New research facility to benefit SE Asia Public Health

Bangkok--Mar 9--University of Technology Western Australia A new $AUD20 million facility has been opened at Australia's biggest and most modern School of Public Health at Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia. International students from more than 20 countries, including from across South East Asia, will benefit from the upgrading, which provides the best academic facilities in Australia for public health education and research. It will enhance ongoing research work by Curtin's international students into rheumatic fever in Bangladesh, occupational health in Indonesia, health services financing in Korea, cancer and diet in China, generational changes in nutrition in Japan and health and nutrition in Cambodia and Vietnam. Curtin School of Health researchers are also using the new food development laboratory and taste-testing facilities to enhance the quality control of the export of chick peas to Asia. The building, including state of the art teaching facilities, research laboratories and a computer network, was officially opened recently in a major ceremony at Curtin's Perth headquarters. Professor Charles Watson, Executive Dean, Curtin Division of Health Sciences, said the new building added to Curtin's ability and reputation for providing key public health teaching and research in the Asia Pacific region. "We have welcomed many international students who have chosen to study with us and many of our staff are involved with consultancies and projects throughout Asia," Professor Watson said. "The School has made its expertise in Public Health available to many countries in short courses sponsored by international organisations including AusAID, WHO and ILO, including topics such as HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, occupational health, family planning, environmental health and food hygiene. Specific courses have been run in Hong Kong, Iran and Indonesia. "These new facilities will significantly upgrade our ability to carry out important public health teaching and research work." Memoranda of understanding have been signed by the School with universities and Public Health Institutes in China, Japan, Korea, USA, Malaysia and the Maldives. In 1997 the School began teaching the Master of Health Sciences Management and the Master of Health Administration in Singapore, and the BSc (Occupational Health) in Hong Kong. 60 students are currently enrolled in these programs. Curtin is a member of the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium of Schools of Public Health (APACPH), involving 42 such Schools in the region, providing opportunities for staff and student exchange, curriculum development, research and policy development. APACPH Secretary-General, Professor Walter Patrick, from the School of Public Health, University of Hawaii, addressed the opening. "Through faculty exchange, student training and research, the collective potential of the major universities in Asia is being energised for health improvement," Professor Patrick said. "Public Health leaders - visionaries - from the band that stretches from Perth across the Indian Ocean to Nepal and across the Pacific to Hawaii, China, Korea , Japan and many other lands, are attempting to meet this global challenge, to value people's health in our multicultural lands." Curtin, one of Australia's most dynamic and innovative higher education institutions, has been ranked by the Australian Government's Quality Assurance Committee as being among the country's top universities in research management process, research improvement and community service. For further information, please contact Ms Sally Rowe Media Coordinator Curtin University of Technology Western Australia Tel:(+61 8) 9266 2793 Mobile: 0417 945 889 Email: [email protected] Professor Charles Watson Executive Dean Division of Health Sciences Curtin University of Technology Western Australia Tel: ( + 61 8) 9266 7466 E-mail: [email protected] (Produced and circulated by the Curtin International Office, as part of Curtin University of Technology's on-going commitment to keeping the world's media informed of major initiatives)Other Curtin University of Technology Media Information on the Web: * Curtin's Media Release Archive: http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/announce/ * Curtin's Research and Development News: http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/dept/research/pubs/rdnews.html * Curtin Business School News and Events: http://www.cbs.curtin.edu.au/library/media.htm * International Office: http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/dept/io/ --End--

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