An international expert in community-oriented public policy will be visiting the University and presenting a public seminar on the evening of Thursday 12 July.

Professor Jody Kretzmann is Co-Director of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute, and Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University, USA. The Institute works with community building leaders to conduct research, produce materials and otherwise support community-based efforts to rediscover local capacities and to mobilise citizens' resources to solve problems. His research highlights the importance of community engagement for all levels of government, educational institutions and the service sector and he has worked extensively with Federal and State Government Departments in the US, Canada and Australia.

The University of Newcastle is pleased to host a public seminar presented by Prof Kretzmann. The seminar, entitled Building communities: integrating the new with the old will examine the ways in which communities can be renewed socially, culturally and physically, without displacing all that exists already. The talk will be of interest to community planners, academics and members of the general public. His talk will be particularly topical for Newcastle which is undergoing major transformation, particularly in the central business district areas.

The seminar will be held at University House (Room 2-41), corner of King and Auckland Streets Newcastle at 5.30 pm on Thursday 12 July.