NCV Cultural Night

The NCV community is highly culturally diverse, with 50 different nationalities represented.  At present there are residents from every continent, as well as from a number of island nations such as Mauritius, American Samoa and Fiji. With such a diverse community, living at NCV provides a unique opportunity to meet people from many other places and learn about cultures which are quite distinct from one’s own.

As part of our “O’Weekend” for semester 2, NCV hosted its inaugural Cultural Night.  This evening provided an opportunity to taste food from a number of different countries, as well as hear music from all over the world. Countries represented included India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Chile, Korea and Japan. A wide variety of food was available for tasting, including savory snacks, main courses and sweets.  For the new and returning residents who attended the evening, Cultural Night 2010 provided a unique glimpse into life in distant places.  Of course, students also had the chance to try some local Australian favorites such as pavlova  and lamingtons.  There was even an opportunity to taste the popular Australian spread “Vegemite”, something only a few residents were courageous enough to try!

A particular highlight was provided by Senior Resident Karthigan Balasubramaniam, who, with the help of some Sri Lankan friends, performed some traditional drumming. There was also an opportunity to be dressed in a sari for a portrait. The night was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

NCV Cultural Night

African Night

NCV is home to students from 50 different nations. Included among these are a number of residents from Africa, and in particular from Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius, Uganda & Egypt. On the 17th September, a group of our African students hosted the inaugural “NCV Africa Night”, which was aimed at showcasing the art, culture, language, music and food of the African continent.

To start the evening, residents were welcomed in the local languages of Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Mauritius. This was followed by an opportunity to enjoy some of the sumptuous food which had been prepared by the organising team. Lyz Murago and Wangari Muchiri, both from Kenya, introduced all the different dishes with some background on what they were made from and how to eat them.

Once residents were settled with their food, the African students performed a short drama based on an traditional African folktale about the origin of thunder. This was followed by a sing-along in Swahili, which was introduced to the attendees by Senior Academic Tutor Mark Dixon, who had formerly worked in Africa aboard one of the Mercy Ships. Patience Mbabazi, from Uganda, then explained some of the traditional jewellery of Africa.

The night continued with poetry, African tea and coffee, music and dance. To conclude the night, everyone joined in for an “African Shuffle”. It was fantastic to leave the evening knowing a bit more about where many of our residents come from. It is hoped that there will be more opportunities to showcase different ethnic groups and nationalities of NCV at similar events in the future.

Above: Residents of NCV doing the African Shuffle

African Night

NCV Sept Formal Dinner

On the 2nd September the NCV community gathered for the second Formal Dinner for 2010. 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 June we had heard from former UNSW Deputy Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor Dr Jessica Milner-Davis. This time the invited speaker was Dr Ian Pollard, well-known Australian businessman and actuary.

Dr Pollard is currently the Chairman of Corporate Express Australia Limited and a Director of Milton Corporation Limited, having previously been the Chairman of Just Group Limited (which incorporates the well known retailer “Just Jeans”). Ian has also been a director of the major Australian insurer GIO and the spectacle retailer OPSM.

Drawing from his broad background in corporate finance and advice, private equity investment and public company governance, Dr Pollard gave a fantastic address which was full of advice for those starting out on careers in business. One piece of advice which was particularly memorable was to be aware of the difference between obtaining five years’ experience and obtaining one years’ experience five times over. Dr Pollard also advised residents to prepare well for meetings and make the most of opportunities presented to them. To hear from such a successful businessman was a great treat. After Ian’s address, Nipun Seth, MBA student in the Australian Graduate School of Management moved an excellent vote of thanks to Dr Pollard for sharing his wisdom and experiences with the NCV community.

During the evening attendees were also able to hear a beautiful piano recital by resident Yvonne Chow. Yvonne is currently completing her Masters in Organisational Psychology in UNSW’s Faculty of Science, but continues to play piano at a high level in addition to her studies. At the dinner Yvonne played Franz Liszt’s “Lieberstraum No. 3”, her performance prompting enthusiastic compliments from Dr Pollard and the Master Prof. Trevor Cairney.

NCV Sept Formal Dinner

NCV Music Night

On the 27th August NCV hosted its Inaugural Music Night, which featured a range of different instrumental and vocal pieces performed by NCV residents.  The evening was preceded by some drinks and nibbles in the main common room, after which residents settled in for an evening of fine music.
To start the night, a choir of NCV residents sang the Jay Althouse & Sally Albrecht song “I am a small part of the world.” This was followed by the woodwind & string ensemble of Vivian Shek, Serena Ma, Kay Chen and Diane Wong, who played pieces by Haydn and Mozart. They also played one of Serena’s own compositions, “To Pop the Question”, demonstrating that NCV residents can not only play, they can also compose!

The next items were performed by resident Elina Yasumoto, who is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Music.  Elina played the “Regard No. X: Le Regard de l’Espirit de Joie” (from Messiaen’s “Vingt Regards sur L’Enfant Jesus”) followed by “Etude-tableau Op.39 no.5 in E-flat minor” by Rachmaninoff.  Elina also explained some of the history of the pieces before performing them, which was informative for those residents unfamiliar with the nomenclature around piano music.

In the next phase of the evening there were a series of guitar pieces performed by Kevin Phang, Roma Singhal and Sharon McGowan, punctuated by a Japanese item, “Niji”, performed by Mark Dixon (vocals), Diane Wong (piano), and Serena Ma (violin).  Kevin played two pieces by contemporary guitarist Andy McKee (“Art of Motion” & “Rylynn”) while Sharon sang the Parachute Band’s “Salvation Song”.  Kevin is a completely home grown guitarist, having first picked up the instrument while a resident at NCV, and having been initially taught by another resident! Completing this bank of songs were Roma Singhal and Sharon McGowan, who played guitar while singing a medley of contemporary songs.  Sharon and Roma involved the whole audience, who sang along to familiar tunes such as The Cranberries’ “Zombie”, The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”.

To conclude the night Elina returned to play Liszt’s Tarantella from “Venezia e Napoli”.  During the performance the Dean’s six month old daughter Indumathi snuck down the front to watch Elina’s flying fingers. It was a fitting end to a fabulous evening, showcasing the incredible depth of talent of NCV residents.

NCV Music Night

Supporting Research Students at NCV

Currently New College Village is home to many students undertaking either PhD degrees or Masters degrees by research.  Additionally, many other students who are undertaking coursework programs complete a minor or major thesis as part of their program.  To support these students, NCV runs a monthly Research Student Group.

The aims of the Research Student Group are:

• to encourage the researchers to socialize with other people having similar experiences; 
• to hear about different students’ research; and 
• be equipped for a career in research.  

Each meeting includes a short time for having a drink and some nibbles, followed by a research presentation from one of our residents and a “skills” presentation by a relevant expert.  The meetings are typically attended by 20-30 students.

So far this year we have had a number of seminars aimed at giving our residents a helping hand on the road to a career in academe.   At one meeting, a panel of upper year PhD students shared their wisdom on “Surviving the First Year of a PhD”.  The panel was made up of students studying in different areas - Naadir Junaid (Faculty of Arts), Laura Sharpe (Faculty of Science) and James Lam (Faculty of Engineering) - and so there were a wide range of perspectives presented.

Other presentations have included:

Ms Janice Besch (Director of the UNSW Grants Management Office), delivered a presentation entitled “An Overview of the Australian Research Grants System”.  Ms Besch’s presentation included some invaluable tips for anyone embarking on a research career.

The Dean of Residents at NCV Dr John Quinn drew on his earlier experience in intellectual property to present on “Protecting Your Inventions: Inside the Patent Process”.

Associate Professor Sue Starfield from the UNSW Learning Centre gave our residents some invaluable advice on “What Thesis Examiner’s Look For”.  Sue’s presentation was full of helpful tips for those facing the daunting task of writing a thesis.

An exciting lineup of speakers have been arranged for coming meetings. A/Prof. Sebastien Perrier from the University of Sydney will provide the students with some tips on getting a high impact publication, Prof. Christine Alexander from UNSW’s Faculty of Arts will share some insights for those setting out on a a career in academia and alumnus Dr Ben Waterhouse will speak about setting up your own consultancy after completing postgraduate research.

To finish off the year the Master of New College, Professor Trevor Cairney will draw on his extensive experience as a supervisor of postgraduate research to advise on how best to get along with your PhD supervisor. A presentation not to be missed!

Additionally, we have also heard a wonderful series of presentations by our own students on their varied and exciting research.  Students at NCV are currently undertaking research on topics as diverse as housing issues in Malaysia through to cancer mechanisms, Bengali political cinema and data structures. We look forward to an interesting semester as we support and encourage our students undertaking research degrees.

Supporting Research Students at NCV

NCV Formal Dinner

Three times each year NCV residents gather for a Formal Dinner.  These events involve a three course meal, a musical item (or two) and a speech on a topic of interest to a higher education community. The evenings typically go into the night as residents enjoy coffee and conservation, not to mention a photograph or two!

At the last Formal Dinner, the guest speaker was Dr Jessica Milner Davis.  Dr Davis is currently an Honorary Associate in the School of Letters, Art and Media at the University of Sydney, where she pursues research in the broad field of humour studies.  Prior to this, Dr Davis was a long-standing member of the UNSW Council, during which she also served as Deputy Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor. Dr Davis was also a former President of the UNSW Alumni Association and a former member of the New College Board.

At the NCV Formal Dinner, Dr Davis spoke about three remarkable English women who were pioneers in science and mathematics, one of whom was her paternal grandmother.  The talk provided a fascinating insight into times past, with Dr Davis showing many early photographs.  It was particularly interesting to hear how the number of women completing science degrees had evolved over the last century, and how the various policies around women in universities had evolved for the better.

  At the dinner we were also fortunate to have resident Kevin Phang play the guitar for us.  Kevin is a completely home-grown guitarist, having picked up the instrument while a resident at NCV.  On the night, Kevin demonstrated his skills by playing the famed Mason Williams tune “Classical Gas”, and the Andy McKee composition “Drifting”.

NCV Formal Dinner

NCV Harbour Cruise

The New College Village is more than just wonderful air-conditioned ensuite accommodation on campus. The beautiful building that people recognise as the New College Village is home to a community of 315 University of New South Wales students. The residents are drawn for 50+ countries and are primarily postgraduate students.

The NCV Staff and Senior residents provide care and support in many forms. The aim is to provide a safe and supportive place where students can live and learn while they make friends from all over the world.

To help make this happen we run varied social activities that offer opportunities for residents to get to know one another in relaxed and non-threatening ways.

Last night the NCV had its inaugural Sydney Harbour Cruise for over 110 residents. This was a wonderful 4 hour cruise of one of the world's most beautiful harbours. Dinner was provided as was a DJ who provided music for residents to dance to.

It was a wonderful night that was enjoyed by all.

NCV Harbour Cruise