HUMANITIES

GUEST LECTURE FROM ASSOC. PROFESSOR BEN WELLINGS

Assoc. Professor Ben Wellings of the Monash School of Politics came to speak to our Year 10 Geography and Year 11 Global Politics students about the development of globalisation, its impacts on nation-states and citizens and the recent trends of increasing resistance to globalisation in developed nations.

Globalisation can be described as the "increasing levels of interconnectedness between peoples and nations, and increasing speeds with which ideas, images and commodities are transferred across space".

We live and enact globalisation every day - when we send a text, our information bounces across the globe, through servers, towers and satellites and ends up with a vibration in someone else's pocket. The products we buy are a result of an interconnected web of labour, materials and transport that arrives at our doorstep at the very end of this process. We are no longer shaped primarily by ideas originating in Australia but instead tap into the ideas communities that we have no geographic connection to.

Prof Wellings spoke about:

Defining key concepts;
Globalisation: transformation or transition?
Who or what permits globalisation;
Globalisation and the nations-state;
Globalisation, migration and citizenship;
Globalisation, nationalism and cultural homogeneity.

He also gave the Year 11s a bit of help for their upcoming research essay topic: "Globalisation has overwhelmingly been a force for good in terms of nation-states and their citizens.” To what extent do you agree?

It was an amazing opportunity for our senior politics students to get some exposure to academic theories and to experience a first year-university-style lecture.

Professor Wellings will be back next year and is looking forward to organising some more events @Monash University with the Humanities Faculty at McKinnon Secondary College. Stay tuned for details.

REFUGEE OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE

Address to Year 10 Global Conflict Classes on the War in Ukraine by Mark Soloviov

On Thursday 10 August, Mark Soloviov of Year 11, addressed each of the Year 10 Global Conflict classes on his experiences as a refugee of the War in Ukraine.

In a conversational/interview style format, Mark took the students through:

Life in Ukraine for the average teenager;
The surprise of the sudden outbreak of war;
Life in Kyiv during the first week of the invasion;
His family's journey westward to Lviv and then Poland;
The decision to come to Australia;
Changing relations with and perceptions of Russia over the past decade;
The impact of the 2013/2014 Maidan Revolution in Ukraine;
His recollections and perceptions around previously ongoing conflicts in Crimea and the Donbas regions;
His hopes and dreams for post-war life and for his country.

Only one month after the war started, Mark went from being settled in his daily life at school, thinking about his studies and his future to suddenly have to decide whether he was going to live the next phase of his life in Poland, Portugal or somewhere over the other side of the world, with only a suitcase of his possessions from the first 15 years of his life.

This is in stark contrast to the stability and the security we have in the "Lucky Country". This interaction hopefully helps our students perceive the conflict in a more relatable manner, as they observe the tangible impact on an individual who shares their very same characteristics and experiences and allows them to develop more appreciation for the relative comfort in which we live.

Both classes were incredibly respectful and attentive and asked lots of their own questions to Mark. In the subject, students have already taken a deep dive into the causes (long and short-term) of the war in Ukraine as well as the economic, military and humanitarian responses of the international community since early 2022 and will be producing a podcast over the next week, investigating a specific area of interest to do with the course of the war.

Students interested in further study relating to the War in Ukraine and the general international relations field can choose to undertake Units 1 and 2 Political Studies in Year 11 or Units 3 and 4 Global Politics in Year 12 (also available as an enhancement subject in Year 11).

Joshua Cukierman

Global Politics Teacher

THIS WEEK IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT!

Did you know Taste testing is a type of market research hosted by manufacturing brands to measure target consumers' likes, dislikes, competitor comparisons and other key performance indicators of their food and drink products.

In reality out of roughly 15000 new food items produced yearly about 90% WON’T MAKE IT. This is why taste testing is a popular form of research.

Our Business Management students undertook taste testing this week as part of their learning of Marketing!

Ms Lucarelli, Mr Evans, Ms Goile & Ms Jobson

Business Management Teachers