15 August 2008

Victoria University (VU) - Australia's most culturally diverse university - will launch a student guide for Muslim students, acknowledging their specific cultural, religious and social needs.

VU's Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Harman will host a halal barbecue to launch and distribute the guide on Friday 22 August, following afternoon prayers at the Footscray Park Campus prayer room.

Media are welcome to attend

The 'Muslim Student Guide to Living in Melbourne' provides one of the most comprehensive listings produced by an Australian university for its Muslim students. It contains detailed maps, coloured photos, addresses, and contact details about a range of services to help Melbourne's Muslim students.

The guide covers:
   Melbourne's mosques and prayer centres
   Muslim student societies
   Halal restaurants and food suppliers
   Halal food on campus
   Islamic bookstores and clothing shops
   Female doctors and dentists
   Islamic media
   Islamic women's groups
   Islamic celebrations and prayer times

Produced by the International Support team at Victoria University International (VUI), the 80-page booklet is a handy resource for local and overseas students new to Melbourne.

Nearly one-quarter of VU's 45,000 students are from culturally diverse backgrounds, with a strong concentration from south-east Asia and Horn of Africa communities, which are substantially Muslim in religious affiliation.

Samantha Thompson, Acting General Manager of VU's International Student Support said the guide reflected VU's leadership in supporting staff and students to maintain their religious practices.

VU's Professor Akhtar Kalam and Associate Professor Aladin Zayegh, VU's Muslim chaplains who also play senior roles in Australia's wider Islamic community, helped compile the information.

The 'Muslim Student Guide to Living in Melbourne' will be updated regularly and will be available on-line after the official launch.

Where: Outside Building E, Victoria University,
Footscray Park Campus, Cnr Ballarat and Geelong Rds, Footscray
When: Friday 22 August
Time: 2.30 pm - 4.00 pm

Further information:
Samantha Thompson or Jayne Parsons, Victoria University International, Ph: (03) 9919 1470.

Media Contact: Ann Marie Angebrandt, Media Officer,
Marketing & Communications Department, Victoria University
Ph: (03) 9919 5487; mobile: 0403 556 001