High praise for sister city support
The University of Adelaide has been formally thanked by both the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand for hosting 170 Christchurch university students since the devastating earthquake earlier this year. At a private meeting in Parliament House, Canberra, on 20 June, the University's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha, was congratulated by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key for the University's generosity in hosting the students for a semester, free of charge. Christchurch is a sister city of Adelaide and when the earthquake struck on 22 February, the University of Adelaide extended an offer of help to the University of Canterbury, whose campus was damaged. A total of 170 first and second-year Arts, Science, Commerce and Marketing students have embraced the opportunity to study for four months at the University of Adelaide, living in subsidised student accommodation and in home-stay arrangements. Prime Minister Gillard congratulated the University and Adelaide residents for their selfless generosity in Christchurch's hour of need. "The friendships formed between the students are testament to the strong bond between Australia and New Zealand. This is a great illustration of the genuine and enduring connection between our countries that is fostered by our ANZAC heritage but is shared across the Tasman in so many ways," Prime Minister Gillard said. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key made an historic first address to Australia's Federal Parliament on 20 June, saying that Australia had shown his country "a degree of loyalty and support that only family can". Three New Zealand students studying at Adelaide - Philip Hughes, Nathaniel Weaver and Emma Livingstone - accompanied the Vice-Chancellor to Canberra and met with both Prime Minister Gillard and Prime Minister Key. Senator Chris Evans (Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations) and Senator Penny Wong (Federal Finance and Deregulation Minister) visited the University's North Terrace Campus in May for a barbecue with the New Zealand students and University staff. The students will be formally farewelled at a lunch hosted by the University of Adelaide before returning to Christchurch on Saturday 2 July.
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