Bulletin

Issue: January/February 2007

News

La Trobe honours former Vice-Chancellor

Former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Osborne, has been awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by the University.

One of the world’s top classical archaeologists, humanities’ scholars and leading figure in the internationalisation of Australian higher education during the past decade, the award recognises his work as a scholar and educationist, his role in developing co-operative academic relations between Australia, Greece and the Peoples Republic of China, and his contributions to the enhancement of La Trobe University.

Professor Osborne’s academic achievements - which have transformed our understanding of Hellenistic Athens - have been honoured internationally. He is a Laureate of the Belgian Royal Academy, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton) USA.

A Member of the Academy of Athens, he is also an Alexander Onassis Research Fellow and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.

In 1998 the Government of Greece honoured him with the Aristotle Award for services to Hellenic Studies; in 2000 the Republic of Cyprus awarded him an Honorary Distinction for his contributions to the understanding and promotion of Hellenism. In Australia he has been awarded the Centenary Medal and the Niki Award.

During his presidency of La Trobe University, Professor Osborne served as the Chair of the International Committee of the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee from 1997 to 2004 and led missions to many countries in that capacity.

He pioneered the International Network of Universities, providing global mobility programs for students and staff, and served as President of this organisation from 2000 until his retirement at the end of 2005.

Professor Osborne was President and Chair of the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) scheme, and Australian representative for the Global University Network for Innovation: Asia and the Pacific (GUNI-AP), established by UNESCO.

He also led development of cooperative relations between universities in China and Australia. Since 2003 he has been a Guest Professor at Peking University and recently became copresident of a Centre for Hellenic Studies at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

In 2005 he created at La Trobe the Centre for China Studies, a joint centre with Peking University and Beijing Foreign Studies University.

In awarding the honour, La Trobe University Chancellor, Mrs Sylvia Walton said ‘Professor Osborne led major change at the University over a distinguished 16 year period.’

‘Of the many initiatives introduced over this time some of the more notable include the establishment of the Health Sciences Complex, the La Trobe University Medical Centre, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Research and Development Park, the National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research, the development of the Mont Park site, the relocation of the prestigious Research Centre for Linguistic Typology to La Trobe, and overseeing the creation of the regional arm of the University’.

Professor Osborne at the official naming in his honour of the University’s Institute for Advanced Study. The Michael J Osborne Institute for Advanced Study brings leading scholars from around the world to the University for periods ranging from two to six months.

Fellowships are open to senior researchers of exceptional distinction and junior post doctoral researchers of high promise in disciplines represented at La Trobe University.

Professor Osborne’s own first major work, Naturalization in Athens, is regarded as the definitive model for the restoration of inscriptions and for the interpretation of their contents.

In 1994, with Sean Byrne, he produced a major study of the inhabitants of Ancient Athens, entitled A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names - Attica. In 1995, again with Sean Byrne, he published The Foreign Residents of Athens. In 1999, Professor Osborne was elected a foundation member of the International Advisory Committee for the publication of all the inscriptions of Ancient Athens, and co-editor of the volume dealing with Athens in the third century BC.

Recently he has undertaken research in Chinese history and is chief editor of the series entitled Documents Illustrating the Diplomatic Relations Between China and Foreign Countries in the Qing Dynasty.

Topsy-turvy life of a Vice-Chancellor

Professor Osborne thanked the University for the award, and expressed his gratitude to so many colleagues for making the ‘topsy-turvy life of a Vice-Chancellor so stimulating and so rewarding’.

‘My longest spell in any university has been at La Trobe, and I have appreciated the vibrancy of the staff and students here, just as I have enjoyed seeking to meet the challenges to higher education over the last sixteen years.

‘I should like to express my conviction that the University has a strong international profile and that in many areas of its activity it is genuinely world class. I look forward to watching the University flourish in the coming years.

‘At a very specific and personal level, I look forward especially to the continued growth of the Institute for Advanced Study, which has brought to the University so many leading scholars; of the China Centre, which has brought a uniquely close relationship to leading universities in Beijing; and of the Hellenic Centre, which has brought unparalleled kudos to the University lately, by winning the International Onassis Award.

‘It has for me been a great privilege to participate in the growth and diversification of this fine institution and I shall always follow its fortunes with interest.’