Medan

Although Medan is part of my parents background, I have not visited the city. So, today I am coming there. Will be leaving the Husein Airport at 6 am. I will write more later. All the gadgets are with me :). I have to get ready now. cheers....

Poor students top performers at elite unis | The Australian

STUDENTS from poor backgrounds are less likely to attend the nation's prestige universities, but those who do are likelier to finish their degrees, according to a report by the Group of Eight.

The report, released earlier this week, will inform a Go8 equity strategy that is being hammered out in response to the federal government's call for a boost in the proportion of undergraduates from low socioeconomic backgrounds to 20 per cent by 2020.

The report found 72.4 per cent of applicants to Go8 universities achieved an equivalent national tertiary entrance rank score of more than 80.05 last year, and of these only 10.4 per cent were from low socioeconomic backgrounds. But the imbalance was corrected to some extent by better retention and academic success rates for students from these backgrounds.

"Retention rates were higher in Go8 universities than any other universities across all equity groups in the five-year period from 2002 to 2006," the report says. "The difference was greatest for remote students (77 per cent in Go8 universities, 66.9 per cent in other universities) and indigenous students (70.2 per cent in Go8 universities compared with 60.6 per cent in other universities)."


The report says the dropout rate for low-socio economic status students, likewise, is lower within the Go8 than outside it.

The Go8 report comes after the federal government released its own attrition figures for 2001-07 which revealed a national dropout rate of 18.9 per cent for undergraduates. The worst rate, of 40 per cent, was found at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education in the Northern Territory, while the lowest dropout rate, of 8 per cent, was recorded by the University of Melbourne.

Earlier this year the Go8 was stung by a higher education equity report written for the University of South Australia's new National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.

While the report, by Griffith University researcher Leesa Wheelahan, found that universities such as Macquarie and Canberra had worse equity credentials than the sandstone universities, it revealed that the Go8 admitted an average of 10.9 per cent of their students from poor backgrounds.

This compared with an average across the higher education system of 17.4 per cent.

At the time the Go8 strenuously asserted its members' capacity to retain disadvantaged students through to graduation.

The new report, which pledges to improve ways to identify students with academic potential and develop "multiple pathways through partnerships with other post-secondary education and training institutions", gives substance to this claim.

In a related development, the University of Melbourne has unveiled a "guaranteed access" program which it says will "give certainty" to students from rural or isolated areas and in disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances who apply to enter the university next year and meet the published criteria.

These students will be guaranteed a commonwealth-supported place in the university's new-look degrees (except music, for which students have to audition) if their ENTER is 78 or above for arts, environments or science, or 88 or above for biomedicine and commerce.

Disadvantaged students whose ENTER scores are below this level will still be eligible for a place.

Melbourne University's deputy vice-chancellor Sue Elliott said of students from disadvantaged groups who meet the criteria: "They will know they have a place at Melbourne when they get their [Victorian Certificate of Education] results. These are high-quality students whose results don't necessarily reflect their true academic ability."

Professor Elliott said disadvantaged students had been shown to perform at much the same level at university as other students.

"The undergraduate experience at a good university is a level playing field where students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to flourish," she said.

What a booming Australian dollar means for you : make education too costly for overseas student

What a booming Australian dollar means for you | News.com.au

ECONOMISTS reckon it's better to have a strong currency than a weak one, because a strong dollar is generally a sign of a buoyant economy.

And it's pretty clear that Australia is the envy of the developed world when it comes to the way we escaped the full force of the global financial crisis.

But although we're not suffering to the same extent as the US, Britain or even Europe, the benefits of a surging dollar aren't always that clear-cut.

While it is good for Aussies travelling abroad, for instance, it is a kick in the guts for many companies trying to sell Australian goods overseas.

This is because our products are more expensive to foreign buyers.

If you're a farmer, a winemaker, or even working in our huge education sector, you're facing a tough time, because the 52 per cent rise in the Aussie dollar since October 2008 translates to a crushing price hike for customers paying with US dollars.

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Even for Asian investors, the rise will have made an Australian education too costly for many.

"Our education system has grown enormously, thanks in a large part to attracting foreign students to study in Australia," AMP Capital Investors chief economist Shane Oliver says.

"The danger is now that with a stronger currency those students think they may as well go and study in the US or Europe. There's a real risk of our universities getting priced out of the international market."

Tourism

Travellers heading offshore are enjoying a buying power boost, but the strong dollar is bad news for Australia's domestic tourism industry. More people go abroad to capitalise on the strong dollar, while fewer people visit Australia because of the higher costs.

Overall, foreign visitors to Australia have fallen by 2 per cent in the past year, costing our tourism industry millions of dollars in lost revenue.

According to the Tourism and Transport Forum, Australia has traditionally had hundreds of thousands more tourists visiting Australia than residents travelling overseas. But that trend has recently that has reversed.

"It's impossible to say whether Australians have substituted foreign holidays for domestic travel," TTF executive director Brett Gale says.

"They may be doing both. We did a survey three months ago which shows that sentiment has improved over the past nine months along with the improving global economy, but the mood is certainly not exuberant."

Domestic manufacturers that compete with imported goods also have a tough time, because a strong dollar means our money goes further, cutting the cost of imports and making them cheaper than locally made goods.

That's precisely why Pacific Brands decided to move its manufacturing overseas.

Consumers

Economists who reckon a strong dollar is good for consumers because the price of imported goods tends to fall may need to update their research.

While their argument is right in theory, reality appears different.

JB Hi-Fi chief executive Richard Uechtritz says he makes no savings from a strong Aussie dollar, so there are no savings to be passed on to consumers.

"We buy our goods off the local subsidiaries here so they are the ones that are setting prices," he says. "We buy our goods in Aussie dollars and then put a mark-up on top of whatever price they sell to us."

A David Jones spokesman says that retailer operates in the same way. "We don't take any Aussie dollar risk or benefit," he says.

"We buy and sell in Aussie dollars, and it's our suppliers who deal with the currency fluctuations. If we imported everything, you'd have the price of lipstick, or whatever, all over the place and consumers would be asking why.

"But we keep prices steady."

Investors

Whether or not a strong dollar is a good or bad thing for your investments depends on where your money is tied up.

If you invest in companies based here that make most of their money in Aussie dollars, the currency fluctuations are unlikely to make that much difference.

But if you have money invested overseas and through superannuation, most of us do then the impact of a rising dollar can all but wipe out the gains.

Similarly, if you invest in Australian-listed firms that have significant exposure to overseas markets, particularly the US, then it is a blow because the profits they make overseas will buy back fewer Aussie dollars.

RBS Morgans private client adviser Trent Muller says these companies have experienced a challenging time and investors have seen share prices take a hit, but he is advising clients to move money into these oversold stocks in preparation for the Aussie dollar weakening next year.

"We're looking at stocks including QBE, Resmed, CSL, Westfield and News Corp because they've been underperforming thanks largely to their exposure to the US," he says.

"But as the US Federal Reserve starts to talk about raising interest rates next year, the US dollar will strengthen against the Aussie dollar and that will boost returns from these stocks."

But Commonwealth Bank currency strategist Richard Grace says it may be too early to call the Aussie's demise just yet.

"We think it's going higher from here, and have forecast US98 by June 2010," he says.

"That's within a trading range of parity, and we're that bullish for three reasons: The relative health of the Australian economy, further improvements in the global economy, which will be good for commodity prices, and further depreciation in the US dollar."

Grace agrees the US dollar could start recovering as the US starts to talk about raising interest rates, but says that is unlikely until at least the second half of 2010.

"So if you're planning on visiting the US or UK next year, do it sooner rather than later."

Once the US dollar starts to strengthen, Grace says, the Aussie dollar could fall back to around US80. That's more in line with a longer-term average, and can allow our battered exporters time to recover.

bike, bike, bike

Australia's best bike rides | News.com.au

CYCLING, in its many forms, is one of the fastest-growing participation sports in Australia and for good reason.

You can do it solo or you can do it as part of a group and, best of all, you set the pace you want to go.

Whether your preferred distance is 10km or 100km, riding a bike is a great way to recharge and forget the cares of the daily grind.

Simon Hayes is the author of Where to Ride Sydney. After more than a decade in cycling journalism, there aren't many places you can ride a bike in Australia he doesn't know about.

SASSAFRAS

Where: Dandenong Ranges National Park, Victoria

You begin this climb from The Basin. If you're driving there's plenty of parking at the bottom, or you can arrive by train at Ferntree Gully and ride up Forest Rd.


From The Basin simply ride up the bends of Mountain Highway until you get to the top.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? But then you have a range of options.

Turn right into Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd and then left into Sherbrook Rd to Kallista.

Then either left to Monbulk or right to Belgrave. Then back up Sandells and Ferny Creek Rd for a leg-breaking climb through the tree ferns. Lovely!

THREE PEAKS RIDE

Where: Canberra, ACT

Canberra is the city for bike riders. There is so much to do, but this ride will give you a sample.

The three peaks in question are Black Mountain, Mt Ainslie and Red Hill.

Of the three, Red Hill is the easiest and Mt Ainslie is the steepest. But you can choose your own order to ride them in.

Begin at Ainslie shops in Wakefield Gardens and ride on to Limestone Ave, turning left.

You'll see the top of Mt Ainslie behind the war memorial. Continue past the memorial, turning left into Fairburn Ave and then left into Mt Ainslie Drive.

This road is very steep but you will get a lot of satisfaction at the top.

Watch for kangaroos on the descent, especially in the early morning.

At the bottom, turn left into Fairburn and then right into Northcote Drive. Follow it across the lake.

Ride around Parliament House until you hit Melbourne Ave.

Go left here and into Gowrie Drive for the easy climb to Red Hill.

You can't miss Black Mountain with the Telstra Tower on the summit.

Head back over the lake via Commonwealth Ave, left into Parkes Way and right into Clunies Ross St. Black Mountain Drive is on your left.

THE O'GRADY LOOP

Where: Adelaide, South Australia

Begin at Glen Osmond and ride up the bike path on the old freeway to Mt Lofty.

Hang a left and then take the Mt Lofty Summit Rd to Greenhill Rd. If you're short on time turn left here. Otherwise turn right through Uraidla and out to Lobethal where you can refuel.

Follow the sign of Main St to Adelaide and head to Cudlee Creek and on to the Gorge Rd. This is a stunning piece of road.

Suddenly, as you round a bend you're surrounded by beautiful red rocks and you can really fly down the hill. You'll end up in the suburb of Athelstone where you can head back into town.

If you do this ride in either December or January, you may well see O'Grady out there too.

SWAN RIVER WINE TRAIL

Where: Perth, Western Australia

Cycling doesn't have to be all sweat and pain. The Swan Valley Food and Wine trail is a case in point.

This ride covers 32km and takes in numerous wineries, breweries, cafes and fresh produce stalls.

Being only an 18km drive from Perth, you have the option of a day trip or a nice weekend on the bike. This is the kind of place where you can wind back and recharge your batteries.

There aren't any huge hills, the climate is lovely and most wineries can arrange for purchases to be sent to your home, leaving you free to ride.

If you want to leave the car at home, you can access the area by train, disembarking at Guildford station.

MT WELLINGTON

Where: Hobart, Tasmania

The ride up Mt Wellington in Hobart is a must-do for all cyclists.

If you begin in the popular areas of Salamanca Place or Sandy Bay, you will begin at sea level and the summit is at 1271m. That's a pretty good climb by any stretch of the imagination.

For a bit of trivia, Cadel Evans won the stage here in the 1998 Tour of Tasmania. It would be nice to say you've ridden somewhere Evans has.

To do this ride you need to get on to Cascade Rd. Follow it past the brewery, making a mental note to visit on the way back, before the road becomes Strickland Ave.

Turn right into Huon Rd and then right into Pillinger Drive at Ferntree. From here on in, the only way is up.

Some advice a pair of arm warmers and a light jacket in the back pocket are a good idea. It can get very cold up there.

SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

Where: Sydney, New South Wales

If you're out for a Sunday ride with the children you'll find kilometres and kilometres of bike paths, through mangrove swamps and along the Parramatta River.

For something a bit more fancy, why not have lunch at the Armory Wharf Cafe, a place that has to be one of Sydney's best-kept secrets. Small children will enjoy the playground above Blaxland Common.

And if it's a bit of speed that you're after, try the bunch training at 6am every Tuesday and Thursday from Murray Rose Ave.

They're guaranteed to get your heart pumping.

MAGNETIC ISLAND

Where: Magnetic Island, Queensland

Yes, you did read this right. We mean that little island off the coast of Townsville.

It may seem strange, but if you're looking for a place to take the family and ride your bike, this is the place.

While there's only about 26km of road on the island, there are some short, steep little climbs that will get your heart rate up.

If you take your bike north on the plane you can easily knock over a quick 50km training ride while the family is still in bed. Get back to the hotel by 10am and you have the rest of the day with them.

If you're after something a bit longer, hop on the ferry to the mainland and ride up Castle Hill or north to Cape Pallarenda while the children go to the Reef Aquarium or the free water park on the seafront.

Trust me, this one's a winner with the whole family.

Nonja is a cute photographer

Orangutan photographer Nonja a Facebook hit | News.com.au

AN orangutan who can take photographs on a digital camera has become a hit on Facebook.

More than 15,000 fans are following Nonja and her photographs of daily life at Tiergarten Zoo in Vienna.

The zoo launched the online photo album of her work, which includes images of Nonja's companions, her climbing rope and food.

The 33-year-old orangutan uses a specially-adapted Samsung ST 1000 digital camera, which rewards Nonja with a raisin that drops out of the equipment each time she takes a snap.

“Of course the apes don't care about the pictures, they are just an accidental side product,” zoo spokesman Gerhard Kasbauer told the UK’s Daily Mail.

“They just know that when they press the button, a raisin pops out.”