News

For the most innovative and network-minded

26 January 2005

Byline:	Press Release
Source:	Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (Australia)

Universities across Australia and New Zealand have been invited to nominate the best and most innovative people heading their research and education centres.

These selected Directors will be invited to be invited to a conference to discuss improvements to the operations of their centres, and then to look at the possibilities for expansion.

The conference is being organised by the Council of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), in Brisbane on March 17-18.

CHASS President Professor Malcolm Gillies said that these centres have a latent capacity to make a greater contribution to policy and education.

"Most current approaches to research and to education encourage collaboration and a cross-disciplinary approach," he said. "Centres need adequate time to consider issues and devise solutions, and funding programs could do more to reward closer ties with industry.

"The conference will look at some of the nuts-and-bolts issues governing existing centres, but then we will turn our attention to what the centres could become, how they could develop to meet national needs."

He said the meeting will examine international models, and expects that proposals for a new Australian program could emerge from the conference.

Professor Gillies said he had written to the Deputy Vice-Chancellors and the Deans of universities in Australia and New Zealand, asking them to select their "most innovative, network-minded and connected directors" to attend the conference.

While most directors will come from the humanities, arts and social and behavioural sciences, he expects a few from the natural sciences to attend as well.

"The sciences have been encouraged to collaborate across institutions and disciplines for some years now," he said.

"Both funding programs such as the cooperative research centres scheme and massively-funded projects like telescopes reward collaborative work.

"There are useful lessons to learn from the sciences."

Professor Gillies expects directors from centres involving research, community action, consultancy, and teaching to attend the conference.

It will be held in the Customs House on the Brisbane River, and registrants will be accommodated in the Hilton Hotel.

For information:
Toss Gascoigne
Executive Director
Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS)
28 Balmain Cres, ANU, ACT

Postal address
PO Box 8157, ANU, ACT AUSTRALIA 2601

Ph: 02 6249 1995 OR 02 6230 7179
0408 704 442
Fax: 02 6247 4335
Email: director@chass.org.au