Modular Invariants and Twisted Equivariant K-theory II: Dynkin diagram symmetries

The most basic structure of chiral conformal field theory (CFT) is the Verlinde ring. Freed-Hopkins-Teleman have expressed the Verlinde ring for the CFT's associated to loop groups, as twisted equivariant K-theory. We build on their work to express K-theoretically the structures of full CFT. In particular, the modular invariant partition functions (which essentially parametrise the possible full CFTs) have a rich interpretation within von Neumann algebras (subfactors), which has led to the developments of structures of full CFT such as the full system (fusion ring of defect lines), nimrep (cylindrical partition function), alpha-induction etc. Modular categorical interpretations for these have followed. For the generic families of modular invariants (i.e. those associated to Dynkin diagram symmetries), we provide a K-theoretic framework for these other CFT structures, and show how they relate to D-brane charges and charge-groups. We also study conformal embeddings and the E7 modular invariant of SU(2), as well as some families of finite group doubles. This new K-theoretic framework allows us to simplify and extend the less transparent, more ad hoc descriptions of these structures obtained previously within CFT.Comment: 49 pages; more explanatory material added; minor correction

Crossing boundaries between learning and research : doctoral programs at a distance

Australian distance education, from school to university contexts, typically concerns teaching people the knowledge, values and skills that constitute their chosen courses of study; whereas doctoral courses principally concern candidates learning how to produce &ndash; through producing &ndash; significant original new knowledge. This paper considers the history and contemporary practices of Australian off-campus doctoral education and argues that these are at the forefront internationally. It is argued that understanding the provision of quality doctoral education at a distance requires a form of conceptual boundary crossing by policymakers, distance educators, and (especially) doctoral education practitioners, in order to develop and/or enhance future practices.<br /

Risky doctorates : managing doctoral studies in Australia as managing risk

This paper draws on work by the author as part of a team undertaking an ARC Discovery project entitled: The Impact of Risk Management on Doctoral Research Policy and Pedagogy in Australian Universities. The team is Erica McWilliam, Peter Taylor, Terry Evans and Alan Lawson, with Eluned Lloyd and Karen Tregenza. Some of the ideas in this paper reflect our discussions, reading and other work as part of this project.Arguably, part of any manager&rsquo;s work involves the identification and assessment of risks and then working to minimise or manage them. However, never has this been more important than is the case today for the manager of doctoral studies in Australia. Partly this is related to the rising risk consciousness and risk aversion in contemporary societies, but more particularly it is related to the dangers and harms that have been infused by the Australian government into its policies on &lsquo;research training&rsquo; (that is, principally doctoral education) and quality assurance. This article explores the consequences of these two trends, one general and one specific, on the management and nature of doctoral research in Australia.<br /

Part-time research students: the \u27reserve army\u27 of research students for universities

Over the past twenty years, in Australia, there has been a steady growth in the numbers of part-time research students. However, they have generally been invisible in government policy on research training, and have rarely been the focus of specific treatment in universities, where the full-time scholarship-holder is taken as the norm. Yet, these are people who often undertake their research in their workplaces on problems germane to their work. They do so with relatively less &lsquo;drain on the public purse&rsquo; and they are well-placed to ensure their research has effect. This paper suggests that this &lsquo;reserve army&rsquo; of research labour&mdash;part-time research students&mdash;could benefit from the integration of the perspectives that have driven other aspects of adult education with those, often economic rationalist perspectives, that have driven research training policy. In this way, government policy-makers may appreciate that this &lsquo;reserve army&rsquo; provides good value, and universities may shape their research training policies and practices to provide support, infrastructure and supervision that matches the needs and contexts of part-time students, and which facilitates &lsquo;technology transfer&rsquo; and links between universities and industries and the professions.<br /