UK alumni support enquiring minds
There was strong attendance last month at the Royal Institution of Great Britain (Ri) for the second alumni lecture in a series being presented in London by the South Australian Universities Alumni UK.
Featuring the Baroness Professor Susan Greenfield CBE, Patron of the chapter and Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, this lecture was all about the mind and the human brain.
And according to Chairman of the chapter, Dennis Muirhead, it provoked some lively discussion at the after lecture reception.
Speaking on the 21st century mind, Prof Greenfield’s lecture was based on her latest publication ID. The Quest for Identity in the 21st Century.
She explored the influence of the huge force of new technology, including video games and social networking sites and their impact on human development, especially concepts of individuality and identity in the developing minds of young people.
The take home messages were that the brain is both dynamic and has plasticity, so the range of different experiences it has through its development can strengthen or impede its malleability. She underlined that current and future technologies would impact on the way young people might think and learn and, because she believes our identity is our brain or rather our mind, interaction with technologies will shape what kind of people they might become.
She said the experiences that today’s children have with social networking sites will affect who they become as adults.
"These sites are often devoid of cohesive narrative and long-term significance," Prof Greenfield said. "As a consequence, the mid-21st century mind might almost be infantilised, characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity."
And while technologies like the internet bring benefits, including increasing society’s overall IQ, Prof Greenfield believes there’s a need to be vigilant about the consequences of technology and take responsibility for how they may impact on the development of our children and more broadly our world.
A champion of the sciences, she has a dream to establish a network of institutions like the Ri, around the world. She says that, independent of politics and ideologies, science could cross borders.
And Adelaide is leading the way with the foundation of the Ri Australia which will make its home in city’s renovated Stock Exchange building later this year. Also under the Baroness’ influence, a program to bring disadvantaged SA school children to visit the Ri in London every year for the famous Christmas Lectures is well established.
The SA Universities Alumni UK supports the initiative by taking the children on visits to such places as Google, the Globe Theatre, Vodafone, Lord’s Cricket Ground and Abbey Road Studios to walk the pedestrian crossing and draw on the wall.
Dennis Muirhead said the latest successful event was due in no small part to the tireless efforts of the UK chapter committee Elsa D’Ercoli, Simon Fourmy, Diane Tofts, Sonja Townsend, Amy Lunn, Chantal Hirth and visiting Life Member from Tokyo Kristina Dryza who hosted the evening.
A unique alumni chapter, the London group combine graduates from all SA universities and draw sponsorship for their events from each of them. This event was sponsored by the University of Adelaide.