Meeting with Professor Richard Baldauf

Welcome to The University of Queensland

Dear Anna-Grace,

Thank you for your recent enquiry about study options at The University of Queensland (UQ).

If you are interested in study in the fields of Education, Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) or Applied Linguistics you now have the opportunity to speak to a UQ academic and expert in these fields in person.

Associate Professor Richard Baldauf Jr, a senior academic in The School of Education and UQ expert in the fields of Education, TESOL and Applied Linguistics, will be available in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur as follows:


Kuala Lumpur

Date:
Thursday, June 7
Time:
3:00pm to 5:00pm

Location:
IDP Education Australia Kuala Lumpur
6th Floor, West Block
Wisma Selangor Dredging
142-C Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur, 50450


There is no need to reply to this invitation. Alll you need to do is turn up to the either session. If you haven't yet lodged an application to study at UQ and wish to do so during your meeting with Professor Baldauf we will waive your $50 application fee.

If you are unable to make it to see Professor Baldauf or are interested in a field of study not listed above, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions you have regarding UQ.


Kind Regards,

Dharshini Raja
UQ Enrolment Advisor
The University of Queensland
study@uq.edu.au
www.uq.edu.au/international
CRICOS Provider Number: 00025B
Tel: International and Domestic Paying Number + 61 3 8676 7004
Domestic Free Call - 1800 671 980


So I went for that session with Professor Bauldarf in Jalan Ampang. I went to the 6th floor, looked around. Someone came and ask me, "Yes, may I help you?"

I answered casually, "Yes, I heard there was a session here with Prof. Richard Baldauf."

"Oh, the Prof from UQ, right?"

"Yup!"

"He is there in the room. Did you make an appointment to see him?"

"Err.. No, I heard there was a session from 3-5?"

"Yes, there is, you can go in and talk to him, actually."

"Oh,.. okayy..." Blurr..

"Um,. what's your name?"

"Erm,.. Anna-Grace."

"Okay, Anna-Grace, just come."

She opens the door, "Professor, this is Anna-Grace."

Prof: Hi, nice to meet you.

*Shakes hands*

Me: Hi, nice to meet you too.

*Both sits down, lady goes out of the small little glass room with only a table, a fan, a clock and two chairs.*

Prof: I actually deal more with the postgraduate department, not so much on the undergraduate department.

I was thinking, 'Okay, so I look like a kid. I am actually applying for postgraduate leh. What does he think I am? Urgh.. can't blame him. I DO look like a kid.'

I'm here to help answer the questions of people who show interest in this course. Here is my name card, well the card is not really suitable, but the details are right.

Me: Thank you. I am actually applying for a Masters in Educational Studies, majoring in leadership, because I plan to build a few schools.

Prof: Leadership will cover more of the administrative and management part of the school. ...

Me: I heard that there was a 16 and a 24? I plan to take the 24 one.

Prof: 16 and 24 credits. Those that are doing the 24 credits are required to do a theses. When they do that, they have to think about it even from the start, what they plan to do. Most of it are based on their own research which they carry out throughout the course.

Me: Oh, so they have to start the theses even at the beginning of the course?

Prof: No, but it's good if they start thinking about it then.

Me: Actually, I was worried if I would qualify because I actually have no working experience whatsoever.

Prof: Have you taught before?

Me: Part time, yes. But not full time.

Prof: During the course, students normally refer to whatever working experience they have had to enhance their studies. Therefore, working experience is a very important part of doing a masters programme. Nevertheless, it is not compulsory. But you have had some experience in teaching, even if it may be just part time.

Me: Secondly, I am pretty worried if I can be accepted because my degree is not in Education but in Business Management.

Prof: Well, I am not one that would know if you qualify or not, you can actually email them and ask if you qualify. Have you tried emailing them?

Me: Yes, I tried. They asked me to refer to the website. Haha.

Prof: Oh, yes, that's because they would have to see to a number of things. That is their usual response. Have you told them your qualifications?

Me: Yes, I have.

Prof: Who did you talk to?

Me: I'm not sure, but later I emailed a person whose name was Dharshini Raja.

Prof: Who is she?

Me: I'm not sure.

Prof: Okay, I can refer you to two people who can help you out: Let me write their email addresses here on the back of the card... Bill Williamson is in the administrative side and Neil is a lecturer in the leadership part and will know more on the courses and subjects that you are interested in.

Me: Thank you.

Prof: Your degree is in business, and so it will help you if you're taking leadership because if you are going to run a school next time, there are a lot of things involved like managing staff to writing cocurriculums to budgeting and thinking of how the school can make profits.

Me: So having a degree in business is better than having a degree in Education for the major I am planning to take?

Prof: No, I am not trying to say that, but it can also be accepted. Well, your degree is from a recognized university, right?

Me: Yes.

Prof: Then you shouldn't have a problem. That is important.

Me: Another thing is that I haven't sat for an IELTS examination yet, but the lady told me that I just had to include the date in my application form.

Prof: Yes, that's right.

Me: I haven't completed my degree yet, so I was wondering..

Prof: When will it be completed?

Me: Either end of this year or the first month of 2008.

Prof: Okay, the semester will be starting either end of February or beginning of March.

Me: Is there like a second intake?

Prof: ??? *Puzzled face*

Me: Err... I mean... I mean... like every year, they only have one intake, that is, in February? They don't have like.. another one?

Prof: ??? *Still puzzled face*

Me: I mean.. Is there another time during the year that they can join?

Prof: Well, there is a second semester in July. It doesn't matter if you do your first semester first or second. Over there, there is no requirement to do the first semester first before doing the second semester.

Me: Oh! Okayyy,.. but if I apply today, would they give me a reply before the semester starts in february?

Prof: *smiles* Yes, of course. You will need some time to do your visa and all that too.

Me: *Nods* Umm,.. *long pause* I don't know what questions I should ask. Haha.. I came here to apply, actually. I wasn't expecting it to be like this.

Prof: It's okay. Do you have anymore questions to ask?

Me: *frowns* Erm, no I don't think so. *long pause* *looks at the name card* Umm,... I am just worried if I could get in or not. That was my biggest worry, actually.

Prof: It is not really my area, I wouldn't know but if you have anything to ask, you could contact the two emails I gave you earlier. Bill Williamson is doing the application and scholarships part and Neil is a lecturer teaching the leadership courses. They will tell you everything you need to know.

Me: Okay, thank you. Is there anything else I need to know about the course?

Prof: Well,.. The research that you do will help you to be who you want to be. There are a lot of things involved to be where you want to be. You have to be able to do research if you want to learn.

Me: Is this course enough for me to get to where I need to get? Is there anything else I need?

Prof: Well, there are other things you can take. Like you can try to take up other subjects that are available in different majors like primary education and secondary education. Then there is guidance and counselling and other things that you can just take up to widen your knowledge in these areas.

Me: So you mean like, take two majors?

Prof: No, you don't have to take two majors, I don't think you can, it will be hard to do two theses at once. You can just take up other subjects saperately.

Me: Do you think I need to get a PhD to do what I want to do?

Prof: No, I don't think you need to. The best is to keep your options open. I am going to tell you the same thing I am going to tell my daughter - keep your options open. Don't stick to the same thing. You never know, you might want to do something else in the future. You might realize that there is something else that you like to do or someone else you want to become that you enjoy doing.

Me: Okay,.. *long pause* I thought there will be a session or something. I thought I just needed to come and listen and then apply. Hehe. I wasn't expecting this.

Prof: *smiles* I am actually here for a conference. So while going to the conference, they asked me to come here and answer questions of people who are interested in UQ. I am just attending the conference to see if anyone is interested in applying for UQ there. I am just participating in the conference, representing UQ. It's a English as a second language conference.

Me: Okay,..

Prof: Is there anything else you want to ask me?

Me: Umm,.. I heard that there is a Grace Hostel or something?

Prof: Grace College?

Me: No, I don't know. It provides discount for students or something like that.

Prof: I only know of Grace College. Colleges in Australia means very differently than colleges in Malaysia. There are a list of colleges on the internet you can look through. Grace College will be one of them. They have all the listing of the various costs all there on the internet. You can look them up.

Me: Oh, so colleges there means accommodation?

Prof: Yes, colleges there means accommodation.

Me: *smiles*

I thought, 'Hmm,.. guess I've learnt something new today. That was interesting- and very surprising.'

Prof: Some of them also have tutors, but they are mainly accommodation. Colleges have a different meaning in US, for instance, I graduated from a college in US, but that college only offers undergraduate studies, not post graduate studies.

Me: Okayy,.... 'Another new thing to learn..'

Prof: Is there anything else you want to ask?

Me: Erm.. do they teach us how to write the syllabus in this course?

Prof: *smiles* Write the syllabus? No, that is normally done by the Department of Education, or in your country it is the Ministry of Education.

Me: *Nods* The government.

Prof: The schools rewrite the cocurriculums and send it to the Ministry of Education for approval.

Me: So, we can't write the syllabus. *dissapointed* Because I was hoping to change the education system. The education system here is really bad. I was thinking of rewriting the whole syllabus. How about private schools? Do they have to follow the syllabus set by the government too?

Prof: Yes, everything has to be sent to the government for approval.

Me: *dissapointed once again* So this course- leadership -who are the kinds of people that will benefit from it?

Prof: Normally principles. Because they have to learn the administrative part, and you already have some background in that area. Or some business people who are taking education because they want to educate their people in the business area? That could be something people are doing nowadays. Taking education and applying it to a business point of view to educate their staff.

Me: *Nods*

No, I am not thinking of doing that - I want to build a school, remember? Not an education institution for business people.

So for example if there is a private school in Malaysia and a private school in Australia, each of them have principles then who are above those principles?

Prof: There are some independant schools, run either by an organisation like a christian organisation who wishes to come up with their own cocurriculums. These are independant and they have more flexibility in their cocurriculums.

Me: Then I guess that is more like what I plan to do. Independant schools. So do you think that this course - Masters in Education is suitable for me if I want to build schools next time?

Prof: There was one of my former students from Japan who did her theses based on research of the biggest English Teaching Institutions in Japan because it was the in thing over there and the biggest institution had like a few hundred branches and they even have them in train stations, everywhere. And she showed what the institution wanted to deliver and promised to deliver to the customers and what the customers were getting and that her model of an english teaching institution would want to deliver different things to their customers. She visited like a chat room for customers to see what they were getting from it and she did a study on it. She delivered her model and how different it was in intending to deliver something different from what they were having there.

Me: Oh, she wanted to do something different, so she did a study on what is the current thing and how different it is from her new model. So she created a whole new different model. So next time when I do my theses, I want to come up with a new model, where there isn't an existing model to do my research on today. So I have to state the difference between my model and what they have today.

Prof: No, you have to do research on current models and then you can come up with your own model based on the current one and why it is not working and why yours is.

Me: I want to do something that is not available today. I plan to create a totally new model, and there isn't any model like my model, so for me to find a model to do my research on, I don't have to choose something like my model. I can choose something totally different.

Prof: Well, actually, you can use something that is current and not like your model at all. You can say what is available in the markets today why your model is different than what is available outside.

Me: Like, create a whole new model. Okay, so I guess this is the right course for me to take.

Prof: It's not so much the paper qualification, that's what I believe. It is in the research that you learn what you need to make you who you need to be to accomplish what it is you want to accomplish. I don't like it when some students just learn for the sake of learning and getting the paper qualifications. It is the thesis that you do, the research that makes you who you need to be in the end.

Me: *nodding the whole way in agreement* So it's like- it's up to you how much you want to learn.

Prof: *smiles* Yes, you can put it that way.

Me: So what you learn when you do your theses will help you in the future.

Prof: Yes, because there must be a lot of research involved and like my student from Japan, she knows what the current industry is offering and what she is offering that is different from what others are offering. I have produced 7 people with PhDs last year. And many people think that the course I am teaching is easy, but the truth is that the people who come to study with me are really that good. There are some practicing lecturers from US who did their PhD with me and went back to teach.

Me: So do some of them get their theses published? Like sell them to companies?

Prof: Yes, I just helped one of my students publish her theses last year. You may be able to get it by visiting the website.

Me: So, I can read previous students' theses online?

Prof: No, you won't be able to find them on the website. These kind of things are not shown to the public.

Me: Is everything there individual based or are the group projects?

Prof: Most of them are individual based, but for my course, there are some who want to do group projects. So they did group projects. I am not sure about the course you want to take, but there are no exams.

Me: There are no exams?

Prof: Yes, no exams that actually contribute to the final marks. Not that I know of.

Me: Okay. That's good. So the lecturers who are lecturing there, how qualified are they?

Prof: Oh, they are highly qualified. For example, Neil, the email address I gave you on the card, he is highly qualified and has done his PhD. You can see all the lecturers qualification online.

Me: Oh, yeah... okay. Um, so is the Education in UQ good?

Prof: There was actually a survey done among all the australian universities and UQ was found to be number one. So UQ is the best in Education.

Me: Okay, is it accepted in US?

Prof: Yes, I do have students from US. It is highly accepted in US. In fact the course that I am teaching - 'English as a second language' is the second best in US. In Australia, it is the best. If you put English as a second language Department side by side with the English Department, you will realize that there is actually a difference. In Australia, the local people wouldn't even send their kids to the English Department to study. *Smiles* But for the English as a second language department, we are the best in the country.

Me: Do all of them get their masters at the end?

Prof: Well, I guess what you are trying to ask is if it is easy or not to pass. Well, it is not easy. It is quite difficult, actually. But it really depends on the individual. Some people whose English is better naturally do better. But then again, it depends on the individual, their theses, their research and their supervisor supervising them. You have to decide at the very beginning, what theses you're going to do.

Me: Are theses marked by the supervisors?

Prof: Well, there is more than one marker.

Me: Two markers?

Prof: Yes, two markers, but sometimes we get someone from outside to be one of the markers. But the supervisors won't be the markers. Often, it is one of the lecturers.

Me: *Nods* Do the Australians do better than the Asians there?

Prof: Well, the Australians normally do not do as well because most of them take the part-time courses and therefore their focus is not there. Whereas the Asians that go there are doing it full time. Nevertheless, Australians have an advantage in language because Asians' English are not that good. That is why the English Language proficiency is very important. I am not sure about your reading and writing skills, but orally I think that your english is quite fluent. *smiles*

Me: *smiles* English is my first language, actually. I can't speak chinese. I'm Chinese, but I can't speak Chinese. That's sad.

Prof: Well, English is very important. It will help you a lot. In my course - English as a second language, I have a lot of Malaysians and other Asians from Cambodia and Myanmar working under me. Last year, there was a fairly large amount of Myanmar students because there was a special schorlarship provided to the Myanmar students over there and a lot of them came over. But being good in English is very important.

Me: Umm,.. what is the percentage of Asians there compared to Australians in UQ?

Prof: Erm,.. around 20% of them are Asians. The rest are locals.

Me: Wow.. okayy... how about your course? What is the percentage?

Prof: Well, considering the nature of my course - English as a second language, it would naturally be mostly people from other countries, so I work a lot with Asians most of the time. There are about 80% Asians.

Me: Wow.. okayy,.. how about leadership?

Prof: I would have to say they are mostly locals.

Me: Okay,.. are there any scholarships provided?

Prof: You will have to check the UQ website for that.

Me: Okay.

Prof: Feel free to ask me anything that comes to your mind.

Me: *smiles* *pauses for a long time* I can't think of anything right now.

Prof: It's okay, take your time.

Me: *looks outside the door* Is there anyone else waiting for you? Hehe..

Prof: Not that I know of! *smiles*

Me: Okayyy,.. *sees the clock* *thinking pause*4.30pm.. Wah.. talk for one and a half hours already, ah? Nobody else turned up meh? May as well talk until 5, lor like that.. after all, he will be inside the room doing nothing. Shouldn't waste it. I came all the way anyway. Might as well make the most of it.

UQ is the best in Eduction in Australia, right? But how about in the world?

Prof: *smiles* In the world?

Me: Yes.

Prof: Well, I would't know about that. I don't want to have partiality or anything like that, you know, every university would say that they are the best. I would just say, choose anything that you think would suit you better. Every university is good in different things. If you don't think that UQ is suitable for you, then feel free to choose another university.

Me: No, I would most probably be choosing UQ. I came here to apply anyway.

Prof: I have students from US, most of them graduated with a Phd, and are doing very well there. It is highly recognized in the US.

Me: You taught people to get a Phd?

Prof: Yes, I supervise them. *Looking at me intently*

Me: Wow,.. *long pause* How long have you been working there?

Prof: I have been in UQ for 4 years now. Before that I was at another university for around 5 years. Before that, I was at James Cook for 17 years.

Me: So you decided to settle for UQ.

Prof: Yes.




* tRUST & OBey the LORD *