International PhD students

The Institute has attracted a number of international students who have come to CSU to work under our researchers, many of whom are recognised nationally and internationally for their individual and group expertise. They are:

Karolina Petrovic
CSU International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and Australian Government European Endeavour Europe Award

The influence of plant secondary compounds and nutrients on selective herbivory of common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
Karolina, who is from Poland, commenced her PhD in 2007. She is focussing primarily on possum food preferences and is investigating the role of native trees and mistletoes in the brushtail pssoum’s diet. Her field work is in the Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria. Her supervisors are A/Prof David Watson, A/Prof Ian Lunt, Dr Min An and Prof William Foley (ANU). She is based at the Albury-Wodonga campus. Link to a feature story in the February 2009 newsletter


Bugi Sumirat
Australian Centre for International Agricultural research (ACIAR)scholarship

Social capital of farmer forest groups in Indonesia
Bugi, who is from Indonesia, commenced his Masters in 2007 with an up-grade to PhD in 2009. Bugi’s research is exploring the social relationships and activities of farmer forest groups – a form of social capital- in two case study regions in Indonesia (South Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara). Bugi’s supervisors  are Dr Digby Race and Dr Joanne Millar. He is based at the Albury-Wodonga campus.


Lukas Wibowo
ACIAR scholarship

Optimising the policy and institutional settings for community-based forestry in Indonesia
Lukas, who is from Indonesia, commenced his PhD in 2008. The aim of his research is to analyse the different models of community-based forest management (CBFM) being developed in Indonesia , and the extent that the most popular models are likely to achieve CBFM’s goal which is to reduce deforestation and rural poverty, and build a sustainable resource. His field work will be in Jambi Province in Sumatran Islands, Konawe Selatan in Southeast Sulawesi Province as well as Java (East Java Province and Jakarta). His supervisors are Dr Digby Race and Professor Allan Curtis. He is based at the Albury-Wodonga campus. Link to Research In Progress summary.


Kelly Marsh
CSU International Postgraduate Research Scholarship

Indigenous values and Historic Preservation management in Western Micronesia: A study in cultural persistence
Kelly, who is from Guam in Micronesia, began her PhD at the Albury-Wodonga campus in 2006. Her thesis explores the degree of presence traditional cultural island values have in historic preservation offices within Micronesia. Mid-way through her PhD Kelly took up an offer of 12 months employment as a cultural anthropologist/ethnographer with the Bureau of Arts and Culture, Republic of Palau, Micronesia. There she has continued to do some research and participatory observation independent of, but informed by, her job. Kelly is supervised by A/Prof Dirk Spennemann from CSU and Dr Anne Hattori from the University of Guam.


Binod Devkota
CSU International Postgraduate Research Scholarship

Socio-economic outcomes of community forestry for ruralcommunities in Nepal.
Binod, who is from Nepal, commenced his PhD in 2008. His research aims to analyse the nature and range of socio-economic outcomes of long-term investment in community forestry for different segments of rural communities, particularly those groups identified as the target audience for community forestry (for example, disadvantaged people including women, poor and ethnic minorities). His research will focus on case studies of Community Forest User Groups in the Sindhupalchok and Kabhrepalanchok Districts of Nepal, where a long term community forestry project ran from 1978 to 2006. His findings will help inform Community Forestry  policies and implementation elsewhere in Nepal and internationally. His supervisors are Dr Digby Race, Dr Joanne Millar and Dr Rik Thwaites and he is based at the Albury-Wodonga campus.  Link to Research in Progress summary.


Viengxay Photakoun
ACIAR scholarship

Evaluation of capacity building for livestock extension in Lao PDR
Viengxay , who is from Laos, commenced his Masters in 2007. His study is evaluating the effectiveness of capacity building methods for livestock extension staff across a range of livestock projects in the northern provinces of Laos. The results will assist the Lao government and NGOs in designing appropriate training and on the job learning opportunities for staff who work with farmers. Viengxay’s research is based on qualitative interviews with program managers, field staff and district managers.  He is supervised by Dr Joanne Millar and Dr Digby Race.


Barbara Parker
International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and Charles Sturt University Postgraduate Research Studentship

Word of Mouth: Women’s lay knowledge of ‘healthy’ & ‘risky’ foods
In 2005 Barbara, moved from Canada to Wagga Wagga, NSW to begin her PhD.  The aim of her cross-cultural research project is to understand the social meanings that Australian and Canadian women give to their food choices as negotiated through regional and rural identities, paying particular attention to the concepts of ‘health’ and ‘risk’.  Her supervisors are Professors Margaret Alston and Deborah Lupton.  After residing in Australia for three years, she is now based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada where she is writing up her results.  She plans to submit her thesis before the end of 2009.    

Yustina Murdiningrum
CSU International Postgraduate Research Scholarship

The capacity of non-government organisations to be catalysts for community forestry in Indonesia
Yustina Murdiningrum, who hails from Indonesia is supervised by Dr Digby Race & Prof Patrick Ball. Yustina commenced her PhD in mid 2009 and is based at the Thurgoona campus.

 

FORMER STUDENTS

Kim Alexander
Industry funded CSU scholarship

Agricultural change in Lao PDR : pragmatism in the face of adversity
Kim Alexander completed her doctoral thesis in 2007 on agricultural change in the uplands of Lao PDR. She conducted
a survey of 30 villages in the district of Xieng Ngeun, Luang Prabang province to determine changes to their cropping and livestock systems as a result of Lao government policy to eradicate shifting cultivation. Kim’s research also examined the growing role of markets in driving farming decisions for those villages with road and river access. Kim is now working with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems group in Canberra. She was supervised by Dr Joanne Millar. Link to Project Summary.