Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• His Excellency Mr Christophe Lecourtier (CHRIS-TOFF LE
COURT-I-YAY), Ambassador of the Republic of France to
Australia;
• The Honourable Ian Hunter, Member of the Legislative
Council and Minister for Sustainability, Environment
and Conservation; Water and the River Murray; and
Climate Change;
• The Honourable Zoe Bettison MP, among many other
titles, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs;
• The Honourable Kelly Vincent, Member of the
Legislative Council;
• Ms Katrine Hildyard MP, Parliamentary Secretary to
the Premier and Member for Reynell; and
• Mr Bryan Fahy, President, Alliance Française
d'Adelaïde (ALLY-ONS FRON-SAY D’ADELAIDE).
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• Ladies and gentlemen.
• Good evening.
• At the outset, I acknowledge that this event is taking
place on Kaurna land.
• The Kaurna people have performed ceremonies on this
land for many centuries, and we pay respect to their
living culture and the unique role they continue to play
in the life of the Adelaide region.
PAUSE
• Were it not for two ships that almost passed in the
night
• - the night of April 8 1802 in fact –
• It might have been that the French among us were
hosting tonight’s event.
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• On that fateful night two ships, the Investigator
captained by Matthew Flinders, and the Gographe (GO
GRAFF) captained by Nicolas Baudin (BOW DAN) met
at Encounter Bay near Victor Harbor,
• both while mapping this continent and collecting
animals and plants for transport back to France and
England.
• Both captains appeared more interested in collecting
animals, seeds and plants than in planting flags
• -although researchers from another South Australian
university maintain that Baudin (BOW DAN) had
prepared a report for Napoleon on ways to invade the
British colony at Sydney Cove.
• Nothing happened, but a raft of French place names
dotted around the coast of South and Western
Ausralia, Kangaroo Island and down the east coast of
Tasmania testify to what might have been.
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• Tonight I am delighted to launch our recently signed
Memorandum of Understanding between the
University of South Australia and Alliance Française
d'Adelaïde (ALLY-ONS FRON-SAY D’ADELAIDE).
• This is a partnership which will promote French
society, language and culture and the relationship
between France and Australia,
• And tonight's lecture is the first of an ongoing series
that will be brought to you by our Hawke EU Centre as
part of their new Ambassadorial Lecture Series.
• We also plan other cultural events such as exhibitions
and, we hope, an artist in residence scheme which will
bring a leading French artist to UniSA, to work with
students in our School of Art Architecture and Design
and in conjunction with the Samstag Museum.
• Our relationship with France is an old one as I said
earlier.
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• Next week we will be commemorating Anzac Day, and
among the fallen remembered are the many young
Australians buried across the fields of Northern France.
• Our shared values of democracy, human rights and
freedom of speech are founded on this deep bond of
shared sacrifice.
• Today, our relations continue to be shaped by
collaborations in defence, particularly with the
awarding of the multi billion dollar submarine contract
to DCNS,
• especially here in South Australia where much of the
work will be carried out.
• UniSA is working with our counterparts in France to
strengthen the supply of appropriately skilled and
qualified staff for the defence sector industries, and to
ensure we have a pipeline of future engineers.
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• We are also working to explore new research
collaborations that will lead to innovation and the
development of new technologies.
• It includes working directly with DCNS in Adelaide and
integrating UniSA into the DCNS ecosystem of
universities and research institutes in France.
• Recently we sent a delegation of senior researchers to
France to develop partnerships with French
institutions involved in the defence sector as well as
with DCNS Research itself.
• Out of that visit came three distinct agreements with
groups of French universities and Grandes Ecoles,
(GROND AY COLS) which will encourage the exchange
of staff and students and joint research in defence-
related fields.
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• These agreements are in addition to our existing long-
standing research and student exchange collaborations
In France.
• Defence is only one component of what is a fruitful
and multi-dimensional relationship with the French
language, culture and society in Australia.
• Over the years, many UniSA students have spent time
at French universities further developing their French
language skills and participating in a range of academic
and cultural activities.
• In other areas, UniSA researchers from the Ehrenberg-
Bass Institute for Marketing Science collaborate with
French partners in wine marketing.
• UniSA also hosts an annual intensive five-week space
education program in collaboration with the
International Space University, which is based in
Strasbourg, Alsace, (STRASS BORG, AL SASSE) in North
East France.
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• It focuses on areas of knowledge required by today's
space professions such as space science and
exploration, and space systems engineering and
technologies.
• And at the end of May we will be working with the
Department of the Premier and Cabinet's French
Engagement Office and the French Embassy in
Australia, on a joint Higher Education Workshop
involving our French counterparts.
• This will be closely followed by the co-hosting of the
24-hour Australian-French Entrepreneurship
Challenge, which will see PhD students working with
Australian and French business leaders to pitch
innovative and profitable start-up concepts.
• The winning team will get to travel to France to gain
firsthand experience of the country's innovation
system.
Deputy Vice Chancellor External Relations and Strategic Projects’ welcome to Christophe Lecourtier
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• UniSA, through this invaluable partnership with the
Alliance Française d'Adelaïde, (ALLY-ONS FRON-SAY
D’ADELAIDE) is pleased to be at the helm of this
cultural, economic and educational resurgence.
• So now let me officially launch the partnership and
introduce to you the Alliance Francaise Executive
Committee’s President, Bryan Fahy,
• who is an experienced board member with many
years’ distinguished service as the President of the
Board of Diabetes SA,
• and is also Assistant Commissioner of South Australia
Police.
• Please welcome Bryan Fahy.