NCV Formal Dinner

On the 7th April the NCV community gathered for the First Formal Dinner for 2011.  Formal Dinners are an important part of life at NCV, where the community hears from a distinguished person on a topic of interest to a higher education community.  In 2010 the speakers had been former UNSW Deputy Chancellor Dr Jessica Milner Davis, prominent Australian businessman Dr Ian Pollard and eminent UNSW physicist Prof. Michelle Simmons.  This time the invited speaker was Ms Anne Bunde-Birouste, UNSW public health academic and Founder of the Football United program for disadvantaged youth.

Anne is currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis.  Anne’s research interests are in the areas of health promotion, social determinants of health, refugee health and post-conflict societies.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Anne is also the Founder and Executive Director of Football United, a program which uses soccer to provide leadership development for youths and young adults in disadvantaged areas by training them as coaches and co-ordinators.  The work of Football United has previously been featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, on ABC Radio and on SBS Television.

As part of her presentation, Anne gave a fascinating insight into the genesis of the Football United Program, and showed a short video presentation about Football United’s participation in the 2010 Football for Hope Festival in South Africa (coinciding with the 2010 FIFA World Cup).  After Anne’s address, Mark Dixon, medicine student and NCV Senior Academic Tutor moved an excellent vote of thanks to Anne for sharing her infectious passion with the NCV community.

During the evening attendees were also able to hear a beautiful piano recital by resident Michelle Kwok.  Michelle is currently completing a combined degree in commerce and law at UNSW, but continues to play piano at a high level in addition to her studies.  At the dinner Michelle played Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 9. No.2, and Prokofiev’s Prelude Op. 12 No. 7. After Michelle’s performance, one guest remarked “It’s wonderful to hear how great pieces like this are supposed to be played, rather the way amateurs like me tried to play them when we were learning the piano”.

 

NCV Formal Dinner