UON academics present vision for NSW
Some of the state’s 'best and brightest' young academics have presented ideas for the future of NSW to His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), Governor of New South Wales, covering topics as wide ranging as citizen participation and the emergence of the 'caring' economy.
Among them were University of Newcastle academics Associate Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, Associate Professor Christine Paul and Dr Hannah Power.
Having met the Governor last year, the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (NSWVCC) undertook a project that applied current knowledge and research to a long-term view for the state, each nominating two or three young academics to take part in two forums earlier this year.
“It was a ‘knowledge foresight’ exercise,” said Professor Roy Green, Dean of UTS Business School, who led the project for the NSWVCC.
“They were asked to visualise what the NSW economy might look like in a post mining boom and post fossil fuels era. We wanted them to look at new ways of tackling old problems, to identify emerging new opportunities.”
The Governor, in particular, expressed interest in ideas that integrated rural and regional development.
“The aim was not to develop a plan or a strategy but to produce a series of thought pieces, framed in an accessible way, to be shared publicly, so that further discussion might ensue,” Professor Green said.
The results have been summarised in a series of articles, Reimagining NSW, for the independent, university-supported news analysis site The Conversation.
At a presentation of the NSW Universities Future Vision Project at Government House, NSWVCC Convenor Professor Andrew Vann said, “We were intrigued by the idea of convening a group of academics to talk about possible futures … and we are very pleased with the outcome.”
The Governor told the group “ideas are important” and he hoped their work would feed into further discussions.
The issues the project addressed were:
- Healthy, engage communities
- A fresh approach to ‘environment’
- Revitalising rural Australia
- The rise of the caring economy
- Equality in education
- Good governance
- Future-proofing through innovation
Read the articles on The Conversation
Reimagining NSW: five ways to future-proof NSW’s innovation ecosystem - ARC Discovery Early Career Research Fellow, Associate Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, University of Newcastle
Reimagining NSW: four ways to boost community well-being and why it matters - Associate Professor Christine Paul, Behavioural Researcher, University of Newcastle
Reimagining NSW: going beyond ‘wilderness’ and finding fresh ways to relate to our environment - Dr Hannah Power, Lecturer in Coastal Science, University of Newcastle
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