Commonwealth universities news in brief
New Zealand dolphins at risk from fishing practices
Hector's dolphins, which are endemic to New Zealand, are being ravaged by commercial fishing, according to a new study.
The numbers caught in gillnets exceeds 10 times sustainable levels, say associate professors at Otago University, Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson.
They used the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) method, developed by the US National Marine Fisheries Service, which measures the human impact on marine mammal populations. If a certain level is exceeded, population decline is likely to result.
Professor Slooten warned that if the recent level of bycatch was continued, the population would be expected to decline to around 5,000 individuals over the next 50 years.
"On the other hand, if they were protected from fisheries mortality throughout their range they could recover to some 15,000 individuals over that same time," she said.
New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) estimates that 110-150 Hector's dolphins have been killed each year during 2000-2006.
Slooten recommended that dolphins should be protected by changing to more selective, sustainable fishing methods.
New Zealand's minister of fisheries, Jim Anderton, announced new protection measures in May this year, which were to be enacted on October 1.
"Just two weeks before the October 1 deadline, the fishing industry took the minister to court," Slooten said. "This means that dolphin protection has been delayed again, this time by a court case and an election."
University of Western Australia reshapes academic ranks
The University of Western Australia has become the first university in Australia to adopt a new structure for academic titles, bringing it into line with Canada, the United States, east Asia and parts of Europe.
From January 1, 2009, the existing five academic ranks will be reduced to four and renamed.
The titles of associate lecturer, lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor and professor will be replaced with lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professor (with three professorial levels).
The university believes that a change to the new academic titles will make it more competitive in the international labour market and align its titles with a significant part of the sector in the Northern hemisphere.
Details of implementation will be discussed with the university's branch of National Tertiary Education Union.
Academic lifeline for earthquake area
The University of Western Australia is offering a student from Sichuan University a postgraduate scholarship to study with Nobel laureate Professor Barry Marshall.
UWA is offering a student from Wenchuan County, or another part of the earthquake-affected area studying at Sichuan University, a postgraduate scholarship as a contribution to reconstruction in the aftermath of the disaster. The scholarship will be awarded on academic merit to a student deemed most likely to benefit from the scholarship as well as one who will contribute to the rebuilding of Wenchuan.
The scholarship is in the field of infectious diseases and the successful candidate will work in the University's Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, with Marshall as his or her postgraduate supervisor.
Association of Commonwealth Universities replaces yearbook
The Yearbook, a listing of Commonwealth universities and staff published annually in two massive volumes by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, is ceasing publication in its present form.
From 2009, all the yearbook information will be available to members via an online searchable database, which will be updated throughout the year. A searchable CD-Rom will be circulated annually to ACU members.
The ACU is passing the task of collecting the data to StudyLink, an Australian company. StudyLink will also be producing a Coursefinder service, allowing ACU members to promote their courses.