facing cash shortages, foreign banks like ANZ with access to large reserves of capital are in a much better place financially. It may end up as merely a waiting game for the large foreign and local banks to see many of their local and foreign competitors eventually fail from a lack of funds in the burgeoning economy of this communist country.
Social Business Enters Restaurant Sector in Bangladesh Dhaka, 7th December 2011 - Japan's leading food and beverage brand Watami Group signed a joint venture agreement with the Yunus Centre to establish a social business venture in the restaurant sector in Bangladesh. A number of restaurants would be set up across the country under the joint venture that aims to produce quality food through its outlets. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chairman of Yunus Centre, and Miki Watanabe, Chief Executive Officer of Watami Group, signed the agreement at Yunus Centre in Dhaka. He also said the venture could generate about 3,000 jobs. He also showed interest to replicate the social business venture in other markets where his company operates, if its Bangladesh's venture becomes successful.
ture and Gross Domestic Product, which was rated at 7.5% in 2010 and is likely to end at a 4% rate in 2011. There is a high level of international investment coming mainly from Dutch, American and Spanish companies, which contribute to the current low unemployment percentage rate that is around 5.8 (Brazil had its lowest unemployment rate for the last 25 years in 2010 - 5.3%). We, Brazilians, are very proud of our country’s development and we wish more people would come to Brazil not only for the World Cup season but also to spend Carnival and New Year`s Eve there. Those holidays are the most famous ones and foreigners are very likely to enjoy them because there are parties and celebrations all over the country.
Why you should go to the Philippines January 7, 2012 Source: (and for the full story) http:// ph.news.yahoo.com/why-philippines093004569.html
Therefore, your choice of place does not matter. If you go to a Brazilian city, you can try typical Brazilian food, which could be from feijoada (black beans, rice, pork and "farofa" ) to a yummy Brazilian barbecue!
The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has unveiled its new tourism campaign targeted at international tourists. The country’s new slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” is aimed at getting foreign tourists to visit the Philippines who are tired of the usual Asian tourist destinations and who want to see something new and uniquely different. The ad campaign will not only emphasise the country’s pristine beaches and relics of colonial rule like previous tourism campaigns but will also draw upon the nation’s greatest resource the Filipino people themselves. The cultural friendliness and laid back attitude of the Filipinos is what will bring in the tourists, those who are looking to explore a new and exciting country and get back in touch with themselves, their family and culture according to one of the Philippines top marketing executives.
As a consequence of The World Cup that is going to be held in 2014, it is expected that Brazil will have a growth in its infrastruc-
The decision was made to use a phrase rather than single word as the key to the ad campaign to help differentiate it
Brazil is a country with warm people, beautiful nature, and delicious food. Due to its huge area, this country consists of differing influences relating to each region`s colonial background. We can say that we have different cultures in the same country and whatever your taste is regarding weather or landscape, you will have a nice stay.
from its other Asian competitors who use single word catch phrases like Truly, Amazing or Incredible. The minds behind the new tourism campaign believe that tourists are over the single word catch phrase and want more out of their holiday experience. The key to the campaign is its honesty as for many tourists and locals alike it truly is more fun in the Philippines. With its diverse cultural history, exotic cuisine, beautiful natural resources and historical architecture the Philippines truly do have a lot to offer foreign visitors. With growing doubt over the economies of the European Union and North America the very people that this campaign is aimed at might have the desire to visit but not the financial means by which to do it, only time can tell if this new campaign will work out in the end.
Colombia a country of such breathtaking diversity, it can be hard to find the time to discover everything that makes Colombia so unique. Colombia is famous for many things but one of its main exports and main sources of wealth has always been its coffee, indeed, Colombia is famous around the world for the quality of the beans and flowers it produces and exports.Colombian people have many reasons to be proud of their country. Our contrasting natural regions, their profuse flora and fauna, the ethnic diversity of our people and the richness of our cultural and artistic patrimony are some of them. Viva Colombia!
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Menagerie AIH is an institution composed of different nationalities and cultures. It’s like a small world with its own little countries. Nevertheless, with the institution’s mission and goals, part of it is to make these countries meet and understand their differences. Therefore, this section is intended for students to introduce themselves, voice out their thoughts, share their feelings and be understood by one another.
IN RETROSPECT (dedicated to Mama and Papa) Enclosed in a crust of egoism and immaturity Walking the path with profound sense of obscurity Not knowing how to uncover the reality That life is full of sense of ambiguity. I try to toddle where no one would see me Walking through the path where I’m holding the key Then I try to move and get away And in that moment I learned how to pray. Blessings started to pour in since then I watch them with a shunning grin As I close my eyes, I try to dream and imagine That this fleeting moment would never end. Counting all my blessings includes you For you are unlike the few You have given me the courage to fight And a thought that in the end I will see the light. “It’s not how you fall that counts It’s how you take the fall that count most” These are your words to console me During the time I was in a deep sea. You helped me paddle my own canoe So I can seize the day with a perfect hue Though I know, I do not deserve it For I was a child lacking with passion and drive. Watching the horizon in the stillness of the night Making me wonder how I was able to unravel the plight The roads had been bleak But you taught me not to become weak. When my life’s last leaf shall fall I want that moment to thank you both For you have given me the chance to stand tall Though craving for more I always sought.
2011 and Australia (for my love, my life) January 2012, the eleventh month of being in a country that is far from home. In that span of time, there were numerous things that happened and changed my life. Some I prayed to happen, the others I worked hard to achieve and the rest just happened unexpectedly. 2011, the year it was, taught me many different things in life and about life. My emotions changed along with the four seasons of Australia which helped me get to know myself again, showed me the way I dreamed of to walk to pursue my dreams and reminded me to keep track of the path I am taking to make sure I’d find my way back home, my real life. Everyday, I had to drag myself to get out of my bed knowing that it will be another day away from my family and especially the life I always wanted. Along with that, there is the pain that has been killing me inside. At the end of each day, I always want to go back to the place where I should be at and the place I only ever wanted to stay at. However, because of the people I get to meet, know and be with each day, my life is becoming easier to live now. The four seasons helped me understand my emotions. Summer gave me the feeling of excitement to see what life would bring me in a new and different country. Autumn touched my life with sadness and I started to feel how hard it is to be on your own. Winter brought back the anger that reminded me of the reason why I had to choose to move far from home and leave my previous life there, but then spring lead me back to happiness as it continued to give me new reasons to stay strong and to keep on striving for my dreams. I have proven my strength from the day I decided to live my life the way I wanted - ignoring all the risks. I stood up not just for myself but for the two angels I brought to life. Strength was never an option; and although, it is hard to stay strong living far from the angels who brought me back to life, I will keep fighting until we meet again. Last year allowed me to experience so many things for the first time and it also taught me how I grew to be the person I am today. I began to see that the two precious people waiting for me back home are strong and as proud of me as I am of them. And so, to my precious Raymond Andrew and Ralph Adrian, mommy loves you always and forever.
As the dawning of the sun envelope the sky I lie awake with a cheerful sigh “Oh how thankful I am to be your child And to be your child is a gift from above”. Abigael Placido-Candelaria Christine Ivy C. Valeza
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Menagerie Multicultural Party – A Student’s Point of View
Polau Rice
The first multicultural party held at AIH last October was a breakthrough in forging stronger bonds among the students, staff and administrators. The officers who spearheaded the event should be congratulated for coming up with such an interesting activity where everyone enjoyed themselves and learned much about each other’s culture. Those who attended came up with interesting presentations about their country and culture. Colourful traditional costumes added festivity to the celebration. The food was great and each one enjoyed the chance to appreciate the various arrangements and tastes of international cuisine.
Ingredients:
Being AIH’s first multicultural party, some suggestions can be offered to make the next one even more colourful. It would make the bonding more meaningful if more students joined in the celebration. We can think of ideas or strategies to ensure an even bigger turnout next time. Also the cultural presentations rendered by students to represent their countries should have greater participation among students, generate brighter ideas and involve better preparation. And then, maybe games and other interesting and fun activities can also be included next time where members can team up across cultures to get to know each other better.
Kalizira Rice (It is special rice from Bangladesh) Ghee/Olive Oil Onions Green Chilli Salt Green Peas Cinnamon Cardamom Bay Leaves Rose Water Water Method: 1.
Nevertheless, we can say that the multicultural party launched this school year at AIH was both an unforgettable event and a challenge for the next organizers to surpass. We look forward to more colourful and greater bonding activities!
2.
Mary Jane Borja, a student and a participant 3.
Heat the pan and put ghee on the hot pan, then mix in onion, green chilli, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, and fry until the onion becomes golden brown. Add rice and fry everything together for a little while, then add water and green peas. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes mix the rice, then add some rose water. Now, the rice is ready to be served.
Winning Recipe from Bangladesh for the AIH Multicultural Party Presented by: Swarna Chowdhury
AIH_Connect to AIH Students…. Calling all students of AIH to share their creativity, talent and thoughts.
AIH_Connect
Recognitions!!!!
Editorial Board: Editor-In-Chief: Natalia Kotrasova (Student Administrator) Managing Editor: Abigael Placido-Candelaria (BBus Student)
Congratulations! Nepalese students in the best traditional dress with the Associate To our Lecturer Dr. Bordogna on the Dean of Studies Swarna, the best food birth of her baby son Jack. winner, with Mr. Jim Yang
We are looking for: University/Menagerie Editor Layout and Graphics Edi-
tor
Kaori Mukoyama
Photo Editor
If
you’ve
takes,
Contributors (Around the World and Back Home): Abigael Placido-Candelaria
got
come
what
and
join
editorial team!!!!
it our
Deiris Serrano Santos Swarna Chowdhury Carolina Coimbra De Oliveira
Announcements AIH Diary:
Second-hand books:
Summer term dates: 5th
Student Council Room:
December 2011 –
27th
January 2012
Exam Week: 30th
January 2012-
3rd
February 2012
Tuesday: 1pm—5pm
2bb.uts.edu.au
Wednesday: 12pm—2:30pm
association.cqu.edu.au
Friday: 3pm—4pm
Semester 1, 2012 Dates: 12th
March 2012 –
8th
April –
20th
June 2012
April 2012
Exam Weeks: 18th
June –
29th
or call the UNSW number: 93856111
Mid-semester holiday: 16th
search these websites:
June 2012
Useful Information for students: Co-op Bookshop:
Office hours:
3 Broadway (Crn Broadway & Harris Street), Ultimo NSW 2007
Mylah Amboang (Account Officer):
http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au
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