On the 23rd of May Faculty staff gathered in the foyer of the MCS Building in May to celebrate the achievements of our undergraduate students in the annual Faculty Prize Giving Ceremony. Among the guests were Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson, Heads of Schools and Disciplines, as well as many of the generous prize donors

The pattern of floor tiles, an intriguing street sculpture, contributions to general relativity theory and cosmology may seem unrelated but all come from the brilliant mind of Sir Roger Penrose.

UWA physicist Professor David Blair describes Sir Roger as "one of the world’s greatest thinkers on the origins of the universe".

One of the most exciting public events of the year was the Beyond Fibres exhibition hosted by the Faculty in March.

The travelling exhibition was loaned by Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo. 

Beyond Fibres was brought to UWA by Mitsui, a Japanese company that has been investing in and trading with Western Australia since 1965. Mitsui’s General Manager in Perth, Fumiaki (Frank) Iwahashi, said his company wanted to make a contribution to Western Australia through the University.

Western Australia is enjoying an unprecedented economic boom built on huge Chinese demand for iron ore and gas. Looking beyond the boom, The University of Western Australia is building important partnerships within China in the areas of science and technology.

By the year 2020, 60 per cent of China’s future economic growth will come from science and technology, according to the Chinese Government’s 15 year strategic plan published last year.