At a gala Graduation Ceremony, held on Thursday, 15 April 2010, in the Robert Blackwood Hall at Monash University’s Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Australia, Dr Elena Alexandrovna Danilova was officially conferred a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by the Deputy Chancellor of Monash University, Ms Louise Adler AM.

The award was based on the doctoral dissertation, Important issues in the development of a curriculum for English and communication studies in engineering and technology courses to improve communication skills of students in developing countries. In brief, this thesis examines the inability of the existing engineering and technology curricula to meet the requirements of contemporary engineering and technology practice in relation to developing communication skills. Although the latter are recognised as critical skills for successful professional involvement, communication studies are rather neglected in the existing curricula. The outcome of this research is a proposition of an innovative model of a curriculum to develop students’ communication skills in engineering and technology courses. As one of the examiners pointed out … this thesis constitutes a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding of the enhancement of communication skillsfor engineering and technology students through an ESP program.

Dr Danilova began her PhD studies on 6 June 2006, coming from Tomsk in Western Siberia, Russia. She joined the then UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education (UICEE) as one of several postgraduate scholars. Based at the UICEE until its closure, she was enrolled through the Monash Asia Institute (MAI) at Monash University. Her achievement is the first PhD award to come from this postgraduate group of scholars.

Staff, associates and members of the former UICEE, and now WIETE, wholeheartedly congratulate Dr Danilova on this award and wish her a spectacular future academic career.

The picture shows Dr Elena A. Danilova with her PhD award. She is standing next to the portrait of General Sir John Monash, a distinguished engineer, lawyer and soldier, whose name was adopted by the University.