Have a listen to this Public Seminar by Dr Mykaela Saunders, University of Sydney, supported by JCU’s Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing. youtu.be/2mJBfBGnD5g

Dr Elizabeth Smyth's new article celebrates the university-educated woman farmer in John Naish’s 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 (1963). Dr Smyth argues that this forgotten novel reshapes the genre of the Australian farm novel and expands traditional representations of women and class. tinyurl.com/bdjsvrj

Congratulations to the Townsville Museum for its recent 40-year anniversary celebrations, attended by CASE's Dr Claire Brennan (second from right), a lecturer in history at JCU.

Congratulations to first time author Khin Myint, who has won this year’s $50,000 Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award for Fragile Creatures: A Memoir.

Research conducted by Dr Doris Asante and Associate Professor Anna Boucher for Settlement Services International on migrant deskilling has been used by the organisation in developing their policy recommendations to government. Read below the Mandarin article summarising the research findings.

And that’s a wrap for Social Sciences Week, with celebrations including a focus on the 50th Anniversary of Papua New Guinea Independence at the Cairns Nguma-bada campus. With thanks to the Australian Academy of Social Sciences for supporting these events with a grant.

Congratulations to Dr Elizabeth Smyth, a writer and researcher at JCU’s Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing in Cairns. She is off to the USA after securing a prestigious Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to examine rare manuscripts written by rainforest travellers.

CASE’s Dr Sujin Kim (Lecturer, Career Development) is currently in Indonesia, where she delivered guest lectures for undergraduate and postgraduate psychology students at Diponegoro University (UNDIP). The trip is supported by UNDIP under their Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program.

Master of Social Work students Angel, Tishma and Paul have been visiting from the De Paul Institute in Kerala (JCU’s international student exchange partner in India). Thanks to the New Colombo Plan, the trio have been hosted in Cairns by CASE Social Work students who travelled to Kerala last year.

Today JCU welcomed over 150 high school students to its Townsville campus to celebrate Book Week @JCU. The students took workshops with young adult and fantasy author Isobelle Carmody and got to see where a passion for storytelling can take you! youtu.be/nRR7sbebcc4

CASE's Dr Wili Suluma and Dr Greg Burnett have a new joint publication out - 'The Boarding School Education of Remote Aboriginal Students: What are the Expected Outcomes?' Read it now int the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education: doi.org/10.47381/aij...

Looking for some great winter reads? Dip into the shortlist for the $50,000 Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award, announced today by The Foundation for Australian Literary Studies. The five authors are: Garry Disher, Jane Godwin, Gail Jones, Leah Kaminsky and Khin Myint.

Don't miss the 2025 Colin Roderick Memorial Lecture! Emily Maguire will present lectures that explore the work of receptivity — the porous state through which ideas are seeded and developed. Cairns, 29 July: tinyurl.com/2e4bkb94 Townsville, 31 July: tinyurl.com/39med297

JCU recently hosted the visit of his Excellency Mr Pierre Andre Imbert, Ambassador of France to Australia. He was accompanied by Mr Alain Etchegaray Honorary Consul of France in Brisbane and Mr Thomas Jerejian, Counsellor to the Ambassador to discuss JCU activities in the Francophone islands.

Congratulations to CASE's Dr Anna Willis (Bioarchaeologist) who has just had a paper published open access in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences with her colleagues based on her DECRA research.

Last week, in an event organised by CASE Lecturer in History, Dr Tianna Killoran, scholars and artists from Australia and Japan gathered in Townsville for the 'Walking Through Time' symposium and history trail.

This past week, educators and those interested in democratic and citizenship education came to Townsville for the SCEAA conference hosted at JCU. Attendees participated in two days of exciting discussions about the future of democratic and citizenship education across contexts.

The 2025 annual conference of the Australian Historical Association is underway in Townsville, hosted by JCU and CQU. Among the many meanings of this year's theme, 'Looking Up' is also an invitation to look 'up North'. @jcuofficial.bsky.social @austhistassoc.bsky.social @stplbrk.bsky.social

Last week, CASE’s Dr Liam Moore (Lecturer, International Politics & Policy) joined a group of advocates, researchers and community leaders in New York for the first in-person meeting of the Coalition on Dignified Climate-Related Planned Relocation, hosted by Human Rights Watch.

Supported by The Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing, 'Researcher Wellbeing and Affective Ambush: Engaging with Emotions During Research' was held recently. The symposium was hosted by Dr Marina Deller and Dr Emma Maguire. Check out their article: tinyurl.com/2wdty7ca

A/Prof Ines Zuchowski recently connected with staff from the Integrierten Gesundhietszemtrum Lichtenberg [IGZ] in Berlin, exploring their project of integrating social workers in GP settings. The exchange highlighted the value social workers bring to wholistic patient care.

JCU's social work team couldn't be more proud of the launch of Balance by Centacare FNQ. This project aims to strengthen psychosocial wellbeing across the health and community services sector. Bachelor of Social Work student, and Centacare officer, Daniel Gouge was integral to the program's design.

The Australian Counselling Association’s ‘Changing Landscapes’ conference is underway in Adelaide. With more than 40 speakers presenting over three days, it’s action-packed. CASE’s Associate Professor Margaret Carter spoke at the conference about JCU’s Master of Guidance and Counselling degree.

CASE’s Dr Natalia Veles recently delivered a keynote address, titled ‘Empowering Futures: The Transformative Value of Career Development for Young People’, at the International Youth Forum on Career Development and Education. The forum was hosted by Zhengzhou University in Henan Province, China.

JCU had a terrific opportunity to welcome Cliff Bingham, Assistant Secretary of Labour Market Research and Analysis at Jobs and Skills Australia, to our Graduate Certificate of Career Development tutorial, 'Labour Market: Integration of Global and Local Perspectives', this week.

Don't miss Dr Liam Moore (Lecturer, International Politics) presenting on 'How to move a community: lessons on disaster and climate-related relocations' at a Pint of Science. Townsville’s festival will feature 10 JCU experts from May 19 to 21. Register now: jcu.edu.au/events/2025/may/pint-of-science

Thanks to JCU’s Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing, Year 8 Newman Catholic College students recently visited the JCU Cairns Nguma-bada campus. Here, they’re studying Atika Creek to craft a gothic setting as a creative writing exercise. See: www.jcu.edu.au/RCALC

Visiting fellow Dr Adelle Sefton-Rowston from Charles Darwin University in action at Riverway Library conducting creative writing workshops as part of the ‘Blue Skies on Jail Walls’ project. 👉 www.jcu.edu.au/RCALC/curren...

☕️👨‍🌾New paper from @jcucase.bsky.social's Dr Zoe Wang and co-authors on major changes to rural China as smallholder farmers take part in a growing coffee industry. Read here📄👉 shorturl.at/YBvQR

Last week, 20+ #ADF members from 3rd Brigade - Australian Army #Townsville took part in a Tok #Pisin and #Pacific #French short #language & #culture course. Exciting to see this partnership with the #Army grow. #Japanese & #Tagalog are being planned for the second half of this year.

Bachelor of Education 4th-year students are today participating in the Professional Orientation Intensive workshop developing important career competencies as they transition to professional employment.

Congratulations to CASE's Dr Tianna Killoran on her DFAT Australia-Japan Foundation grant for Walking through Time: Australia-Japan Symposium and History Trail. The project will host a symposium in Townsville focusing on shared Australia-Japan histories.

CASE recently hosted Dr Yolande CAVALOC & Dr Fabrice WACALIE from the University of New Caledonia, with funding from the French Embassy in Australia. They gave a public seminar on plurilingualism in schools.

Kathryn Harrison was shamed for her 90s memoir of an ‘affair’ with her father. Today, we know better. Dr Emma Maguire’s article in The Conversation explores why that is and suggests it's time to revisit 'The Kiss'…

Over the past six months CASE has welcomed over 100 Australian Defence Force personnel on campus for short language courses. We wish ADF personnel and their families a Merry Christmas and look forward to working with them again in 2025. youtu.be/TmNuspwbM64?...

Trusted partner to the Pacific, or giant fossil fuel exporter? In a co-written article for Renew Economy, CASE’s Dr Liam Moore (Lecturer, Politics) and Wesley Morgan explore Australia’s position in light of recent events. tinyurl.com/59wb2c5u

Well done to PhD candidate Dominic Orih for presenting his Pre-completion Seminar recently. Dominic’s research is focused on exploring university student wellbeing by examining the feasibility of an Indigenous-developed family wellbeing empowerment program.

Career changer Maddi Wright swapped journalism for social work by studying a Master of Social Work (Professional Qualifying) degree with JCU. Now she's making a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable members of our society. youtu.be/TxHuqkhZrgg

An interdisciplinary group of JCU students recently flew to Vanuatu on New Colombo Plan scholarships to participate in the two-week study abroad program. The program was led by Dr Florence Boulard. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFJZ...

The New Colombo Plan-funded Anthropology Field School in Bali is underway with students learning about the culture in so many ways including practicing Behasa Indonesia with their homestay hosts.

Dr Natalia Veles (right) recently attended CEANT professional development days to talk about career theory and practice along with giving an overview of the Graduate Certificate of Career Development (GCCD) course offered by JCU alongside GCCD alumni Kate Coppen.

Congratulations to Adele Zubrzycka and Julia Russoniello - recipients of the Northern Australia Fellowship that was set up to commemorate the Australian Historical Association Conference 2025 to be held at the JCU Townsville campus next year from 30 June to 3 July.

A/Prof Ines Zuchowski presented her and Dr Albert Kuruvila's research at the International Conference of Social Work in Health and Mental Health in Melbourne. The paper outlined outcomes of the social work in general practice research funded by the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network.

CASE PhD candidate Melissa Hampton-Smith has been part of a recent study that calls for a greater focus on equity in major global conservation policies to avoid harming the people whose support is crucial to combat worldwide biodiversity loss. @jcu tinyurl.com/2wmn37tx

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been criticised for his attempt at crafting a First Nations Australian character in a kid’s novel. In an article for The Conversation JCU's Liz Smyth and Uni of Melb's Jeanine Leane have responded to the furore. theconversation.com/jamie-oliver...

A/Prof Ines Zuchowski presenting with her New Zealand colleague Dr Katheryn Margaret Pascoe at #ANZSWWER2024. The duo spoke on "Surveying placement supervisors’ continued professional development needs" at NZ's oldest university, the University of Otago.

Another brilliant group of Australian Army from the Lavarack Barracks 3rd Brigade have visited JCU's Townsville, Bebegu Yumba, campus to learn #Pacific #French, led by CASE's Dr Florence Boulard. Fun was had exploring the grounds with clues in French to guide their way.

Congratulations to CASE’s own Dr Theresa Petray and Dr Nick Osbaldiston, who penned Exploring Sociology in the Antipodes: Introduction to Sociology. Their book won the inaugural JCU Open Access award for ‘JCU Open eBook Excellence and Impact'. oercollective.caul.edu.au/exploringsoc...

From volunteering in Madagascar to studying a Master of Public Health – Master of Global Development in North Queensland, JCU International Student Risa Tsuchiya shares how she experienced building connections across continents. Read now: tinyurl.com/fk9jvak4

Students studying our Master of Guidance and Counselling degree have united for a 4-day workshop. A/Profs Margaret Carter and Cecily Knight guided students as they explored a range of simulated culturally intentional counselling sessions.