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Michelle Kofud, Associate director, global education program.

They maintain binders of testimonials from students who have done exchanges. Future students study them carefully to help choose where to go.

An alternative to exchange opportunity is a Research Internship. Very short is possible (e.g., 2 weeks) or longer, up to one year. Called “Practicum Program”. Students pay very small fees ($300, no tuition). Work with a professor on a research project. Like visiting scholars at Purdue, except undergraduates.

France and Germany now have compulsory research internships for their students.

Language barrier is a problem for UNSW students. Makes US a better location than, e.g., Germany or France.

Suggestion: If a student is coming to Australia for a conference visit, stay for a practicum.

UNSW strategic plan is to “enhance global mobility” for their students.

Money for their students is a problem. Many work part time to support themselves. Summer work possible at Purdue? Would need to line up with one-month between Australian semesters (our summer, not theirs).

27% of the students at UNSW are international.

Like Sydney, UNSW is broadening course work to more general learning, including international issues. The “global education” requirement includes the mobility initiative and other courses that can be considered as applying to international issues.

They have 500 exchange students and 230 practicum students per year (roughly balanced in both directions). Both an academic (faculty member) and the department head must sign off on practicum.

Others post-graduate degrees include an MBA and an MBT (master of business technology).

Maurice Pagnucco, incoming department head (also met briefly with outgoing department head).

Maurice has PhD from the University of Sydney–when CS was in Science. Research area is AI, machine learning, and symbolic computation.

Other areas of department include databases, networks, web services, and embedded systems.

NICTA project is large systems research area. OK (Open Kernel) Labs is a spin off from the project. The OS they developed is used in cellphones and is the first fully verified kernel. It rolls in to their most difficult course (the OS course).

Departmental goal is to have impact: examples include Google relationships and OK Labs.

They have collaborations with Finance on a dual degree. Also, Bachelor of Media degree.

Bioinformatics students have been successful in the financial industry–“they use the same thinking skills”.

They have about 50 faculty. Pagnucco would help arrange faculty advisors for practicum program.

They have an active student organization. Current controversy is over “central IT” vs. the CSE managed IT (which they prefer). See student newsletter.

Pagnucco provided an annual research report (current, but dated 2009).

Adrian Chen, a recent UNSW graduate; handles US-based exchange students. Led campus tour.

Data point: Student housing is currently about $200/week.

university_of_new_south_wales_notes.txt · Last modified: 2010/06/23 15:50 by jtkorb