Humanities in the region symposium

Monday, 20 May 2019

The Centre for 21st Century Humanities and the School of Humanities and Social Science will host the Australasian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres’ (ACHRC) Humanities in the Regions symposium on 30 – 31 May at New Space.

Humanities in the region symposium

The theme of the symposium is ‘Renewal - Regional humanities research in the 21st Century’.

Held each year by the ACHRC, the gathering provides an opportunity for scholars from postgraduates to professors to share knowledge around the practicalities of conducting humanities research from a regional location. Registration is free. Download the symposium program (PDF 577KB).

Sessions feature local and national expertise in areas such as research evaluation and the planning, development, writing and working of nationally competitive grants as well as cultural sector fellowships and partnerships with the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector and other cognate industries.

Symposium co-organiser and Centre for 21st Century Humanities member Dr Julie McIntyre said the theme of Renewal is symbolised by the change New Space has brought to Newcastle’s streetscape, social milieu and even to visual perceptions of the city and its riverine and coastal landscape from the building’s upper floors.

“Humanities research globally has undergone seismic digital and cross-disciplinary change in the 21st century. There have been transformations in how we see the role of our inquiries in the humanities, and how we ask and answer questions.”

“Regional university researchers in disciplines such as History, English & Writing, Creative Arts & Industries, Anthropology, Linguistics and Languages generate and participate in nationally and globally significant studies from our bases in different ‘local’ worlds than our colleagues in metropolitan universities. This symposium is an opportunity to strengthen regional contributions to new knowledge by sharing know-how about shaping and making research”, Dr McIntyre said.

“The symposium’s keynote presentations are themed around how we as researchers are changing the humanities in a changing world. Day One speaker is Professor Ros Smith, University of Newcastle Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and member of the Centre for 21stCentury Humanities.”

“The Day Two keynote address will be given by Associate Professor Anna Johnston from the University of Queensland and the Australasian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres. She will focus on Eliza Hamilton Dunlop who lived at Mulla Villa at Wollombi in the lower Hunter Valley for a time in the nineteenth century.

“Visiting places is often essential to humanities scholars. On Saturday 1 June, several delegates will take a field trip to Mulla Villa to continue discussion of the issues raised by Professors Smith and Johnson, and in other sessions”, Dr McIntyre said.

One such session is ‘Research Evaluation and Grant Experience’. This involves a panel of presenters. Australian Research Council (ARC) specialists will discuss Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) processes and new Engagement and Impact (EI) measures. Emeritus Professor Hugh Craig will talk about funding of the TLCMap under the ARC’s Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) scheme, and Dr Elizabeth Roberts-Pedersen will discuss her ARC Discovery Early Career Research Fellow Award.

For more information visit the Australasian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres website.


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