Two days ago, I was invited to attend a major political announcement at Armidale's college of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) so I went along out of curiosity to see what the fuss was about. It turned out the Armidale had been selected to revolutionise TAFE's programme delivery across NSW. In short, about 40 new staff would move to Armidale or be recruited to live here with the task of designing a platform to deliver courses on-line state-wide and also develop content for TAFE students. Since my community role is promoting our town's economic development, this was great news. Here's our local state MP, Adam Marshall - who I know quite well and respect - launching proceedings.
The audience comprised TAFE staff, the leader of the Chamber of Commerce, the University Chancellor (James Harris), the council administrator (Ian Tiley) and senior staff, and local development activists - including me. Later that day, Ian told me that he had approved the inclusion of a Maker Lab (otherwise called a Fab Lab) in the configuration for the town's new library and that pleased me no end after a campaign spread over 14 months.
Yesterday I hosted a colleague from the University of Tasmania, Robyn Eversole, who lives in Burnie on the North Coast. She was actually raised in West Virginia, but is now an Australian resident and President of the ANZ Regional Science Association. I had that role 20 years ago! Anyway her visit was designed to enrol UNE staff and research centres in a new network focusing on research in better strategies for regional development - my main research field. The proposed network is potentially exciting and is funded by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). That struck me as odd at first sight because DFAT is not a research funding agency. But it turned out that the new network spanned three countries, the other two being the southern cone! What's that I hear you say. Well Australia's main trading partners are mostly in east and south-east Asia, but the southern cone comprises Argentina and Chile and it seems that Australia is trying to cosy up to nations with similar primary industry economies in a similar climatic belt across the Pacific Ocean. So I might find myself engaged in projects with academics in Latin America, although I speak very words of Spanish.
Here's Robyn in full flight at our successful meeting, after which we headed out for a tour of the campus, which she'd not previously visited. En route, we encountered this friendly fellow whom she adored. Yes, our campus hosts Kangaroos, Koalas, Echidnas, and some other less desirable creatures like brown snakes. Fortunately, we mostly see the nice guys.
Then this morning I was invited to attend a breakfast at the bowling club where local entrepreneurs and economic development networkers mixed with and talked to a visiting deputation of c. 40 staff from the software company CISCO systems. They wanted to hear some the exciting hi-tech developments in our town and seemed impressed with our offerings. Here's the chair of the Chamber of Commerce, Susan Cull, in full flight and her company (ICT International) manufactures and exports world-wide agricultural sensing probes.
So the last three days have been full-on, but very interesting and it seems that I might get a chance to address CISCO systems in Sydney some time in the future.
And, I've been 'retired' 9 years! I suspect - judging by the activities of many university retirees I know - that retirement aint what it used to be. It can be all go-go-go.
AS
And here's the Deputy Premier of NSW, John Barilaro, providing the details for an excited audience pictured in the second of these two photos.
The audience comprised TAFE staff, the leader of the Chamber of Commerce, the University Chancellor (James Harris), the council administrator (Ian Tiley) and senior staff, and local development activists - including me. Later that day, Ian told me that he had approved the inclusion of a Maker Lab (otherwise called a Fab Lab) in the configuration for the town's new library and that pleased me no end after a campaign spread over 14 months.
Yesterday I hosted a colleague from the University of Tasmania, Robyn Eversole, who lives in Burnie on the North Coast. She was actually raised in West Virginia, but is now an Australian resident and President of the ANZ Regional Science Association. I had that role 20 years ago! Anyway her visit was designed to enrol UNE staff and research centres in a new network focusing on research in better strategies for regional development - my main research field. The proposed network is potentially exciting and is funded by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). That struck me as odd at first sight because DFAT is not a research funding agency. But it turned out that the new network spanned three countries, the other two being the southern cone! What's that I hear you say. Well Australia's main trading partners are mostly in east and south-east Asia, but the southern cone comprises Argentina and Chile and it seems that Australia is trying to cosy up to nations with similar primary industry economies in a similar climatic belt across the Pacific Ocean. So I might find myself engaged in projects with academics in Latin America, although I speak very words of Spanish.
Here's Robyn in full flight at our successful meeting, after which we headed out for a tour of the campus, which she'd not previously visited. En route, we encountered this friendly fellow whom she adored. Yes, our campus hosts Kangaroos, Koalas, Echidnas, and some other less desirable creatures like brown snakes. Fortunately, we mostly see the nice guys.
Then this morning I was invited to attend a breakfast at the bowling club where local entrepreneurs and economic development networkers mixed with and talked to a visiting deputation of c. 40 staff from the software company CISCO systems. They wanted to hear some the exciting hi-tech developments in our town and seemed impressed with our offerings. Here's the chair of the Chamber of Commerce, Susan Cull, in full flight and her company (ICT International) manufactures and exports world-wide agricultural sensing probes.
So the last three days have been full-on, but very interesting and it seems that I might get a chance to address CISCO systems in Sydney some time in the future.
And, I've been 'retired' 9 years! I suspect - judging by the activities of many university retirees I know - that retirement aint what it used to be. It can be all go-go-go.
AS
No comments:
Post a Comment