The
Graduate Union Newsletter September 2017
Contents GU Collegiate 4
Diamond Jubilee Fundraising Gala
6
September Monthly Luncheon Dr Stefan Arndt
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Coming Monthly Luncheons
8
John Cain Foundation Luncheon
9
College Table Professor Jeff Borland
Feature 10 Graduate Pathway Caroline Silk, The Balanced Approach
Review 12 July Women's Forum
Academic and Professional Development Meetings 22 July 2017 Listings
Other Sections 24 Innovation Your eyes sharing data with advertisers 25 Extracurricular Protein deficiency because of carbon dioxide emissions 26 Discovering Melbourne 27 Feedback and Prize Winner 28 Funding to refurbish our place of gathering
13 August Monthly Luncheon Tony Pooley 23 Christmas in July Lunches
Get your Gala tickets now!
Resident News 17 Former Resident graduates Dr Chanchal Chandramouli Filmed at Graduate House Afra Aldhaheri
Graduate House News 18 Happy Birthday Mac Nicoll 18 Defibrillator Training
Members News 19 Holidays and Technology Louis Coutts 21 Dual Identity Leadership Alumni Speed Networking
Our Roaring Twenties Fundraising Gala is about raising funds for our future building to house many more postgraduate students from around the world. We aim to provide top tier accommodation and services for students, so come to our Gala and support the graduates of tomorrow.
More details on pages 4 and 5
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GU Collegiate Sat 2nd
Roaring Twenties Fundraising Gala
7.00pm
SEPT
Our Diamond Jubilee Gala will be held at The RACV City Club in Bourke Street. A live band (SELECT) will perform and silent and live auction will be conducted at the Gala. Join our celebration of 60 years as a residential postgraduate college.
Tues 5th, 19th
Italian Conversation Dinner
SEPT
6.00pm
Come along to dine while learning to speak Italian with an experienced teacher. Members $15, non-members $20
Wed 6th
SEPT
Monthly Luncheon
12noon for 12.30pm
Dr Stefan Arndt will speak on the topic Can trees 'learn' to be more stress tolerent in a future climate? Resident Members $10, non-resident Members $30, general public $40 and concession $35
Wed
Bridge Nights
SEPT
Join in a game or learn to play the card game Bridge. Enjoy a shared platter for supper, as well as tea and coffee.
6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
7.20pm for 7.30pm
Members $2, non-members $5
Fri 8th
SEPT
Meet and Greet
6.00pm
Join new and returning Resident Members over dinner and drinks to discuss collegiate matters. Free for Resident Members, non-resident Members $20
Tues 12th
SEPT
Special Morning Breakfast
7.30am to 8.30am
Non-resident Members are welcome to join Resident Members for a hearty breakfast at Graduate House. Free for Resident Members, non-resident Members $20
Fri 15th
SEPT
College Table Discussion
12.00 noon for 12.30pm
Professor Jeff Borland will lead a discussion on the topic of 'Economics'. Members $12, non-members $20, loyalty card holders $15
Wed 16th
SEPT
Womenâs Forum
10.00am for 10.30am
Join the discussion on 'Lending Money to Family and Friends'. Forum is free. Lunch is at Member and non-member prices.
BOOK NOW
via our website, by phone 03 9347 3428, by email admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or at reception, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton
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SILENT AUCTION ITEMS INCLUDE SIGNED CHARLES BILLICH PAINTING GOLD COAST LUXURY PACKAGE (KINCROME TOOL TROLLEY AROMABABY SKINCARE HAMPER HERITAGE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB VOUCHERS AZZARO FASHION VOUCHER TIMEOUT FED SQUARE VOUCHER HISENSE 50â SMART TV PORT PHILLIP BAY SCENIC FLIGHT SILVAGNI FAMILY SIGNED CARLTON FOOTBALL CLUB JERSEY 10 LESSON CHINESE LANGUAGE OR CULTURAL COURSE VOUCHER CAROLINE SILK WELLNESS PACKAGE NESPRESSO ESSENZA COFFEE MACHINE D.LOGOZZO LUXURY SUEDE COATS AND MANY MORE
THE NIGHT THREE COURSE DINNER AND DRINKS âSELECTâ - AUSTRALIAâS PREMIER SHOWBAND MR JOHN DEEKS (CHANNEL 7) AS MC 1926 VINTAGE DELAGE MOTOR FOR PHOTOGRAPHS MR PAUL CAINE (CAINE REAL ESTATE) AS AUCTIONEER DOOR PRIZES RAFFLE SILENT AUCTION LIVE AUCTION TABLES OF 10 BEST COSTUME PRIZES
SILENT AUCTION BIDDING WWW.GRADUATEHOUSE.COM.AU/60TH-YEAR-DIAMOND-JUBILEE-THEROARING-TWENTIES-FUNDRAISING-GALA/AUCTION BOOK TO ATTEND - SEATS ARE LIMITED WWW.GRADUATEHOUSE.COM.AU/COMING-EVENTS/2017-FUNDRAISING-GALA OR BIT.LY/2S9UQGC
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SATURDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER 2017 6.30PM RACV CITY CLUB 17 FLOOR BALLROOM 501 BOURKE ST MELBOURNE
BOOK NOW GENERAL PUBLIC $190.00 CONCESSION $180.00 NON-RESIDENT MEMBERS $120.00 GRADUATE STUDENTS $120.00 RESIDENT MEMBERS $45.00
th
RSVP TUESDAY 29th AUGUST
60 YEARS OF GRADUATE HOUSE
ABN 556 10664 963 IAR No. A0023234B
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Monthly Luncheon
6th September 12.00 NOON for 12.30 PM
Dr Stefan Arndt
Can trees âlearnâ to be more stress tolerant in a future climate? Professor Stefan Arndt completed his PhD in plant ecophysiology at The University of Vienna in 2000 and has been working at the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences of The University of Melbourne since 2002. The major focus of his research is on the interface between plants and their environment. He is particularly interested in understanding the physiological responses of plants to their abiotic and biotic environment and the role of plants in the functioning of ecosystems. He has extensive research experience in plant ecophysiology and biogeochemistry, with research relating to processes operating at leaf, whole plant and ecosystem scales. His work has recently focused on the process-based investigation of carbon balance, nutrient cycling and ďŹuxes of greenhouse gases in forest ecosystems and the adaptation of trees to environmental stresses. His contribution to this ďŹeld has been to use physiological and ecological measures to increase our understanding of ecosystem function, with improved process understanding and model development as a goal.
Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton, Vic 3053 Cost $10 Resident Members $30 non-resident Members $40 general public $35 concession
Bookings (03) 9347 3428 Email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Website: graduatehouse.com.au RSVP by Monday 4th September
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Coming Monthly Luncheons First Wednesday of the Month Wednesday 4th October
Mrs Val Oldfield OAM
Author of 'No Beating About The Bush'. A memoir about her life on Mungerannie Station in Outback South Australia in the 1960s.
Wednesday 1st November
Professor Anne Steinemann Professor of Civil Engineering and Chair of Sustainable Cities The University of Melbourne 'Hidden hazards in everyday products and indoor environments.'
Buy your remembrance poppies for $5 at Reception
The House of Dior
NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne The National Gallery of Victoria is conducting free guided tours of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture exhibition. In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the House of Dior, one of the worldâs most prestigious couture houses, the National Gallery of Victoria presents The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture. The exhibition includes a sumptuous display of more than 140 garments designed by Christian Dior Couture between 1947 and 2017. GU Life Member Margaret Mayers is an NGV volunteer tour guide. Tours are one hour in length and are open to the public. Daily tours at 10.30am & 2.30pm (28th August to 3rd November). Daily tour dates with Margaret Mayers are: Thursday, 21st September, 10.30am Friday, 29th September, 10.30am Thursday, 5th October, 10.30am Thursday, 12th October, 10.30am Saturday, 21st October, 10.30am Friday, 27th October, 10.30am
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The September Monthly Luncheon features Dr Colleen Lewis who will follow up on her 2016 report on political donations and the deficit in trust in Australian politics.
Australia's Political System - a Deficit in Trust
In 2016 Dr Colleen Lewis was commissioned by the John Cain Foundation to report on the parlous state of political donations in Australia. At this Monthly Luncheon Professor Lewis will update her report. What, if anything, has changed? She will lead a Q&A discussion, facilitated by John Cain Foundation Board Director Maxine McKew, on the reasons for the deep, universal distrust in all aspects of our political system. WHERE: Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton COST: $40 I Concession $30 for pensioners & full time students BOOK HERE - https://www.trybooking.com/RKDY
Dr Colleen Lewis is an Adjunct Professor at the National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash University and a Director of the Accountability Round Table. Her current research interests include anti-corruption bodies, political donations, lobbying, and the causes and consequences of the trust deficit in Australian politics. 8 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
College Table Professor Jeff Borland will lead the discussion on Economics
Friday 15th September, 12NOON for 12:30PM Usual Dining Room Prices Apply
College Tables are informal collegiate lunch-time discussions on challenging issues in a graduate school field
Jeff Borland is Truby Williams Professor of Economics at The University of Melbourne. His main research interests are analysis of the operation of labour markets in Australia, program and policy evaluation and design, Australian economic history, and sports economics. His current teaching is in the areas of microeconomics, sports economics, and Australian and world economic history. At The University of Melbourne he has been a recipient of the Ed Brown University Teaching Prize and the Deanâs Award for Individual Teaching, and at Yale University he was awarded the Raymond Powell Prize for Excellence in Teaching in the Department of Economics. In 2007 he was awarded a Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. In 2010 he was Visiting Professor of Australian Studies at Harvard University. He has also been a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research at The Australian National University between 1996 and 1998, and has had visiting teaching positions at The University of Iowa and University of WisconsinMadison.
Book online at www.graduatehouse.com.au by phone 9347 3428, through email to admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or at the venue, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton. A B N 5 5 6 1 0 6 6 4 9 6 3 | I A R No . A 0 0 2 3 2 3 4 B
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GRADUATE PATHWAY
Caroline Silk â The Balanced Approach @ carolinesilk.com After a high school student exchange to the United States, Caroline Silk, wellness coach, discovered a few things about herself: firstly, that you can cope through things, secondly that you must be open to other people, and thirdly that you should be open to exploring new things. During high school Caroline embarked on a year-long transformative and eye-opening exchange to the USA, joining the equivalent of Australian Year 11 in a Senior High school years 9-12, of 1100 students. She was selected by the Rotary Club of Hawthorn. She says that it was a shock to the system, she really had to find her inner strength to walk down the corridors in the USA and be the only Australian. âIt was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster but it was a great experience,â she says. She found the experience invaluable. âI think it's important for young women today to have that inner strength, to know that they can make an impact and do things - and do them successfully,â she says. âI also think that they need to be open to learning and using their resources and the people that they meet and the places that they go to build on their strengths and what theyâve got.â After completing high school, Caroline commenced an Arts degree at Monash University, but wasnât quite clear on what she wanted, although she majored in history and sociology. After graduating, she decided that travel was on the horizon, so she worked for 12 months at a financial lease broking firm, and in 1986 made
her way across the antipodes to the USA and Europe. She says that this travel gave her a sense of how you can be independent and how you can manage on your own. âReally, up until then Iâd been home, gone to school, gone to university and the exchange was enormously eye opening and increased my independence. Caroline Silk is a mindset nutritionist. But this travel âCommunication skills benefited reinforced that youâre capable of me in the workplace. Itâs the same understanding that you did it all theme â itâs that ability to be open on your own, from organising to to learning, the ability to really financing it, and you look back understand how to be involved and think - thatâs a credit to be with other people,â she says. able to do that. For me, it was âThese skills can be innate - some the experience of being in other people have the confidence to go countries and seeing how the out there, but they can absolutely people operated, their lifestyles, be learned. It was a long time ago, and I just loved it.â but I donât doubt that I was guided From there she had to decide by my mentors at the time in whether to stay overseas, come teaching and showing me what to home or apply for the Advertising do and how to do it. If youâre open Federation of Australia scholarship to learning, then youâll always have which she had been eyeing. people there that will teach you,â From about 600 applications, the she said. number of advertising agencies By the time she left the advertising who let graduate cadets into their industry, she was pregnant with businesses left only 10 places her first child, so she took time off available, of which Caroline and returned part-time, which she received one, starting ten months admits wasnât all that easy. âIt was at DDB Needham, Melbourne. at a time when the whole part-time She made her way through the thing hadnât really taken off at all. departments, landing a position I think today in the industry itâs with Account Services and worked a lot better for women to go back her way up the ranks to an Account and work, but then it was still early Director.
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days and not many role models had done it before,â she says. âFrom the business point of view, they were a bit hesitant to see how it would work.â Three children and three different part-time roles later, she got caught up with the idea of passion. âI got very caught up with the word 'passion' because itâs such a big word and I didnât feel from within that I was passionate about anything. I struggled with that for a few months and then another person guided me and said - Really, itâs like something that always grabs your interest that you want to learn more about.â âThen I started picking up on it. It was like little breadcrumbs were being left along the way for me to pick up, and it was health, nutrition and wellness. I started to think in that realm, which was quite a shift from where Iâd been.â It was by sheer coincidence that Caroline stumbled across the nutrition course at Deakin University. As she looked it up online, waiting for the webpage to load with the then dial-up speeds, images inching down the page, she saw that the head of the school was her friend, one of the childcare kinder dads. She contacted him for advice, which resulted in Caroline promptly enrolling in the Postgraduate Certificate in Human Nutrition, and following that, a Postgraduate Diploma. It was a learning curve for Caroline, who was also raising her three boys while simultaneously working through her course online. Nevertheless, she finished her program in 2007, and was fortunate to join her paediatrician friend, working together one day a week with clients, including overweight children and their families.
She started seeing more clients one-on-one, gravitating towards women, realising that she wanted to specialise in weight loss. âI realised there was a gap in the sense that the women who would sit on my couch were saying that they knew what they should be doing with their eating for instance, but they werenât able to get their heads in the right place,â she said. âIt was this constant theme, so I started investigating that whole role of positive psychology. That led me to become certified in a program based on neurolinguistics programming and positive behaviour techniques and positive psychology.â Her program, she says, is about being mindfully based. She is the âmindset nutritionistâ and has become certified working with the subconscious mind and helping change the beliefs that people have about themselves, letting go of negative emotions. Caroline believes that unless your head is in the right place, itâs not going to happen. âWhen you go through my program, the work we do together enables you to let go of your negative emotions, limiting beliefs and that negative monkey mind chatter. The result is that it frees you up and you feel lighter of mind and more in control, opening the doors for you to go forward and make changes. Iâm not about dieting, Iâm about mindful eating.â The difference, she explains, is that when you are dieting, your head automatically switches into restriction and deprivation mode, meaning that you already start with a negative step. Mindful eating is teaching you how to really become in sync with your food, hunger and feelings so that you eat accordingly. âYou donât eat because itâs 1 oâclock,
or you donât eat because youâre angry, stressed or bored,â she says. âPeople think theyâre going to get rid of their anger, stress or boredom by eating. But eating when they are in this state only adds to the way theyâre feeling. Theyâre adding another negative emotion of guilt to their pile because theyâve overeaten and in the end it hasnât solved their problem - the anger, stress, sadness is still there. This type of eating is referred to as emotional eating. Mindful eating allows you to take the time to work out if youâre hungry and really checking in with your physical sense of hunger and making sure you are physically hungry rather than emotionally hungry. Once determined, you deal with these two hungers in different ways.â As her business flourishes, she looks forward to firmly establishing herself online. In 2014 she completed a business course, which introduced her to the world of online business marketing. Despite her advertising background, this she says, âwas a whole new world.â Caroline is happy to admit that the first couple of years in the online space has not only been an enormous learning curve, but that she often felt like she was on an emotional rollercoaster. She considered getting off more than once! Everything Caroline has done to date has been self-taught, from setting up a website, to recording webinars, creating online programs and running mindful eating challenges with over 100 people from across the globe. 2017 has been a year of consolidating. Now, under the guidance of a very successful online marketer, she looks towards an exciting and successful 2018. vv www.carolinesilk.com
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REVIEW
Women's Forum Review
Wednesday 19th July The Significance of Discipline
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What is the relationship between discipline and self-discipline? What is the role of parents in disciplining their children? And why is discipline necessary for a healthy and peaceful society? These are some questions which highlight the necessity and significance of discipline in our modern society.
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Parents are the most influential figures in disciplining their children and teaching them the right behavior in public places and social gatherings. Lack of early discipline can lead to the development of unruly personalities that might turn out to be harmful to society. Therefore, learning discipline can lead to other people's freedom, peace of mind and better quality of life in society in the broader sense.
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It is important to realize that disciplining children is not like instant coffee; it is a process whereby the childrenâs whimsical desires and wishes are gradually and in a non-coercive way shifted towards the right and disciplined path. Discipline is not just about setting rules or about being authoritarian. Children must be motivated and be eager to learn more and to be cooperative. The word 'discipline' suggests the relevant word, disciple. Parents should be role models for their children; they should act such that their children adhere to them as disciples and keenly follow their example in life. On the other hand, children should not be regarded as lowly or just called âkids.â Although the word âkidâ has some intimate connotations, it undermines children's understanding and capabilities, as is the case when the word âkidâ is used in such a context. Given that the mother has a nurturing role towards her children, and that in many cases it is the father who sets out the laws, should mothers take on more responsibility in this regard and
use their close bond with their children to discipline them without being harsh (as might be the case with some fathers)? It has been recognized that discipline (its significance and implementation) always depends on circumstances and times. For example, during times of war when there was no family life, children learned to be disciplined from the situation and there was no external force to command it on children or people in general. There is no fixed form for setting boundaries and discipline; it varies across generations and circumstances. When both parents work and spend less time with their children, learning changes and parents have less control over their children.
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children and younger people, it is by no means restricted to them. Some adults also need discipline - aggressive driving or other antisocial behavior that can cause harm in public areas and society, are examples. This highlights the roles of parents and teachers for early discipline, so it wouldnât turn out to be too late for people to learn in the adult stages of their lives.
11 The Ten Commandments are common sense
advice on wisdom for living with other human beings. Following the Comandments can lead to both moral self-discipline and a society where everyone live comfortably. But they seem to be ignored at times, despite the fact that they could be a major source of happiness and peace in society.
12 In conclusion, discipline is important because
it leads to harmony and peace. Parents and teachers are the most important figures for children to learn social norms and conventions from. Parents should be prepared to put in the effort needed to teach children about social boundaries before it becomes too late.
The next forum is on Wednesday, 20th September with the topic Lending Money to Family and Friends. The forum is free. Lunch is at Member and non-member prices. 12 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
REVIEW
August Monthly Luncheon with Tony Pooley The Shame of the Risk Profession: Bernoulli and Boule must be turning in their graves
The deal at the August Luncheon was that we would turn to the person next to us and reveal something that we felt was embarrasing about ourselves, and only then would Tony Pooley reveal to us what he thought was an embarrasing truth. It never crossed Tony's mind to go to university. The plan was that he would be a draftsman. The most impressive person in his family life was a draftsman and he couldn't imagine anything higher than this. During his training, the company he was working for decided to send him to college. Tony earned a Higher National Certificate which meant, in those days, he could practice as an engineer. From there his career flourished and his pathway has seen him building two companies and selling them to global organisations, working for federal ministers, with senior academics on government projects. Generally, all his friends and children think that he is a success. "But I'll tell you," he says humbly. "I've never felt like a success." And that has never felt more painful to him since he was given the title of Associate Professor at The University of South Australia for his achievements in risk management. Finally the 'embarrasing' truth was revealed: he always feels a cheat using that title because he has not earned a graduate degree. Tony watched a lot of Westerns in his youth. The snake oil salesman used to fascinate him â why, if everyone with half a brain knew the product was dodgy, would so many people buy it? He thought that perhaps people in the 19th century were a bit unworldly,
without access to external input. However, massive sales on countless TV sales channels today seem to counter that hypothesis. He wondered if an unsated but very real need would in desperation, lead people to choose almost any product that claimed to reduce suffering. After all, the late 19th century Wild West had plenty of need for medicine and surgery. The harsh environment, the lack of any safety culture in the work environment, angry indigenous tribes (American Indians), the Colt 45 revolver and the Winchester repeating rifle, and last but certainly not least, the awful quality of alcohol. Imagine someone then who was developing appendicitis, angina or lung cancer, all of which were identified in major cities in the mid 18th century, but not out West. Perhaps youâd try anything to give yourself or a loved one some relief from the pain. After all, many 21st century patients who are given a short time to live will turn to outrageous treatments in desperation. The question he posed was - were snake oil salesmen a natural forerunner of a genuine medical service - or did they just slow it down?' Thomas Vickery, the SergeantSurgeon who advised King Henry VIII to give a royal charter to the Company of Barber Surgeons, which went on to become the Royal Charter of Surgeons in the UK, thought surgery could not be left to just anyone to perform. George Stephenson, the railway pioneer who founded the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1847, was a major
Tony Pooley, Executive Director, Principle Seven
player in the Industrial Revolution (roughly 1760 â 1840) and modernity. There were some wonderful engineers at the start of the Industrial Revolution, explained Tony. Whilst civil engineers had been developing over millennia, the concept of engine driven production lines and railway systems created a need for mechanical engineers. Brunel, Davy and Watt were truly great practitioners, but again, he selected the one who created an institution to bring professionals together for the benefit of society. But what happens if there is no Vickery or Stephenson for a desperately needed profession? How might that profession fare? Tony Pooley proposed that the current direction for the risk profession is not as it might be. His conclusion: While there are many academic research papers on the effectiveness of risk methodologies, there is little research on professional ď
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standards. The most senior officers have grown into the profession as the impact of risk management standards and stock market expectations have spread around the world. These people have come from many sources including assurance, engineering, finance, insurance, and security. Generally speaking, the best and the worst risk professionals can be found in the field of safety risk management. Major industrial disasters around the world since the 1950s (Windscale nuclear plant release in the UK) spurred on the creation of the probabilistic risk assessment method known as Quantified Risk Assessment, or QRA. This was led by elite engineers and physicists using finite element analysis, chemistry, thermodynamics, and so on to assess the frequency of a release of energy using failure data from around the world, and modelling of the dispersion and impacts of hazardous fluid and energy releases. This growth peaked in the 1990s but is still very strong in the nuclear, chemical and oil and gas industries today and is well supported by proprietary software for consequence (outcome) modelling. Tony Barrell was a key advisor in the investigations into many of the worst disasters in recent history (Flixborough UK, chemical explosion, 1974, 28 fatalities: Bhopal India, toxic gas leak, 1984, c4000: Kings Cross Station UK, underground fire, 1987, 31: Piper Alpha offshore platform UK, gas explosion, 1988, 167). He was an expert on QRA and was instrumental in its inclusion in safety case legislation around the world for major hazard facilities. In intellect and education, these engineers remain amongst the elite in risk management, with most of the 1970s and 1980s pioneers holding PhDs. Prior to the introduction of the worldâs first widely recognised risk standard, ASNZ 4360 in 1995, which
unintentionally and tragically lowered the expectation of the risk management process, it was probably true to say the academic norm for risk assessors (if not risk managers) was a postgraduate degree.
throw. i.e. one each of 2, 12... two each of 3s, 11s... three 4s, 10s... four 5s, 9s... five 6s, 8s... and six 7s. However, if you threw the dice 1000 times you would see a very substantial movement towards the mathematical distribution.
The risk outputs from quantitative safety risk assessments are fatalities per annum across the entire workforce, and the risk of death to the most exposed worker(s). Quantification allows good prioritisation and the ability to compare cost-benefit arguments for various risk reduction options.
With todayâs PCs, we can make thousands of random selections of the variables in a very short time, so this becomes a very real and relatively cheap way of predicting a situation that has many potential outcomes (a major construction project, an investment decision, etc). For this reason, there is plenty of choice for would-be purchasers of proprietary software.
Just as the Flixborough, Bhopal, Seveso and Piper Alpha safety and environmental disasters in the late 20th century had created a massive drive for better risk management, so did the financial disasters of the early 21st century including Enron and WorldCom in the US. However, the reaction to financial disasters was channelled through stock exchanges using ill-defined risk management processes like the US COSO framework, with no guidance at all on risk tools. However, even before the financial disasters of the early 21st century, project risk service providers had been working on a widely useable, PC-based form of the random sampling approach used by the Manhattan Project to develop the atom bomb. The fundamental algorithm is called Monte Carlo Modelling (it can be used to predict gambling outcomes). Jacob Bernoulli (Danielâs uncle) developed the law of large numbers in 1713 whilst working on probability theory, a subject his nephew would add to significantly. Jacob theorised that the more often you took a random sample from a multiple potential outcome event, the closer you would be to the mathematically accurate answer. For example, if you threw two dice 36 times you would have a very small chance of getting the same results as the mathematical outcome for the total value of each
But such assessments take time and expertise, and it can be argued that this is not cost effective for low risk or low consequence events. However, this doesnât mean we should revert to the matrix approach for everything. This 'pinning the tail on the donkey' approach to risk management may well be appropriate for the local fish shop â but for the biggest organisations in the world? Possibly not. The risk framework of Australiaâs top 100 companies will demonstrate that less than a handful undertake quantified risk assessment for material risks across the business. The primary tool used for business risk (significantly more than 90 percent) is the risk matrix. Academic articles exist from highly qualified risk professionals around the world covering the many shortcomings of the matrix. In most matrices, explained Tony, there are five or less likelihood levels, this means frequencies from weekly (first aid incidents) to one in more than a million years (e.g. Piper Alpha) for a given organisation, must be divided into five steps. However, this is broken down, some steps, usually the top and bottom rows, are massive. As a result, gamblers using a matrix to guide their âcraps gameâ bets would
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be unable to distinguish snake eyes (two 1s with a probability of occurring once in 36 throws) and a throw of 7 (a probability of occurring once in 6 throws) because they are well outside of the toolâs granularity limits.
In 1997 Lottie Williams became the first and only person to be hit by space debris when part of a NASA satellite struck her on re-entry to earth. Tony asked us where we thought this event sat on the matrix?
Similarly, a matrix cannot distinguish between the risk of death when driving a motor car versus riding a motorbike, yet the bike rider is 30 times more likely to die than the car driver.
If you decide it would be towards the serious end of outcomes, you would be wrong. If you decided it was bottom row, you would be right. Lottie said it felt like she had been hit by an empty aluminium drink can. This raises another issue with the matrix - people often align the likelihood of the incident (a woman struck by space debris) and the most serious credible consequence (a fatality). They forget to consider the probability that the strike does not cause a fatality!
To move from the middle of one matrix cell down to the middle of another would require a risk reduction of approximately 90 percent if the cell is a factor of ten worse than the cell below it. This becomes a risk reduction of 67 percent if moving between rows with a factor of three for each step. Either way, dropping a risk by 67 percent to 90 percent is a rare achievement indeed, yet frequently seen in matrix based risk registers. This commonly occurs for one or a combination of the following reasons: â˘
The organisationâs framework requires higher approval level if it resides in the current cell.
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The tool is so simple, itâs easy to manipulate to get the result you want.
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The assessment team have worked hard to find some improvement actions; they need to see a change to demonstrate the effort was worthwhile.
This is the epicentre of Tony's frustration, and there were several opportunities for this depressing state of affairs to have been avoided, he said. The first, the charity collector analogy. "If I believed that half my salary, and the equivalent contribution from millions of others like me, would see the children and rain forests thrive, Iâd be in like Flynn," said Tony. "It would be a bargain! My life would be more meaningful than it ever could be in a cotton wool wrapped developed country." "Iâm uncomfortable not because I
donât care, but because I donât think this approach is working. But I do keep making the donations because there is no better alternative from an ethical point of view." Risk management is a lot like that, he explains. He believes there was a period where executives really did believe that risk management would be a great tool for a more successful business. They went out and hired risk people, or moved some existing people across from operating positions and financed their development. But what they got in return was significantly less than a meaningful solution. By the time the ineffectiveness of the process was realised, there were stock market and health and safety laws and regulations in place to prevent a U-turn. They too just keep paying the tokens, knowing that the impact will be minimal, but they see no ethical alternative. The fairytale analogy By the time Executives had realised they had been sold a pup, the board of directors had decided they rather liked that pup. If they can get a pretty coloured diagram that says their risks are fine except those few in the red area, they can demand that management do something about the red area stuff, and check that the risk is lower at the next board or risk committee meeting. Their job is to set the risk appetite (the red area) and provide oversight of the process - oversight, but no insight. This goes to state the first demand of most directors â that their posteriors are Kevlar protected. The second demand of most directors is the same expectation that Hans Christian Andersonâs Emperor had - that his direct reports, and all beings of lower stature, recognise his omnipotence. This kind of arrogance comes from the power of the role, and from decades of mixing only with other similarly powerful people. This is well covered in psychology ď
www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B | 15
research, and while not present in every board member, it is present in many of them, and in my experience, those individuals are often the loudest. Itâs true that senior management should have been more involved with risk management in its early years, but operations and financial performance capture all the real attention at the executive level. Now it is difficult for executive directors (CEO and possibly the CFO) who can see a better way to undertake risk management, to move their fellow directors to change. How can directors simply ignore any talk of a better risk way? It helps them that the Big 4 accounting firms all subscribe to the simplest form of risk assessment through their advisory business. Why be upset with your external or internal auditors when the gain is not clear cut? The Royals and the rest The surgeonsâ and engineersâ representative institutions are in a different league to more recent institutions like the Risk Management Institution of Australasia (RMIA) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Both of the mature institutions have Royal sanction (although only the IEAust operates under a Royal Charter), and both were founded in the early 20th century based on sound relationships with the associated UK institutions which had formed centuries prior. The RMIA is only 13 years old, and the AICD is 27 years old. Even in human development terms, explained Tony, that is short of maturity. More importantly perhaps, their operating models worry him â not in terms of legality, or even ethics. It is whether they promote a better profession through the recognition of new concepts, with better recognition of their members as a natural outcome, or whether
they see the cause and effect in reverse. Perhaps both strategies will eventually end up at the same destination, but Tony fears that professional standards canât afford the time lapse of being regarded as the effect and not the cause â especially for the RMIA. The RMIA has also blurred its revenue (sponsorship) and education lines, with a training consulting firm as both a major sponsor and the primary deliverer of training for qualification as a chartered member. The AICD on the other hand, has elected to offer advisory services to business, which requires a segregation of activities and objectives that is never easily realised. Tony doesn't believe that the RMIA is mature enough to be effective in furthering the value of risk management profession or that the AICD is sufficiently interested in doing so. So, what can be done? The University offering is fragmented on risk. The first university to break through the individual School silos and produce risk material that recognises how organisations work, how to influence decisionmakers, how to define a framework that makes every risk event that is assessed aggregate into one or more of the organisationâs performance targets (annual and long-term) and how to deliver a single quantitative approach across an organisation, has a very real chance of turning this wayward ship around. However, my limited experience of university administrative systems and the demand for immediate returns mean this option won't be easy. It is unlikely that change can be introduced through risk managers, because they are usually operating at too low a level in the power chain. Where there is a Chief Risk Officer on the executive team, there is a better chance, but it remains a small one because most CROâs have a risk background in a specific area
(often finance or security). Such officers tend to see their area of risk as âdifferentâ and therefore canât be handled by an enterprise wide approach. "There are some nice moments when I believe that the few CEOs and Audit and Risk Committee chairs that really understand risk management can make this happen," says Tony. However, those that have introduced such systems tend to spend their time capitalising on it, not on spreading the news. An additional problem is that CEOs come and go, and new CEOs tend to change every system that their predecessor introduced. "Itâs a 'dog and trees' thing," explained Tony in terms of CEOs 'marking their territories'. Mergers and acquisitions can also see the premature termination of a good fledgling system. Nevertheless, this remains my greatest hope. The quisling option is for the highly capable risk professional who is prepared to go with the flow, to stay in the game and affect change when the timing is better. Itâs the politicianâs argument that you can do more from inside the cabinet than from outside, so hold on to power at all costs. "Iâve little confidence that this approach really works in either field," says Tony. The resistance option Staying on the topic of Second Worls War, this suggests the good guys do what the French Resistance did - pick their moment, hit the enemy hard, and get back to their hideout until the next target is decided. One of the problems here is that itâs not too clear who the enemy is. "It has been suggested to me recently that I should join forces with either a legal firm that specialises in actions against large organisations on contract and compensation issues, or with the union movement in relation to safety risk." "The idea is to uncover the
16 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
shortcomings in risk management in individual organisations that will encourage directors to push for change."
But look at how advanced Daniel Bernoulliâs thinking was over 250 years ago. He had finished the work on mathematical probabilities and was formulating guidance on the importance of subject-specific risk appetite. Surely thereâs a better way to respect his work than the awful risk matrix.
"Iâm certainly old enough not to have to worry about this career limiting strategy. But Iâve worked in, or for, major organisations all my life, and the truth is I donât see them as ill-intentioned in the main. So, itâs an Tony Pooley sincerely hopes so. option that just doesnât feel right." vvvvv
RESIDENT NEWS
Former Resident Dr Chanchal Chandramouli graduates
Chanchal studied Medicine at The University of Melbourne and is now undertaking a clinical Fellow position at the National Heart Centre at Singapore General Hospital. Dr Chanchal Chandramouli (centre) with family members on her Graduation Day.
Resident Afra Aldaheri filmed at Graduate House
Graduate House Resident Afra Aldhaheri was filmed about her life as an international student on behalf of the United Arab Emirates Embassy. The Embassy seeks top-performing students to undertake film interviews to talk about their experiences studying abroad. Afra is studying towards a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at The University of Melbourne and says that she hopes to practice as a doctor in the future. "This is my second semester of my first year and it's going really well," she said. "I hope to practice as a doctor, working here and then maybe opening my own clinic back home, specialising more in surgery for horses."
Resident Afra Aldhaheri and Dr Kerry Bennett, CEO and Head of College
"In my last undergraduate year I did research on animal physiology, so I got interested in veterinary medicine more than human medicine," she said. Afra has been in Melbourne since the start of the 2017 academic year and says that she has found her time enjoyable. "My time in Melbourne has been really nice. It's an amazing city. The
University of Melbourne is really good, I really love it here living with other people." "Graduate House is really good and Iâm in this city for another year and itâs important to stay here because it is very convenient. I meet people from different backgrounds, in different majors at dinner where I can make a lot of friends, and they helped me a lot during my first few days."
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GRADUATE HOUSE NEWS
Happy Birthday to Member Mac Nicoll
Life Member Mac Nicoll celebrated his 80th birthday at Graduate House on 4th August, 2017. Along with his wife Marg, daughter Becky Nicoll and friends, Mac was treated to a delicious surprise from Graduate House staff in the form of a lovely cupcake. From all of us here at Graduate House - Happy Birthday to you, Mac! From left to right: John Price, Becky Nicoll, Mac Nicoll, Marg Nicoll, Judy Price.
Defibrillator training
Graduate House staff and duty residents participated in a defribillation information session from St. John Ambulance Australia. Staff were firstly taught the DRSABCD Action Plan - Danger, Response, Send (for help), Airway, Breathing, CPR and Defibrillation. After a demonstration from Sandra Dsouza, who showed staff how to treat a person suffering from cardiac arrest according to the seven steps, two volunteers were called to the fore.
Sandra Dsouza from St John Ambulance Australia
Marwa, Bill, Duty Resident Tim and Hospitality Manager Rosie are all fully qualified in administering first aid at Graduate House - and beyond. Operations Manager, Daniel Clark says the purchase of a defibrillator for Graduate House has the potential to save lives. "This was a wise purchase which will ensure the wellbeing of all who come to Graduate House." he said. 18 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
MEMBERS NEWS
Holidays and technology
By Member, Louis Coutts Wednesday, 19th July 2017 There are hurdles to overcome these days when organising your holiday. Not the usual ones of racking your brains to remember everything you need to pack and making a list, only to misplace the list and hoping you have in fact remembered everything. Or not being able to find your passport or details of your itinerary and the booking confirmation of hotels. I take all those for granted, plus a few others. No, these days, when you think you have finally got over these hurdles, you get to the airport and technology stands between you and that flight that is to take you to your holiday destination. This is the story that the good customer service officer of Qantas told his wife when he got home from work. âHoney, I know I have told you about some dumb people, but today I came across a guy who shouldnât be let out. I donât know how he managed to book a ticket. Everything at the airport is designed to make things simple and easy for customers. The process is so simple that you donât need any people at the check-in counters." "In fact, there arenât any check-in counters at Tullamarine Airport. Everything is automated. You get a message on your mobile phone enabling you to check in and if you have luggage you just use your mobile phone to communicate with the check in machine to check-in your luggage. All you have to do is to scan your mobile against the scanner on the check-in computer and it prints a luggage tag that you attach to your luggage, and a receipt. You then fix the tag to the bag you
are sending through to luggage and make sure you place it in the correct position on the carousel and then scan your mobile phone on a screen and Bobâs your uncle. Well, today, this guy didnât have a clue.
on the screen. So he puts the face of the mobile on the screen but in the wrong place and I am about to shout at him but finally he gets it. Can you imagine people being so dumb?"
For a start he couldnât find the location on the machine where you place your mobile phone to scan and so he just couldnât get started. I was watching him. In the end, after umpteen turns he finally discovers the correct place to put the mobile phone so that it scans. It was like Monsieur Houlot; you just couldnât help laughing as you watched this guy putting his phone in all sorts of places but the right one. You couldnât believe he could be so dumb. Finally he gets it but then looks at the screen. I canât imagine why. He then stands there scratching his head and getting all upset when he finally looks down and takes his receipt from a pocket in the machine. He then looks at the receipt both sides and then at his luggage and you could see him thinking - "This receipt wonât attach to the luggageâ. Like it got worse, as he then gave up and went over to a counter where there were people with a huge load of luggage and after waiting an eternity, gave up and then he saw me. âHow do I check this bag through?â he asks me and I tell him "You need a luggage tag". âBut I couldnât get one, the machine only printed a receiptâ. So I took him to the machine he used and pointed out that the luggage tag didnât come out of the front of the machine like the receipt but it came out the side of the machine and there it was as large as life. I then take him to the carousel and tell him to place the machine with the bar code facing. So he puts the bag on the machine but the bar code isnât facing. He looks at me like dumb and so I then re-adjust the bag and tell him to scan his mobile
Yes, that was me but if I was telling the story it would sound quite different, having been used to dealing with people at check-in counters and not a machine that is so fussy about how it requires you to communicate and how it hides some of its functions, like producing a receipt from the despatch box in front of the machine, but the luggage tag from the back. Anyway, I am happy for the guy to have a laugh on me but I do miss the chat with the person on the check-in counter. Thankfully, I managed to get on the plane and had a wonderful trip in business class to Perth. The taxi to the hotel was something else. The guy must have known I was deaf because he had his radio turned up full pitch with the most inane conversations being punctuated by the sale of everything from deodorants to cough suppressants with all sorts of chuckles and guffaws in between, I had managed to check in online with the hotel and they were great and had a plastic card in my hand in no time. The card was a key. I went to the lift and pushed the 5 button which was the floor of my room, but nothing happened. Then I saw a key slot under the key pad of the lift and placed my plastic key in the key pad and pushed 5. Didnât work. Now, I figured that there were only four ways of inserting the key (there was no indication on the key as to the correct process) and so I inserted the key five times without result which meant that I must have missed the appropriate option and duplicated erroneous options. ď
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MEMBERS NEWS Fortunately a Chinese family got into the lift and showed me how to insert the plastic card, and with great trepidation, not wanting to appear a fool before these people, I tried it their way, pushed 5 and it worked. Finally, I was in my room and had with me some wonderful cranberry and pomegranate tea. I tried boiling the kettle but it didnât work. I went down and spoke to a lovely lady at Reception and she told me that there is a trick to using the kettle. Inside the door of the room there is a key insert location where you insert your key so that the lights work. But this is the trick. If you want to use the kettle, you have to push the plastic key further into the key insert otherwise the kettle wonât get power. I finally got my cup of tea. There was a radio beside my bed with all sorts of controls. It showed the date but not the time. I tried all the controls but could not get the time to show up, but I did accidently get it to display some FM radio stations but I couldnât get any sound. I hope something doesnât happen in the morning.
The Nullarbor Wednesday, 26th July 2017 I am crossing this vast and mainly desolate country called 'Australia' which is compressed between two great oceans, the Indian and the Pacific, which is the reason that the train upon which I am travelling is called the 'Indian Pacific.' It traverses what some describe as a wasteland and others call The Nullarbor and most dismiss as boring. The latter description has some technical merit but neither is fitting. Sadly, these descriptions display a profound lack of sensitivity to this extraordinary stretch of barren earth, save for the ubiquitous colourless salt bush that decorate the endless landscape. The elusive horizons defy measurement as the earth and sky merge into a shimmering mirage that suggests a neverendingness or eternal destiny. Deserted, still and silent as the setting sun splashes its brilliant paint brush across a reddening terrain, it is easy to hear the eternal silence and let oneâs
imagination dwell on the mystical beauty of this stark and naked unmeasurable solitude. It is possible to almost hear the spirits of ages gone and unknown occupants whispering secrets of their ancient domain. A breeze sweeping across the deserted plane carries their coded secrets. To gaze upon the sky beyond the vastness is to imagine skyborne spirits descending with their messages and adding to rich if fantastic stories of heaven descended gods like the snake god and spreading their songs along the song lines. Suddenly, this wasteland becomes rich with suggestions of mystic magic that embraces the silent observer and brings alive all of the spiritual beauty of this deserted paradise. Gradually the scene is blessed with darkness that is so profoundly beautiful that it is almost possible to hear the spirits breathing their secrets to the wind. vv
But I have started my holiday in Perth and not Vladivostok (where the technology is not as advanced) and I await my friend Mohan tomorrow who is flying in from Los Angeles and we intend to travel across this continent by train from Perth to Sydney. Stay tuned. Thursday, 20th July 2017 I have a Mastercard from my US bank. I went to an ATM in Perth today to get some cash and it swallowed my card.
20 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
MEMBERS NEWS
Dual Identity Leadership Alumni Connected Networking Night for young Vietnamese Australians The Dual Identity Leadership Program is an initiative of the Vietnamese Community Australia â Victorian Chapter (VCA VIC). The DILP was initiated by Graduate Union Council Member, Viv Nguyen, who was appointed to Council in 2016. The DILP forms part of a number of initiatives taken by The VCA VIC to preserve Vietnamese heritage across generations, support young Vietnamese-Australians in reaching their potential, and encourage our youth to give back to the community. On 3 August the Dual Identity Leadership Alumni hosted a networking night which aimed to connect, support and engage the ambitious and talented members of DILP with working professionals within industries across a wide range of fields. rd
The evening was hosted in the new PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) building, and included a successful speed networking activity with professionals and earlier career graduates, and a panel discussion with Dr Kerry Bennett, CEO and Head
Dr Kerry Bennett (second from left) with the other panellists
of College of The Graduate Union, Dr Linny Kimly Phuong of The Royal Childrenâs Hospital and Chair and Founder of The Water Well Project, and Cameron Lynch, Technology Partner at PwC. "The DILP alumni at this event, the organisers and attendees were very inspirational. All were early to mid-career, well-educated professionals with a clear commitment to supporting their colleagues and to contributing effectively to society," said Dr Bennett.
If you haven't heard about our Sustainable Development Goals Series, you're missing out. SDG Focus is our blog series which shares critical insights, profiles and news from the perspective of sustainable developmment as per the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Interested in contributing to our series? Let us know at publications@graduatehouse.com.au Visit www.graduatehouse.com.au/category/sdg-focus/ www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B | 21
Academic and Professional Development Meetings The following groups from The University of Melbourne have convened meetings, workshops and seminars at Graduate House in July 2017 Department of Finance Lunch Meeting 21st, 28th July 10 attendees
Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) Board meeting 7th July 11 attendees
Department of Infrastructure Engineering Infrastructure Engineering Staff Meeting 4th July 40 attendees
Faculty of Architecture, Building & Planning Senior Managers Planning Day 25th July 11 attendees
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health Epidemic decision support (University of Melbourne and Adelaide) and Introduction to Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development 21st, 31st July 30 attendees
UOM Commercial - Graduate Certificate in Clinical Teaching, Clinical Education in Practice, Category 1 Thermography Course, Professional Certificate in Health Systems Management, Network of Schools 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th July 420 attendees
The patronage of organisation Members in charitable, not-for-profit, government and professional development sectors is acknowledged, as is that of our many Members who organise functions at Graduate House. Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) - Education sub-committee 13th, 20th July 12 attendees
Asialink Business - Asialink Business Intensive 25th, 26th July 70 attendees
Association of French Teachers in Victoria (AFTV) - Professional Learning and Committee 21st, 27th July 74 attendees
Australian Asian Association (AAA) 10th, 19th July 22 attendees
Australian Food Hygiene Services (AFHS) Food Safety Supervisors Course 12th July 28 attendees
Australian School of Applied Management (ASAM) - Women and Leadership Australia 17th, 18th July 69 attendees
Carlton-Parkville Probus Club Inc 11th July 60 attendees
Carlton Rotary - District 9800 Foundation Committee, Changeover Dinner, Bookfair, Lunch and Board Meetings 4th, 10th, 11th,18th, 25th July 148 attendees
Context Pty Ltd - University Square Traditional Owner Meeting 18th, 19th July 18 attendees
Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria - Licensing Team Planning Day 10th July 11 attendees
International Students Advisers Network of Australia (ISANA) - Branch Committee Meeting 4th July 55 attendees
IStructE - IStructE Meeting ( John Stella Construction) 13th July 20 attendees
22 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
Academic and Professional Development Meetings John Cain Foundation - Evening meeting 25th July 8 attendees
Slavery Links
Melba Group Meeting
Melba Group - Lunch meeting 28th July 16 attendees
Melbourne Dental Clinic - Academy of Australian and New Zealand Prosthodontists (AANZP) Mid term Meeting 17th July 20 attendees
Modern Greek Teachers Association of Victoria (MGTAV) - Conference Secondary 23rd July 40 attendees
Order of St. John 3rd July 8 attendees
Organisation Development Australia (ODA) 26th July 15 attendees
Rhodes Scholars' Association, Victoria 20th July 35 attendees
Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA) 6th July 8 attendees
Slavery Links Meeting 5th July 4 attendees
Social Education Victoria (SEV) Committee Meeting 26th July 12 attendees
Social Work Department - Writing Group 13th July 8 attendees
Swinburne University of Technology 20th, 21st July 30 attendees
The Graduate Union Collegiate Events and Governance Meetings 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 26th July 291 attendees Turkish Teachers Association of Victoria 9th, 14th June 24 attendees
REVIEW
VJM
Consulting
VJM Consulting - Meeting 6th June 10 attendees
Christmas in July Lunches These festive lunches were held at Graduate House every Wednesday during the month of July. The lunches attracted many patrons, and some said they could not wait until the end of year to celebrate Christmas with the wonderful food made by the Graduate House culinary team. We thank you for your feedback. Christmas in July has been wonderful this year. The chowder has been imperative and everything is very tasty - Darren Room The Christmas in July lunch was beautiful. Great to see so much gluten free variety. - Ena V Ahern I can't think of anything that needs to be improved - the standard of service is both efficient and friendly. The chowder served as a part of Christmas in July was delicious. - Marcia Roche www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B | 23
Innovation How your eyes can share data with advertisers
If you've ever looked at a piece of advertising and wondered whether your gaze was being recorded, you would actually be right. Dr Andreas Bulling, who leads the independent research group 'Perceptual User Interfaces' at the Excellence Cluster at Saarland University and the Max Planck Institute for Informatic, has come up with software that can estimate gaze direction for outdoor ads like the ones you see at the bus stop. Dr Bulling has developed a method that is based on a new generation of algorithms that use a special type of neural network, known as 'Deep Learning', that is currently creating a sensation in many areas of industry and business. Dr Bulling and his team have been working on the software for two years, and have advanced it to the point where first a so-called clustering of the estimated gaze direction is carried out.
A decisive advantage of this procedure is that it can be carried out with no involvement from the user, and the method can also improve further, the longer the camera remains next to the target object and records data. "In this way, our method turns normal cameras into eye contact detectors, without the size or position of the target object having to be known or specified in advance," explains Dr Bulling. He is convinced the technology is a great step forward. "The method we present is a great step forward. It paves the way not only for new user interfaces that automatically recognize eye contact and react to it, but also for measurements of eye contact in everyday situations, such as outdoor advertising, that were previously impossible."
With the same strategy one can, for example, also distinguish apples and pears according to various characteristics, without having to explicitly specify how the two differ. In a second step, the most likely clusters are identified, and the gaze direction estimates they contain are used for the training of a target-objectspecific eye contact detector. 24 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
Extracurricular
Millions may face protein deficiency as a result of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions
Carbon dioxide emissions may cause 18 countries a loss of more than 5 percent of their dietary protein due to a decline in the nutritional value of staple crops like rice and wheat. Researchers from Harvard University have found that this could happen by 2050. They have combined data from experiments in which crops were exposed to high concentrations of CO2 as well as global dietary information from the United Nations and measures of income inequality and demographics. Iron and zinc are also likely to be affected, as was suggested in a companion paper â CO2 related reductions in iron content in staple foods are likely to also exacerbate the already significant problem of worldwide iron deficiency.
"Thought must be given to reducing vulnerability to nutrient deficiencies through supporting more diverse and nutritious diets, enriching the nutritional content of staple crops, and breeding crops less sensitive to these CO2 effects," he said. "We need to dramatically reduce global CO2 emissions as quickly as possible." "This study highlights the need for countries that are most at risk to actively monitor their populations' nutritional sufficiency, and, more fundamentally, the need for countries to curb human-caused CO2 emissions," said Dr Myers. The study was published online on 2nd August, 2017 in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Emissions are also likely to drive roughly 200 million people into a zinc deficiency. Dr Samuel Myers, Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard University, says strategies to maintain adequate diets need to focus on the most vulnerable countries and populations.
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We share with you some of the most interesting things to do in Melbourne for the coming Month.
Serotonin Eatery 52 Madden Grove, Burnley Serotonin is said to play a major role in regulating our mood and sleep. It was with this knowledge Hawthorn Craft Free Public that Serotonin Eatery Market developed its menu which Lecture: Women in the Engineering is said to help boost 340 Camberwell Road, this already naturally Camberwell Profession occurring chemical in our Held on the first The University of bodies. Sunday of every month, Melbourne, Boasting a tasty and Hawthorn Craft Market Engineering C1, healthy menu, SE's is exactly what you might Department of interior was designed by expect. Browse through Infrastructure handmade, bespoke items, the owner, who also has Engineering, a background in design and you may find that Level 4, Engineering C1 little something you never and architecture, and may Theatre, Parkville explain why instead of thought you would. Professor Edie Schmidt regular old stools, SE's window and outdoor seats will discuss the role of women in engineering and hawthorncraftmarket.org. are charming swings. in particular her career au/ development beginning in Aerospace Engineering and then industrial engineering, specialising in supply chain and logistics.
Melbourne Writers Festival Until 3rd September Various locations The Wheeler Centre is hosting the 2017 Melbourne Writers Festival once again, featuring absorbing panel discussions, talks and presentations from prominent local and international authors, journalists and content creators. Check the program for more information at http://mwf.com.au/
If you have any recommendations for places or events of interest for our Members and Residents, email publications@graduatehouse.com.au 26 | www.graduatehouse.com.au | ABN 55610 664 963 | Incorporated Association Registration No. A0023234B
FEEDBACK
There was excellent, cooperative and friendly support in arranging time, menu and meal delivery times with the Graduate House team. It was such a good event, the function room and spaces were suitable and the food was excellent. Staff were very helpful before and during the event. Keep up the good work! - Norman Tickner, President, Rotary Club of Carlton Our event was very easily and quickly organized, our function room and spaces were very comfortable and well set out. As always, food very delicious, warm, fresh and plenty for all our attendees who all commented on a great morning tea and lunch! Staff were very helpful and cheerful at our event too. We always enjoy coming to Graduate House and try to have as many of our meetings and functions here because of the quality of support and service that is provided to us. I would recommend other groups and organisations hold their events here at Graduate House. - Maria Dikaiou, President, Modern Greek Teachers Association Victoria Rosie was so helpful, organising our event here was so easy - nothing could have made it easier. The library was perfect for our event, the food was good, The fruit was excellent! Staff were very helpful before and during our event. - Chris Johnston, Founder and Director, Context Pty Ltd
It is always a pleasure to have lunch at Graduate House and enjoy the well cooked secret recipes made from delicious produce. The spaghetti marinara was absolutely delicious and hot, thank you. I look forward to future tastings. - Pauline Henthorn I always enjoy my visits here, so keep up the good work! - Emily Cross Excellent customer service, and great value for money. - Ewan Colson No improvement needed. The attentive service and excellent value for money can't be improved on. The attention was given in such a way that makes me feel special. - Andrea Casey Keep up the good work.
- Heather Kudeviita
Thank you for the great curry and lamb korma. It was very tasty and not too hot for flavours to come through and enjoy. Parsnip soup gave Mac a new idea - Marg Nicholls for his next effort!
The lucky feedback-giver for July is Pauline Henthorn who won a bottle of Emeri De Bortoli Chardonnay Pinot Noir Your feedback is important Submit a Dining Room Feedback Form to be in the Monthly Draw AND to be in the running for the Year-End Prize of a $500 Coles Myer Gift Voucher
Yarns are still available for pick up!
R
C
Thank you to Members and friends who have picked up some yarn to assist us with our poppies project. We now have 200 poppies!
EP ON
G
Remembrance Day Poppies
KE
E AT I N
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