A world-renowned “bird flu” researcher and University of Hong Kong (HKU) Emeritus Professor will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science at one of The University of Queensland’s three overseas graduations ceremonies this month (September).
Emeritus Professor Kennedy Shortridge is a pioneer in researching the potentially deadly disease, leading to the establishment of preparation systems to deal with future outbreaks.
Professor Shortridge, a UQ graduate, moved to Hong Kong in 1972 after completing his PhD at The University of London in 1971, commencing studies in 1975 into how avian influenza viruses spread to humans.
His studies drew attention to the importance of domestic poultry and pigs as the most likely sources of virus for humans.
His findings, including the hypothesis in 1982 of southern China’s role as an epicentre for the emergence of pandemic influenza viruses, enabled the development of surveillance and preparation systems for future outbreaks.
Professor Shortridge’s work was crucial to the early detection of the H5N1 "bird flu” outbreak in 1997, potentially saving incalculable lives.
Professor Shortridge, who recently retired from HKU`s Department of Microbiology after 30 years, will receive his degree and address the Hong Kong ceremony on Friday, September 17.
UQ Chancellor, Sir Llewellyn Edwards, Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay, and other senior university executives including Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Development) Professor Trevor Grigg and Executive Deans Professors Michael Keniger (Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture Faculty) and Professor Linda Rosenman (Social and Behavourial Sciences Faculty) will preside over the Hong Kong graduation as well as a Singapore graduation ceremony on Sunday, September 12, and one in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, September 15.
Professor Shortridge’s vital work earned him a Prince Mahidol Award in Public Health in 1999 for services to the global community toward the control of "bird flu”.
Professor Shortridge has been a WHO advisor or consultant on the ecology of influenza viruses (1977–2002) with a continuing interest in the field. He is an Honorary Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow with an interest in international activities, particularly hepatitis B vaccination in rural China.
He and wife Joyce have retired to Clevedon, New Zealand.
Professor Grigg said the aims of the international graduation ceremonies were twofold: to enable overseas-based graduates to celebrate their achievements before family and friends; as well as represent an opportunity for senior UQ staff to renew acquaintances and friendships with alumni.
“Alumni based in Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur play a part in the ceremonies as well as assist our new graduates with advice and networking opportunities,” Professor Grigg said.
Graduates at the three ceremonies include the following.
• Norshamliza Chamhuri will receive her Master of Agribusiness degree before a big contingent of family and friends at the Kuala Lumpur graduation ceremony on Wednesday, September 15.
“I didn`t take the opportunity to graduate in Australia as my family and friends couldn’t accompany me there. I didn’t want to graduate alone without them by my side,” Ms Chamhuri said.
She said her parents, younger sister and her boyfriend, as well as many friends would be in attendance to see her receive her degree.
“I chose to study at UQ as I was interested in the fact I could combine agribusiness courses with other business and economics courses related to my work,” she said.
“My favourite aspects of study at UQ were the friendly and helpful lecturers and staff members. They helped me a lot, especially during the first semester when I was adjusting and adapting myself to the new environment as it was my first experience studying overseas.”
She said she had also enjoyed the opportunity to make friends with students from all over the world including from Swaziland, Papua New Guinea, USA, China, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Samoa, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, India, and of course, Australia.
“The UQ Library and computer facilities were superb and excellent and I liked the fact that most postgrads had their own study rooms at Uni,” Ms Chamhuri said.
She said she had been especially pleased with the University’s Safety Bus.
Currently working as a lecturer, she said she would never forget the delightful experience at UQ.
“Studying at UQ has taught me how to be an independent person and the experience was priceless,” she said.
• Lim Keam (Kimmy) Lee (Singapore ceremony, September 12) will be the first student to graduate from the School of Engineering after being awarded a School of Engineering International Undergraduate Scholarship. The scholarships remit half the UQ tuition fees and are awarded to high-achieving students from Singapore polytechnics.
Ms Lee graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Chemical Engineering (with merit) in 1998. She then worked for several years with Exxon and began her Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) at UQ in 2002, graduating with honours at the end of 2003.
She is now working in Singapore as a process engineer for an American company Ceilcote overseeing sales, design and project administration in the Asia-Pacific area.
“Two years of UQ campus life is like heaven. There were loads of assignments but loads of fun too,” Ms Lee said.
“The small lecture/tutorial group was very beneficial and the ever-helpful tutors helped me better understand my subjects.”
• Table tennis champ Hoi Shun (Antony) Lui (email: lui@itee.uq.edu.au) will receive his University Medal and graduate with his Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) with first-class honours at the Singapore graduation ceremony.
He could not attend a St Lucia ceremony in July to receive his Medal because he was representing UQ in table tennis at the Australian University Championships 2004 in Sydney.
Mr Lui is currently completing a PhD within UQ’s School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (ITEE) and has been awarded a UQ Graduate School Scholarship to cover his living expenses during his PhD studies.
“My project involves applying radar target identification techniques to biomedical imaging,” he said.
Upon completing his PhD, he said he planned to work as a researcher in computational electromagnetics and biomedical imaging.
Mr Lui said: “UQ is one of the top universities in Australia and it is well-known around the world.”
Highlights of his UQ study included interaction with lecturers and use of high-quality facilities, he said.
“UQ lecturers are very knowledgeable and approachable for students. They share their knowledge and experience, guide and encourage us to think and work independently,” Mr Lui said.
“The UQ campus has a good environment and atmosphere for studies. In particular, the 24-hour access to computer labs in the School of ITEE is critical to me and provides space for students to work on team projects. For me, not only has a lot of great work been completed in the labs, I have also made some great friends there.”
• Ten of the 16 Business, Economics and Law (BEL) Faculty students graduating at the Kuala Lumpur overseas graduation ceremony came to UQ from the HELP Institute in KL after completing two years of study.
At the conclusion of a year at UQ, the students graduated from undergraduate programs in Commerce and Electronic Commerce.
UQ and HELP established an education partnership a number of years ago with a shared vision of achieving excellence in education.
The UQ/HELP agreement was recently bolstered by the bestowing of University College status on the HELP Institute by the Malaysian Government’s Ministry of Education.
At a charity dinner held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, BEL Faculty Executive Dean Professor Ian Zimmer said the Faculty had always been proud of its association with HELP Institute, now known as the HELP University College.
More than 80 HELP students graduate from the BEL Faculty each year with a number of these students awarded UQ scholarships on the basis of academic excellence in their first and second years of study at HELP.
In 2004, around 400 students from Malaysia are enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programs at UQ – with more than half of these through the BEL Faculty.
Media contacts: Shirley Glaister at UQ Communications (telephone: +61 7 3365 1120, email: s.glaister@uq.edu.au) or John Moller, Manager, Protocol and Ceremonies (telephone: +61 7 3365 2737, mobile: 0412 261 531 or email: j.moller@uq.edu.au).
