Professor Neil Anderson was appointed Pearl Logan Chair of Rural Education in December 2008.

The James Cook University (JCU) Research Team recently submitted an ARC Discovery Grant application with a focus on the educational advantages of faster broadband services to regional, rural and remote Australia as part of the Australian Broadband Guarantee.

The research team was awarded the Emerald Literati Network Award for Excellence 2009 (Highly Commended) for their paper Riding a hydra: Women ICT professionals perceptions of working the the Australian ICT industry. This paper was "one of the most impressive pieces of work this team has seen through 2008."

The JCU Research Team was awarded an ARC Linkaage Grant in the 2007 round, which extends the 2004 - 2006 ongoing research  into identifying and interpreting factors associated with low female participation rates in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) education pathways and professional level careers (See Current Research page). The 2008 - 2010 ARC Linkage grant, in partnership with Technology One and Thoughtware is: Girls and Information Communication Technology (ICT) Career Pathways: Tackling the Upper Middle School “Turn Off”

News

On the 13th of May, Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy announced the Australian Broadband Guarantee additional funding, which brings the total allocated for the national broadband budget up to $270.7 million over the next four years.

“The Australian Broadband Guarantee has played an important role in ensuring high-quality, equitablebroadband access for the more remote areas of Australia,” Senator Conroy said.

The extension of this program will provide a safety net for Australians, particularly those in rural and regional Australia, who currently cannot access metro-comparable broadband services, while the Government implements longer term solutions to improve access to broadband services available for all Australians.

“The Australian Government is committed to providing Australians with access to high quality broadband services, no matter where they live or work,” Senator Conroy said.

For the entire announcement, please go to: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2008/032?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=print_page