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Nowhere else in the world is there a greater need for investment to address water management issues than the Indo-Pacific region, and especially SE Asia.
The region represents the confluence of outstanding freshwater biodiversity values, high societal dependence on fisheries (and other ecosystem services that healthy rivers and wetlands provide), and a high level of threat to these values from water resource development and pollution that is rapidly intensifying.
The Australian Water Partnership (AWP) was established in 2015 and coordinates the Australian government’s international investment to assist developing countries with these water management challenges, with a specific focus on the Indo-Pacific. Initially funded through the Australian aid program (DFAT), the AWP aims to provide more efficient access to Australian water sector experience and expertise in response to growing demand for collaboration from governments and multilateral agencies in the region.

Griffith joined the AWP in July 2017, led by Professor Stuart Bunn at the

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A documentary about India’s first ice hockey team has helped Griffith Film School alumni Mithun Bajaj break into the Indian film industry and is making waves on the international festival circuit.
Mithun’s debut documentary, Fighting on Ice, documents the trials and tribulations of India’s ice hockey team: think Cool Runnings on the Indian subcontinent.

Mithun managed to crowdfund the film, taking on responsibility for directing, shooting and producing his passion project.
“India is known for Bollywood and cricket. When I heard India had an ice hockey team I was surprised and intrigued,” he said.
“The athletes on this team play with minimal equipment and virtually no funding, and they do this because they believe in the sport – ice hockey is their life.
“I found their journey inspiring.”
The film recently won Best Documentary at the Eurasia International Film Festival and has been selected for the Independent Prisma Awards in Rome and the Auckland International Film Festival.
Mithun graduated

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Griffith University has taken a pivotal role in shaping the future of tourism in Queensland, aiding in the development of a new Climate Change Adaptation Plan released today.
Griffith Institute for Tourism director Professor Susanne Becken served as the primary author of the newly unveiled Queensland Tourism Climate Change Response Plan, which draws on 20 years of research into climate change and tourism.
The Queensland Tourism Industry Council-led plan, which was also drafted in partnership with Department of Environment and Science, examines the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for operators, travellers and other tourism stakeholders in navigating the changing world around us.
The plan considers short- and medium-term time frames (2030), as well as accounting for long-term goals to meet the state’s zero-net-emissions target by 2050.
According to the report, the most direct climate change-related risks facing the local tourism market are physical impacts, be they acute (e.g. cyclones, floods) or chronic (e.g.

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Greg and Sheree Young started their Body Science health and nutrition brand in a suburban garage. From such humble beginnings, the rise to what today is a multi-million-dollar company is testament to staying true to one’s dreams and values.
Partners in life and business, Griffith University graduates Greg and Sheree established Body Science in 1999. The Gold Coast-based company now employs 40 staff under the guidance of Greg as Product and Marketing Director and Sheree as General Manager and Chief Financial Officer.
“Customers know they can put their faith in our brand,” says Sheree. “Our health is one of the most valuable things we have, and people know they can’t just put that in the hands of anyone.
“Our products are always something special. They have integrity and are what they say they are. We formulate products that we believe in, and that provides true results.”
Sheree completed a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) at

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Meaghan Scanlon was just 24 when she created history as the youngest female elected to the Queensland Parliament. Now six months into her term, she remains firmly focused on her goals and what it means to represent her community.
“I became involved in politics because I thought I could change the world,” says the Griffith University graduate. “And while I still think that, I acknowledge that reform is hard and it takes time. It is not easy to change people’s minds and it is not easy to change institutions or laws.
“However, hard work, compassion and dedication create success and I’ll keep striving to make a difference.”
After being elected as the Labor Party Member for Gaven at the November 2017 State Election, Meaghan Scanlon MP is now Assistant Minister for Tourism Industry Development. Not only is she the youngest woman to sit in the State Parliament, she is the second youngest MP

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At the Queensland College of Art (QCA) we value the diversity of our students, our community partnerships, and our strong links with creative industries. 2018 has already seen some outstanding opportunities and outcomes for our students, and I am proud to be able to bring these to you in our latest eNews.
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) was the biggest event in Australia this decade and provided a myriad of world class opportunities for our students, some of which I have highlighted here.
QCA Photography students produced a series of large scale images which were on display at the GC2018 Main Media Centre that hosted press representatives from around the globe, providing a backdrop for live crosses and interviews during the Games, and offering students unprecedented exposure for their work.
The Australian athletes’ formal wear was given a distinctive twist, with QCA alumnus, Jenna Lee’s unique artwork emblazoned on the ties, scarves, belts

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One of Griffith University’s brightest minds in ecology has been awarded a prestigious award to mark a lifetime of achievement in biological diversity research discoveries.
Emeritus Professor Roger Kitching AM was awarded the Gregor Johann Mendel Medal for the Advancement of Biological Sciences by Czech Academy of Sciences. This is the highest award in biology offered by the Academy. Previous awardees have included Nobel laureates and distinguished biologists from around the world. Professor Kitching traveled to Prague to receive the award.
The award honours Professor Kitching’s international reputation and distinguished career in ecology, in which his research on food webs and the ecological factors that define the amount of biological diversity sustained by ecosystems are among his most noted achievements.
Credit: Jáchimová foto
“It’s great recognition for my work with students and colleagues, especially coming from a distinguished academy overseas,” Professor Kitching said.
“Our research work has changed the way we look at the complexities

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Griffith Review has announced the appointment of Associate Professor Ashley Hay as its new editor, succeeding founding editor Julianne Schultz, who will take on the role of publisher for the highly regarded current affairs and culture quarterly.
Dr Hay is a distinguished author, journalist and editor with a unique set of skills across literature, science and current affairs.
She said she welcomed the opportunity to take on the editorship of Griffith Review, describing her new role as a “dream job”.
“Griffith Review has made such a major contribution to the writing and public affairs world over the past fifteen years,” Dr Hay said.
“I welcome the opportunity to build on this tradition and ensure that the quarterly continues to thrive and adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities.
“This publication is needed more than ever as the media and publishing world changes – we need the stories, we need the background that comes from extended exploration

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For Queensland College of Art photography graduate Katie Fergus, the most interesting fashion is captured on the street, rather than the catwalk.
Katie has carved out a successful career as street-style photographer – documenting the designers, editors and off-duty models who grace the catwalks and fill the front row at fashion events.
After working with a wedding photographer during a gap year after high school, Katie applied to study creative and interactive media  at the QCA’s Gold Coast campus.
“The degree allowed me the flexibility to explore lots of different options and test the waters,” she said.
“My time at the QCA helped me develop all the technical skills you need, but most importantly, it taught me how to tell a story with images,” she said.
After graduation, Katie moved to Melbourne.  She collaborated on shoots with a few fashion-forward friends, and soon found herself in demand from Australian fashion bloggers and boutique labels, who commissioned her

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New dating research led by Griffith University has confirmed the great antiquity of fossil remains attributed to a species of human called Homo antecessor found in Spain.
The research, published in Quaternary Geochronology, describes the first direct dating study of Homo antecessor fossil remains found within Unit TD6 at Atapuerca Gran Dolina site, Spain.
The fossil has been directly dated to between 772,000-949,000 years ago, which is consistent with previous indirect estimates and makes it the oldest known fossil human species in Western Europe. While a few older human fossils have been found in Western Europe, they could not be attributed to any specific species, in contrast with the Gran Dolina remains.
Atapuerca Gran Dolina site, Burgos, Spain. Credits: M. Duval.
The work, led by Dr Mathieu Duval and Professor Rainer Grün, researchers at Griffith’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), involved an international team from Spain, Australia, France and China and brought together

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