Prof. Peter Mickan's Visit to English Department

Professor Peter Mickan is Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Linguistics. He manages the postgraduate Applied Linguistics program at the University of Adelaide. He teaches undergraduate students Language Learning, and postgraduate Applied Linguistics courses in Language and Learning, English for Academic Purposes, and Language Teaching in Specific Settings.

Theoretically his work is based on Halliday's language as a social semiotic and learning as socialisation experiences. The theory frames his studies in curriculum design, in languages pedagogy, in academic literacies, in language and literacy, in workplace communication, and in language assessment.

On November 21, Prof. Mickan from the University of Adelaide, Australia, attended a meeting at the Faculty of Humanities. Members of the English Department had discussions with the professor about bilateral academic cooperations, as well as research topics of mutual interest. The meeting was held at the Dean's office.

The following day, November 22, Prof. Mickan presented a lecture on Language Curriculum Design and Socialization, followed by questions and answers. The speech was directed to B.A and M.A students of English language. At the end of the session, the head of English Department expressed her gratitude, and a handicraft made in Zanjan was given as a sign of appreciation from the university's side.

The abstract of Dr. Savabieasfahani’s lecture:

Dr. Mozhgan Savabieasfahani is the winner of Rachel Carson Prize for 2015. She is the author of more than 30 peer reviewed articles and a book entitled "Pollution and Reproductive Damage: Pollution induced cell-death and reproductive damage in fish and mammals" (2009). She is an environmental toxicologist, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. U.S.

Wars in the Middle East turned her attention to war-related pollutants and their effects on civilians. Her early research included studies of endocrine disrupting compounds and petrochemical contaminants. She has published repeatedly on the effects of war pollutants on Iraqi civilians. She has documented increases in birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders in three Iraqi cities Basra, Fallujah, and Hawija.

She believes U.S. government and other agencies responsible for creating war pollution in Iraq and Afghanistan must be held accountable for the damage they have caused to civilians and the environment in these countries.

Dr. Savabieasfahani says: "The United States has only recently started clean up of some of its bases in Vietnam. Many U.S bases in Vietnam are severely contaminated with dioxins. Exposure to dioxins has caused birth defects and cancers in Vietnam for 40 years. Certainly the U.S. should be held responsible to clean up its bases globally. In Iraq, clean up of U.S. bases will reduce public exposure to neurotoxic compounds and reduce the catastrophic damage inflicted upon Iraq's newborns, which is already reminiscent of that in Vietnam. Why wait for decades? Cleanup now and save millions of people from years of devastation and pain".

Environmental Sciences Department

Professor Bohlol Alijani

Kharazmi University, Tehran

Nearly all regions of the world are expected to experience a net negative impact of climate change on water resources and freshwater ecosystems. The intensity and characteristics of the impact, however, can vary significantly from region to region. Some regions are likely to experience water shortages. Coupled with increasing demand, this is likely to result in large increases in the number of people at risk of water scarcity. Rising sea levels may threaten the lives and livelihood of millions of people. The frequency of floods and droughts are certain to increase in much of the world. The economic cost is likely to be high and the overall crop yield may decline, increasing the risk of poverty and hunger. For a long-term strategic planning of a country's water resources in the face of the evolving climate change impacts, it is important that these effects be quantified with a high spatial and temporal resolution. This may be the most beneficial application of hydro climatology to support long-term water resources management and planning. An integrated hydrological simulation model could help to study the net effect of climate change in a given region.

The results of investigations on the impact of climate change on water resources in Iran for the near future will be presented and discussed here. We specifically look at the changes in various components of the water balance including precipitation and evapotranspiration distribution, river discharge, soil moisture, and aquifer recharge, considering Iran's large climate variability from north to south. The change impacts on water resources and provide information to support future water resources planning and management in Iran.