I was very pleased indeed to attend a function in London at which our Bond University Mirvac School of Sustainable Development building received the top international Sustainability Award at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Annual Awards.  The RICS Awards are acknowledged among the most prestigious accolades given to buildings which attain the highest standards in four key areas – Sustainability, Conservation, Community Benefit and Regeneration.

Despite strong competition from such notable finalists as the Silberado residential development in Stuttgart, the Council of Europe’s new General Building in Strasbourg, and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Courtyard Theatre in England’s West Midlands, the RICS judging panel awarded the Bond University building first place in the Sustainability category as the world’s best example of carbon-friendly and sustainable design.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, this wonderful achievement is yet another example of the world benchmark Bond is setting to deliver a superior educational experience for its students. In our relatively short history, we have already begun to showcase the calibre of our university through various awards and recognitions worldwide.

Australian Uni Games – Doug Ellis Trophy
Bond University has achieved its best ever result at the 2009 Australian University Games (AUG), winning six gold medals and taking out one of the Games’ highest honours, the Doug Ellis Trophy.

Awarded based on the percentage of university population versus points scored at the Games, the Doug Ellis Trophy was presented to Bond University at the end of the national five day sports event.

Held on the Gold Coast this year, Bond University hosted some of the AUG’s sporting events on campus.

To start off the week, Federal Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis visited Bond to watch a volleyball match.

“Sport is a great way for students to make new friends, maintain a healthy lifestyle and relieve the pressures of study,” Minister Ellis said.

“Uni Games is the most anticipated event on the university sporting calendar and it relies on strong participation from each Australian university.”

Last year Bond placed 11th for the Doug Ellis Trophy and 30th overall out of 42 universities competing at the Games, while this year the team finished a remarkable 12th overall out of 44 participating universities.

Assistant Manager for the Bond University Institute for Sport, Shanon Zunker said the outstanding performance can be attributed to a record number of participants in a wide range of sports.

“We had some outstanding team performances with several medals but we also managed to field teams in more sports than ever before, collecting points for a greater level of participation along the way. These factors, combined with the great competitive spirit Bondies share, have produced our best ever result at the Australian University Games,” said Mr Zunker.

Earlier in the year, Bond University won the Population Cup at the Northern University Games. This win, combined with Bond’s great results at the AUG, proves 2009 has been a great year for Bond in university sport.

A big congratulations to all the participants who contributed to the success of Team Bond!

The Bond University medal wins at the 2009 Australian University Games included:

Gold
Swimming - 50m Backstroke and 100m Backstroke
Men’s Relay Swimming - 4 x 50m Freestyle, 4 x 100m Freestyle and 4 x 50m Medley
Mixed European Handball

Silver
Women’s Beach Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s Taekwondo
Men’s Golf
Swimming - 50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke, 800m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 4 x 100m Medley.

Bronze
Men’s Taekwondo

For a full list of sporting team results please visit the Australian University Games website.

Congratulations to Bond Law alumnus, Hayley Tarr, who recently succeeded in registering as a specialist Patent Attorney – one of only 21 female lawyers in Queensland to achieve this.

Read Hayley Tarr's Story