Welcome to the new look Student Life Monthly News!

We hope you like what you see. From this edition onwards, the Student Life Monthly News email will be delivered straight into your inbox, to help you keep up-to-date with news, announcements and events that are relevant to international students.

If you wish to change your email address, please email siactive@swin.edu.au with your new details. Feedback about the new format is also welcome.

The Good Universities Guide 2008 Awards Top Ratings to Swinburne

We are pleased to announce that The Good Universities Guide 2008 has awarded Swinburne top ratings for:

	Graduate Satisfaction
	Generic Skills
	Teaching Quality
	Research Intensity

As the BEST university in Melbourne for Teaching Quality and Graduate Satisfaction, and one of the top three for Research Intensity, Swinburne continues to advance its position as a high-ranking Australian university, dedicated to providing quality education.

The Good Universities Guide is Australia’s only comprehensive Degree and University ratings guide.

Fast Track Your Degree - Enrol in Summer Term at Swinburne

Summer Term runs between November 2007 and February 2008, giving you the opportunity to intensively study a range of undergraduate and postgraduate units at Swinburne.

The Summer Term website has all the information you need, including how to enrol, the units of study available, timetables and application forms. Get ahead in your studies and join the next Summer Term intake now!

New Fee Payment Method - Save on Bank Fees!

Are you a Swinburne student from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong? Did you know that you can now pay your tuition fee at the nearest Standard and Chartered Bank branch in your home country?

Two payment options are available: local currency cash or local currency cheque. For details and instructions on how to pay your fees using this method, refer to the Swinburne International website.

Want to Work Overseas? Come along to an IAESTE Information Session

The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) provides opportunities for both local and international students from a science or IT disciplines to gain global work experience.

Come along to one of the IAESTE information sessions below to find out more about this program:

Swinburne Scientist Involved in the Discovery of Fourteen New Galaxies

Swinburne scientist Dr Michael Murphy is part of an international team of astronomers who have discovered fourteen new galaxies located halfway across the Universe. The discovery is a major breakthrough in the field of distant galaxy ‘hunting’ and paves the way for more detailed studies in this area.

Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in northern Chile, the team – led by Nicolas Bouché from Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics – used quasars to find the galaxies. Quasars are very distant objects of extreme brilliance, which are used as cosmic beacons to reveal galaxies lying between the quasar and Earth. “We infer the galaxy's existence from the specific pattern of shadows they imprint onto the quasar's spectrum”, said Dr Murphy.

Dr Murphy’s role in the team was to use a sophisticated search technique to pick out the absorption lines that reveal the existence of a galaxy in the foreground of a quasar.

The research is presented in a paper in press in the Astrophysical Journal.

Swinburne Sarawak Scholarships for High Academic Achievers

Swinburne Sarawak has awarded over RM150,000 worth of scholarships to 59 of its students, who have scored impressive results in public and semester exams.

The scholarships, categorised as Entrance, Leadership and Merit, were presented to by Swinburne Sarawak Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, at a recent ceremony.

This is the second time this year Swinburne Sarawak has awarded its top students with scholarships.

2007 ADS Alumni Dinner and Certificate Presentation in Indonesia

On September 6th, AusAID (Indonesia) hosted a conference for AusAID Alumni, providing them with the opportunity to develop their professional skills and build networks. The event also incorporated the annual Alumni Dinner and Certificate presentation at the in the Mutiara Ballroom at the Grand Melia Hotel.

Swinburne University of Technology was represented by Emilia Tabrizi, and five of its ADS Alumni. Swinburne alumnus Richard Papilaya was one of the emcees for the night, while alumna Puspita Wulandari received her Certificate at the event.

Become an International Orientation Host for 2008

Get the most out of your university experience - become an International Orientation Host in February 2008.

Swinburne International is currently inviting current international students from all campuses to be involved in next year's Orientation program.

Just email siactive@swin.edu.au and provide your full name, student ID number, email address, your campus, mobile contact and the campus you are able to assist: Hawthorn, Prahran or Lilydale. The 2008 Orientation dates will be confirmed shortly.

All volunteers will receive a certificate of appreciation and an exclusive Orientation t-shirt. You'll also get to come along to the Welcome Party! So gather a group of friends and join us in welcoming new international students to Swinburne!

Learn to Surf Day Trip to Anglesea

Don't forget that we are organising a day-trip to Anglesea in October!

Learn how to surf at Anglesea, a beachside town on the Great Ocean Road on Saturday 20 October 2007. You will also get the chance to do some sight-seeing and a bit of shopping. Visit the Student Life Activities webpage for trip details and bookings.