Expanding our network

Dear friends,

As per our activities at this stage, we are gonna expand our network to other UQ postgraduates from different study programs/courses. At the moment, most of our mems from Development Practices, Social Sciences programs, some other from finance, economics and agricultural sciences (check out our facebook group, we have more than 50 mems now but I don't know why what's wrong with the technical that the number automatically updated on our site for the facebook only shows 32 mems now! :D --> can anyone gives me a hand to solve the problems?). So please I call for your attention that use your personal network to invite more freinds to join so that we can build up our network and expand our social relationship. That means we are investing in our social capital.

Nothing comes if we do not try to get it!

Cheers!

Remind!

Dear all!!

This is just a friendly reminder that our food gather event are coming soon, so please check our facebook (just click on the facebook logo on your left hand site to automatically link to the event) to make sure you registered and let other know what kind of dishes you would bring to the event. This is for ease of us to organize the event because we want to see different kind of food from different countries and also share your cooking skills with other mates ;). Sound interesting hey mates!!

We are heading to the end of the semester. Good luck to you all!

P.

Collaborating with students' associations

Dear mems!

Again I am trying to connect with students' associations to organize an event together to promote our UQ student culture diversity through common activities as proposed in the project activities. I checked the students' associations on the site and I guess there are about at least 15 associations of different countries in the world. And I know some associations they have had great gather with their mems and play music, cook food, ext.. as far as I know that is Vietnamese and Indonesian ones. Other associations they organized events of different forms but I have not had a chance to join. But I think it would be great if we can somehow link all together in some common activities so that we have chance to learn from students coming from different countries and culture background and that should be fun. So I sent all students' associations that have linked with UQ Union through UQ Union website (below I pasted the email for your reference). However, after a week patient waiting I have not got any feedback from them yet, so I guess there is something wrong with the function of the web that somehow does not allow my email to reach them, or maybe they are just not interested in my proposal or just too busy to reply and call for their mems attention during this hard time of the semester.

Time is so rush and I think I will try to reach them by their emails but have to find out their email addresses first. Anyone volunteer or interested in this sort of connecting activities with students' associations, please let me know by posting a comment below or sending me an email, so that we can work out it together.

-------------

Dear Representatives of Clubs and Societies,

May I introduce my name is Phuong, a current UQ posgraduates from social science school and am currently conducting a project aiming at improving interconnections among UQ postgraduates, dedicated to a course namely Community Planning, Engagement and Governance (you can find more information about the project at the web address http://uqinterconnections.blogspot.com/p/about-project_17.html).  Building interconnections creates chance to learn about other cultures and to work with different people and is also a way to promote culture diversity.  My belief is that students' associations and clubs are the best places for UQ students to enrich their student life both in the campus and outside the campus. There are supporting services provide great opportunities for networking and socializing and there are needs of networking and supporting each other, however, still there not as many students know where to seek supports and how to network with other students as they should. I am wondering if all students' associations and clubs can somehow linked together to promote ourselves, and create a chance for postgraduates to change from stressful studying to joyful and effective studying and living. It would be great to have a chance to network with students studying different courses. Therefore, today I am writing to you to call for your cooperation in organizing an event aiming at networking and culture exchange for postgraduates. My initial suggestions would be that we organize an outdoor gather and invite students from your associations to join and perform music, facilitate games and bring food dishes to share. If you are interested in this networking, we can discuss further activities and how to organize the event.

I am looking forwards to your responses

Warm regards,

Phuong

Feedback from Mates@UQ

Hi mems! In line with our tentative activities, I sent an email to Mates@UQ to seek for a collaboration in making their services accommodating better our needs of networking with other UQ students and enrich our student life. This meeting if happened would aim at discussing the way Mates@UQ could better approach and become more popular to postgraduate students and also propose sort of Buddy Seeking Form that would help students to seek for their accompany mates in study, social activities or sport activities. Unfortunately, they are under transition period and that means we have to wait until next semester. I pasted against here our correspondence for your reference.  Meanwhile if you have any other suggestion for our collaboration with other services and student organizations just post your comments or send me an email. Tks mates! Mates At Uq [mates@uq.edu.au] Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 4:14 PM To: Miss Thi Lan Phuong Thai Cc: Katrina Wood [k.wood@uq.edu.au] Attachments:

Hello Phuong, I visited your web page and hope your project is planning out the way you hoped it would, it is very exciting to see you have the same interest in important topics such as student engagement. At present Mates@UQ is going through a stage of transition and would like you to approach us again at the beginning of next semester at the following email address: mates@uq.edu.au I would also like to point a minor (yet important error) the correct name of our program is Mates@UQ  Wishing you all the best Marjorie Marjorie Castro Engagement Officer The University of Queensland Phone: 61 7 3346 9721 Fax: 61 7 3365 7559 Email: m.castro@uq.edu.au CRICOS Provider Number 00025B Unless stated otherwise, this e-mail represents only the views of the Sender and not the views of The University of Queensland -----Original Message----- From: Miss Thi Lan Phuong Thai [mailto:phuong.thai@uqconnect.edu.au] Sent: Friday, 21 May 2010 5:11 PM To: Marjorie Castro Subject: Making an appointment Dear Marjorie, May I introduce my name is Phuong, a UQ posgraduates from social science school and am currently conducting a project aiming at improving interconnections among UQ postgraduates, dedicated to a course namely Community Planning, Engagement and Governance (you can find more information about the project at the web address http://uqinterconnections.blogspot.com/p/about-project_17.html). Building interconnections among UQ students will create opportunities to learn about other cultures and to work with different people and is also a way to promote culture diversity.  Acknowledging that UQmates are providing great opportunities for socializing and experience a joyful side of a student life and there are needs of networking and supporting each other, however, still there not as many students know where to seek supports and how to network with other students. As we seek the same interest in improving interactions for UQ students, I hope you can spend some time next week with me to discuss further and see how you think of my suggestions for engaging students to your services. I am looking forwards to your responses Best regards, Phuong

Sign the petitions for sustainable transport - battle on traffic congestion intensifies

Ngaire McGaw has invited you to the event 'Sign the petitions for sustainable transport - battle on traffic congestion intensifies'

 

Please sign our petitions and help Sustainable Jamboree counter campaigns currently underway which appear to be calling for car-friendly infrastructure without regard for sustainable alternatives.

Time: May 24, 2010 at 7am to October 1, 2010 at 7pm Location: Brisbane wide campaign Organized By: Ngaire McGaw Event Description: There is currently a frenzied call for car based infrastructure in the Centenary area. However, you can help counter it! Join the call for a blend of smart, sustainable solutions to traffic congestion by signing Sustainable Jamboree’s petitions to the both the Lord Mayor and State Parliament. We’re calling for consideration of options like: • transit lanes (sooner rather than later); • reliable high frequency express buses / train connections; • better access to telecommuting and flexible work conditions; • a better suburban cycle network, end of trip facilities, bicycle skills training, buddy systems and so on. You can request a pdf of the petitions from Mrs McGaw on phone 3375 7268. You can also sign the online version of the petition to the Lord Mayor at http://sustainablejamboree.org It’s anticipated that the e-petition to State Parliament will be hosted on their website, sponsored by Julie Attwood MP.

See more details and RSVP on Brisbane Transition Hub:

http://brisbanetransitionhub.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2879470%3AEvent%3A11463&xgi=2LVap0ur9ktSjg&xg_source=msg_invite_event

Enjoy your meal with friends: Is it an enjoying way to stay connected with your uni-mates?

This is a night dining out with some UQ postgraduate fellows at Jakarta restaurant in New Farm during the mid-semester break. Mid semester break has given us some time to catch up with classmates and refresh us for ceaseless assignments. That time we tasted various Indonesian foods and enjoyed a game at table by Ada before starting the meal. Among gossips about everything from the sky to the sea for relaxing, we kept talking over the meal about the game and cultural meanings of traditional games, and also study “burdens” like assignment topics, number of words, due dates, deadlines attached with sayings of good luck to each other.

I would like to share you some pictures caught our memorable student time as permitted by all participants of the meal and the author of pictures with his own picture titling:

"At the end of the day... Every bodies Happy...^_^ by Rio Alberto"

Yummy! My dish recommended by Rio, Indonesian eater :D

Good bye time... See you guys at the class again... 

A move from private concern to public concern

At the very first stage of the project, I brought my own concern of lack of interactions between UQ international students and domestic students into free dialogues with some classmates and friends from different UQ study programs. I then found that other students also share the same concern as mine, especially some expressed their experience of less interactions not only in between international and domestic students but also amongst international students themselves. This has been encouraged me to bring all ideas together and start a collective action plan to address the issue together. The project plan and activities can be found in the “About project” and "Project activities" pages of this blog (please revise and leave your comments).

Here I appreciatorily bring some of written comments on again to share with you all and call for your act on our shared agenda to create a change. I am sure that each of you from different countries with different language and cultures will have much to say and share with your mates. I am very much confident we can work out our path of joy and understanding. I hope this blog would at least initiate a platform for us to create a change. Let’s continue to share your ideas of how we can build interconnections amongst us.

@ Gorge: “Definitely your proposal is of some interest to us as well, and I think, like you as an international student, it would help a lot if there are more interconnections/interactions not only between international/local students but also international/international links. Coming from a multicultural traditional and multilingual country, my perception on local students here is not necessary what or who they really are, but what they are capable of doing. Very few in UQ have taken the option to open up to international students and this has help the two parties understanding each other. I believe you could be able to work out a way to make social interactions between local/international students more active and helpful. It would be help for local students going on international duties.

Focus on a specific point so we can contribute where required”.

@ Desley: “I think your topic sounds really interesting and this course seems like a perfect opportunity to look at building connections between local and international students. Not only because we have a very multicultural class but also because of its participatory nature. We can all connect through class group work, discussion board and blogging. Its been helpful to hear about your thoughts/journey in how you came to this and how you've observed something (like the gathering of students from particular backgrounds), talked to classmates who have shared similar concerns and have made the connection between the personal and the public. This is something I'm struggling to do with my own project!

I'm originally from Canada and have been in Australia for a while, though not in Brisbane. I have found it difficult sometimes to do community development projects in Brisbane as I don't know many people here and I find myself thinking about how to do projects in my own home town(s). Maybe because this is more comfortable for me! The distance can make this a challenge. I can only imagine this would be so much harder for international students new to Brisbane especially if English is not a first language. Building connections between local and international students at UQ itself may make a huge difference (as well as George's suggestion of connecting international students with each other). I hope to hear more details of your project soon!”

@ Shashi: “I just wanted to say that I enjoyed reading your post, and definitely think this is a project topic worth pursuing. In my four years at UQ, I have certainly noticed the lack of interaction and connection between local and international students. While there does seem to be support services available for international students (based on what I've seen advertised on campus and the MyUQ website), I think this is quite different to actually connecting with domestic students at the university, or other international students from different cultures and countries. I have noticed the distinct social groupings in both my classes, where people from the same culture tend to sit and talk together, as well as around campus in general (although I must say SWSP7123 is a big exception to this!!).
As a domestic student, I would love to make connections with and learn from other international students (and would be more than happy to let them practice English with me!), however it is often difficult to know how to reach out and initiate this interaction. I completely agree with what you said about how improving relationships between domestic and international students is really important for both of these groups. I think domestic students often do not recognise the challenges facing international students, not only in enrolling at university, but in managing the coursework, a new country, a different lifestyle, and often a different language as well!”

@ Nui: It is a fantastic idea you have there and I am sure that it will turn out well. I just like to say something in addition to comments you have received earlier. Our Community Development class is quite big and multicultural.  I personally feel like the interconnection among students in our class is very modest. It is probably something you can look at and work out how to built better interconnection within students our class.


@ Tim: “Your project idea as can be observed from most contributions is real and touches the heart of many. Let me just also add a few leads you might consider following. International students sponsored under the AUSAID undergo an Introductory Academic program, managed by the UQ Student Services. My observations with this program is that while the main aim of the program is to assist AUSAID sponsored international students to be abreast with academic expectations and settling down at UQ, the program does less to address the issues you have raised and wish to pursue. I guess, what am trying to say is that as you begin to analyse the various systems at play, you might wish to consider evaluating the role the Student Services plays. I see your project probably going beyond the fulfillment of the requirements of this course”.  

How wellknown is UQmates among UQ students

What are your opinions?
1. Do you know/heard about UQmates?
- Yes/No
2. How do you know/heard about UQmates? (you can choose more than one option)
- From friends
- UQ website
- Your students' association
- Orientation week/ market days
- Others (please indicate)
3. Have you ever participate in any of UQmates activities? (you can choose more than one option)
- Participate in Chatmates
- Participate in Socialmates
- Participate in Sports
- Volunteer
4. If you ever participate in UQmates activities, please share your opinions of their services. Do you have any suggestions for UQmates in their activities?

PS. The blog seems not to have a function allowing me to create a poll or maybe I just do not know how to utilize it if any function like that, so I post it on here and you can contribute your answers to the questions in the comment area below following the order of questions. Thank you so much!

Note: This poll was created for this project purpose and presents only the views of me and the people who give answers to it.

Starting a CD project: from my experience

Hi mates!!

My project is building interconnections between international students and local students in UQ. Believe or not that I am growing my interest of the project idea. There was a struggling process behind to come to choosing this project idea. I want to share the journey taking me to this project because I think it would be helpful to some mates who are still in the struggle. At first I didn’t know what to do for the project and I thought of reconnecting to some collective actions that were and are still running back home country. But I found it difficult to start this way so I was thinking about starting with a community that it is more possible for me to approach to and then naturally following the flow of thoughts, some questions popped up: What to do? What are their concerns? Is there any emerging issues needed to address/ take action? What I observed, heard about or experienced as an insider/outsider of the community that can turn to a CD project? Can I do it alone and where needs collective action? And guys! That worked for me; because there are a lot of students coming from different countries so my community is UQ students both international and local and I have to do something about multiculture and I also observed that students often gather with people from the same country or the same region. There is a lack of interactions between international students and local students, which results in little progress for international students in improving English and poor mutual understanding in terms of culture aspects for both international and local students and so outside university experience. In the global context, mutual understanding across multiculture is critical for who want to pursue an international level career. There seemed to be an issue worth doing. But it is not as clear as that at first; everything was apparently messy and ambiguous so I brought it to talk with some classmates. Luckily catching up with some classmates has helped me so much in narrowing down my topic and found out my focus. Keep talking with some other classmates, the path becomes clearer to me and now I know what, where and how I would continue with my project idea. I found that it always helps talking with your classmates about your confusion of any thing. So let’s grasp a friend and start talking n talking about your project idea. You might not expect that some of your classmates have got experience or information about what you are doing but they are awesome and experienced. And finally if you still got stuck, a talk with Linda will help for sure.

In this thread I just want to be brief about my project to help illustrate my thread but I will share with you in details about my project in next thread. Everyone’s supports, sharing and contributions of idea are appreciated in order to build stronger connections among UQ students for better mutual understanding, communicating, studying and funs! I am developing my projects into some details and it expects to be very interesting to you all.

This is an ongoing action community development project where you can share your feelings, your experience as an international or domestic student, and your thoughts of how you wish to connect with other students and have funs while studying hard. Everyone’s supports, sharing and contributions of idea are highly appreciated.

Thank you mates!