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Tenth Year Celebrations Are Also About the Region
4 March 2006
In the last week we have had an aerial photograph of staff, a
commemorative book launch and a special Art Gallery exhibition,
'Catalyst', to start the celebratory year of the 'Power of
Ten'.
When we decided on the theme 'Power of Ten', we were conscious
that we could reduce or retreat from ten, or increase and enhance
from ten.
For example, ten years ago we had very little, 100 years ago
University of Queensland had very little, 1000 years ago there were
no modern universities even in Europe.
Correspondingly, in ten years time we will be a major player
amongst universities. In 100 years we will be one of the major
universities in the country.
We can play around with the Power of Ten in other ways too,
although when we talk multiples of people the concept gets a bit
untidier, but the multiplier effect and the scale and impact of the
Tenth year gains significance.
The initial plans, for example, were discussed with three or
four people. They were then the subject of workshops involving
consultants, staff and students. Then all staff were briefed. The
numbers aware of our Tenth anniversary were growing. Then the media
coverage of the aerial photo shoot, and the 'Twilight' event
guaranteed that tens of thousands of people knew about our
celebrations on television, radio and newspapers, not just locally
but nationally as well.
The '10' book will be circulated throughout the country and
because it's deliberately designed as an attractive easy-read, we
hope many more thousands of people will become aware not only of
the University's achievements, but will also become more aware of
many aspects of the Sunshine Coast.
From the earliest adoption of the name in our University title,
we were responding to an expressed community desire that the
University help give greater visibility to the Sunshine Coast
region, which at the time was much less visible nationally and
internationally than it is now.
By virtue of these months of celebrations ahead of us,
therefore, we hope that we are not only emphasising our academic
and regional standing but also conveying to the world that the
Coast can be much more than beaches, tourism or a retirement belt.
It is potentially a dynamic and emerging region in its own right,
gradually developing its infrastructure to diminish the reliance on
Brisbane for new economy employment, for example.
The year is therefore about both University and regional
advancement and we are unashamedly doing our utmost to place the
Sunshine Coast at the forefront of national attention whenever we
can, despite the national preoccupation we have with major cities
and their universities.
The focus is on us, what we together as a University and region
can achieve that's relevant and important, and forget the vain
pursuit of a Melbourne or Sydney. We are different but just as
important to the future of Australia.
Professor Paul Thomas is Vice-Chancellor of University of
the Sunshine Coast