Highlighting Central Queensland University's motto "Doctrina Perpetua" or "Forever Learning" in his speech to graduates at CQU Sydney International Campus' graduation ceremony, held in December 2001, was renowned television personality Mr Silvio Rivier . Mr Rivier (guest speaker at the ceremony) started working with SBS Television as a subtitler when the network first went to air in 1980.

As a presenter, producer and writer for many programs on SBS television, Silvio Rivier has had vast experience working in a multicultural environment. He graduated in 1998 from Wollongong University with a post-graduate degree in Multicultural Journalism and as such was well qualified to relate to the international students at the Sydney Campus. In his speech to the students he stated: “As you receive your degrees, diplomas or certificates, you stand on the threshold of what is sure to be a rewarding professional career in your chosen field. Some of you will stay in Australia to pursue your careers – some of you may return to your homeland. Whatever you do, always remember the University’s motto: Doctrina Perpetua or “Forever Learning”.

The motto is always relevant. Perhaps it is even more relevant today because it’s becoming quite common for people to change professions any number of times during their working lives thus the need to increase one’s knowledge or “forever learning” in a variety of ways.” Mr Rivier has had a number of changes to his profession over the years having gained a Diploma in Opera at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music as well as working as a tenor with the chorus of the Australian Opera and singing major roles with regional companies. He has managed to combine his opera experiences with his work at SBS by subtitling and presenting a collection of outstanding opera films for SBS and producing a series of ten musical fillers using local talent of South American, Spanish and Middle Eastern backgrounds for an SBS series called Spotlight. In his speech he discussed: “The value of diversity in education can also be called multi-skilling, something that we are all getting used to over the years. It’s a fact of life.

=========Photo above: SBS presenter, producer and writer Silvio Rivier.=========== This value is also backed up by the fact that nine out of ten of Australia’s fastest growing export markets over the last ten years are to non-English speaking countries. That didn’t happen accidentally but through education, application and focussing on how to do business successfully with countries of different cultural and language backgrounds to our own.” In his speech Mr Rivier went on to discuss the importance of diversity and how it related to his own career. He was recently the series producer, narrator and presenter for a documentary series entitled “Global Village”.

“Although no one told me why I got the job, I would guess my past experience, the journalism degree and a fluency in a number of languages may have helped. A fluency in foreign languages certainly helps, believe you me, when you have to re-narrate ten documentaries a week, which can be full of foreign words.

So, how do you diversify within your chosen profession? Well you are already way ahead, not only because of that much sought after piece of paper you will shortly receive, but because, I dare say, most of you already have a second language if not a third or fourth. Never be afraid at work to offer a point of view from your own cultural perspective.

So think laterally, think of any other skill or education you can acquire over time to enhance or add extra value to your core qualification. Universities, more than ever before, are geared towards this reality as they offer all types of short or long courses that are tailored to meet the needs of working professionals.” **The information contained in this article is kindly reproduced with the permission of Mr Silvio Rivier and Kathryn Hibbert – Senior :Publicist SBS Television.

=======Photo left: Silvio Rivier, Prof. G. Hancock, Student - Phoomiwach Supasri and Mark Skinner.========