About HRISS
The Hawke Institute was established in 1997 to undertake public policy research for the newly established Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre. In 2004, the HRISS expanded by combining with seven other UniSA research groups and centres.
Social sustainability is the Hawke Institute’s research focus, expanding upon the Australian and international priority of sustainable research. Social sustainability can be broadly defined as strengthening societies in terms of, social justice and democracy. It acknowledges the need for stronger ethics and values to ensure social inclusion, support for Indigenous communities, care for the aged and the maintenance of trust in things as varied as government, corporations, schools and families.
We urgently need models for social sustainability to preserve equality in the face of major economic, environmental and technological change. The Hawke Institute is working to achieve this.
Read more about our accomplishments in Research report 2003–2004 (Word 236 kb).
Core themes
- effective communities: belonging and well-being in urban and rural societies
- cultural diversity in a post-colonial world
- the role of education in building capabilities for an equitable and inclusive society
- the role of public intellectuals in democratic societies.
The Hawke Research Institute is a member of:
- Consortium of Humanities Centres and Institutes (Australia)
- Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (US)
- Australian Consortium for Higher Education, Community Engagement and Social Responsibility
- Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
It is affiliated with the Australian Association for Professional and Applied Ethics.