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ARC successes 2008

Congratulations to HRISS researchers Bruce Johnson, Rosie Le Cornu, Judy Peters, Anna Sullivan, who are part the team of researchers who have won this ARC Linkage grant for 2008–2012: 'Addressing the teacher exodus: enhancing early career teacher resilience and retention'. The partner organisations include the Department of Education and Training, the Australian Education Union (SA) and the Association of Independent Schools of SA.

Technology facilitates the internationalisation of research

Professor Rhonda Sharp found using the videoconferencing facilities of the new Hawke Building at City West was an effective way to participate in a high-level international discussion. It also had the advantage of saving time and avoiding the affects of long distance travel. Rhonda gave a presentation to a session of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women of the Canadian Parliament on 5 December 2007. The videoconference also involved a wide-ranging discussion with committee members and other presenters for nearly two hours on integrating a gender perspective into public finances. More information. Transcript of Rhonda's presentation.

Jennifer McKayFulbright Senior Scholarship for HRISS researcher

HRISS key researcher Prof Jennifer McKay has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Senior Scholarship. She will take up the scholarship in August 2008 at the Boalt School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, where she will complete a twelve-month study into water allocation and use laws in the United States and Australia. She plans to review state water laws in the West and East of the US, to compare them with the sustainable development laws for water use in Australia and to examine the role of the judiciary in the evolving concept of sustainable development law. Jennifer is Professor of Business Law, Director of UniSA’s Centre for Comparative Water Policies and Laws and an internationally recognised expert on water law.

Visiting Indian research fellows

Rakhee Bhattacharya, an economist by profession, is currently a postdoctoral fellow with the School of International Studies, UniSA, under a 2008 Endeavour Research Fellowship through the Australian government. She is employed in the Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata. Her research interests, experience and publications encompass development, disparity, poverty, regional economies and the economy of insurgency. Her present research areas at Kolkata include the economic dynamics of India’s northeast, and India’s regional economic cooperation with Southeast Asia.

Prof Veena PoonachaProf Veena Poonacha spent three weeks at HRISS (beginning 19 February 2008) as an Australia-India Council Senior Fellow. Veena is Director of the Research Centre for Women's Studies at SNDT Women's University, Mumbai. Veena is working on domestic violence and Indian diaspora communities in Australia, but is perhaps best known for her highly regarded work on women in rural communities in India.

Dr Rabindranath Bhattacharyya was an Australia-India Council Australian Studies Senior Visiting Fellow at HRISS for the period 10 October – 10 November 2007. Dr. Bhattacharyya is currently Reader in Political Science at the University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India.  He lectures in postgraduate political science, specialising in public administration.  His areas of interest include trust, social capital and democratic governance. Dr Bhattacharyya co-edited the book Essays on international terrorism (Kolkata, Levant Books, 2006), and has a number of published papers (both national and international) to his credit. Dr Bhattacharyya’s AIC project is ‘Australian federalism in a multicultural society: a model of good governance?’

Dr Battacharyya's presentation to students in the Masters of Mediation and Conflict Resolution Program, entitled 'Gandhian notion of non-violence and conflict resolution' (PowerPoint 646 kb)

Mr Sagar Dan, a Junior AIC Visiting Fellow, also joined HRISS in 15–24 October 2007. Mr Dan is a PhD scholar in the Department of English at the University of Burdwan, whose research interests include Indigenous literature. His AIC project is ‘Contestations and negotiations: identity and self-creation of Aboriginal youth in Mudrooroo’s novels’.

Preventing the abuse of older South Australians

Assoc Prof Dale Bagshaw and Dr Lana Zannettino from HRISS, with Dr Sarah Wendt from the Research Centre for Gender Studies, and with Mr David Cripps, Ms Elly Kirk and Ms Elizabeth Morgan, researched and wrote Our actions to prevent the abuse of older South Australians for the Office for Ageing. It was launched by the Minister for Ageing, The Hon Jay Weatherill, at the Australasian Association of Gerontology 40th Annual Conference in Adelaide. Extensive consultation and research was undertaken for this state plan which takes a whole-of-government approach.

Staff changes at HRISS

Prof Alan Mayne resigned as Director of HRISS in November 2007. He has taken up a new position within HRISS as a ResearchSA Chair in Social History and Public Policy. Alan also convenes a university-wide research and innovation cluster on sustainable cities. We wish him well in this more research-focused stage of his career.

Prof Barbara Comber is Acting Director of HRISS until mid 2008.

Congratulations to Prof Pal Ahluwalia, who is the new Pro Vice Chancellor: Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences.

We also welcome Vikki Booth, our Institute Manager. She joined us in November 2007 after many years working in state government, mainly in the Crime Prevention Unit. She has experience in project management and policy development (mainly in social justice areas) and business development.

Awards and recognition for HRISS members

Prof Barbara Pocock was selected as a panel member at Prime Minister Rudd's 2020 Summit, Parliament House, 19–20 April. She was part of the 'Strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion' panel. Liz Ho, Executive Director of the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, was selected for the 'Future of Australian governance' panel.

Prof Barbara Comber was awarded life membership of the Primary English Teaching Association on 19 October 2007 for her outstanding services to education in Australia. Prof Comber was also appointed as a member of the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts for 2008–2011.

Prof Barbara Pocock was named one of the ten most significant Australians in the 'society' category in The Bulletin's Smartest Published 100 on 19 June 2007.

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ARC successes

Congratulations to HRISS key researchers Deirdre Tedmanson and Rhonda Sharp who have been awarded ARC Discovery Grants to begin in 2008.

Barbara Spears is part of this successful ARC Linkage grant based at QUT:

These ARC Linkage grants were announced in 2007:

Visiting scholar Jie Xu

Visiting scholar Xu JieAssociate Professor Jie Xu is a visiting academic at the Hawke Research Institute for 12 months until August 2008. Jie is from Northeast Forestry University (NEFU) in China, and has been awarded a China Council Scholarship to spend a year’s study leave at HRISS. Jie uses 'Cindy' as her English name.

Cindy's PhD was on the reasons for and countermeasures to the ecological crisis in China and its basis in the social system. During her visit she is researching women and equity after market reform in China. Since China’s Reform and Open Policy, which commenced in 1978, there has been an ongoing economic and cultural transition to a market economy. As a market economy focuses more attention on money and material wealth than the previous centrally planned economy, Cindy is looking at the changes that have taken place to women’s status since the market reforms. Cindy plans to present a paper at the International Associate for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) Conference in Torino, Italy in June 2008. She has also written an article in English stemming from her PhD research (completed in Mandarin Chinese) on the ecological crisis in China, which has been submitted to an Australian journal.

Jie is happy to meet UniSA researchers to discuss a range of issues about Chinese economy and society. Meetings can be arranged through Laura Fuss. Jie is located at MH2-03B, Murray House, on ext number 24353.  Her email address is Cindy.Xu@unisa.edu.au.

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Launch of Fresh water

The edited book Fresh water: new perspectives on water in Australia, edited by current and past members of HRISS, was launched on 31 August in the Bradley Forum, Hawke Building by Prof Caroline McMillen, PVC Research and Innovation. Fresh water, an interdisciplinary collection, had its genesis in an ARC network seeding grant based at HRISS. It was later developed in a two-day workshop funded jointly by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Academy of the Humanities. The book's editors are Emily Potter (former HRISS postgraduate fellow, now at the University of Melbourne), Alison Mackinnon (founding director of HRISS and now adjunct professor), Stephen McKenzie (former research associate) and Jennifer McKay (HRISS key researcher). The book suggests that we need a radical rethink of our relationship with water. Contributors from a range of fields, from anthropology to visual arts, discuss the various ways in which we are caught up with water, and challenge us to take up the cultural transformations that underpin a sustainable ecological future.

Purchase the whole book or individual downloadable chapters through Melbourne University Press.

UNESCO women's studies network

Assoc Prof Suzanne Franzway has become a founding member of the UNESCO Women’s Studies and Gender Research Network, which was launched from the Human Rights and Gender Equality Section, Social and Human Sciences Sector at a meeting held at Miriam College, Manilla, 25–26 July 2007. The network’s objectives are to advance WS/GR by research and advocacy for women’s rights, encourage capacity building for students, researchers and WS programs and research centres, and encourage collaborations between UNESCO and inter-university partnerships. In 2008–2009, the network will support 3 projects, 'Women and the judiciary' (focus on the Middle East), 'Radical democratisation of daily life', and 'Social rights and women’s trade union leadership'. Suzanne has been working on the development of the third project over the last 18 months together with Prof Valentine Moghadam (Purdue University) and Prof Mary Margaret Fonow (Arizona State University). The Network will be based at Miriam College for 2 years and limited to 26 participants in order to produce a clear organisational and policy framework.

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Inaugural professorial lecture: 'Afterlives of post-colonialism: reflections on theory post-9/11'

Prof Pal Ahluwalia delivered his inaugural professorial lecture on 1 August in Bradley Forum, Hawke Building, City West. A large audience, including staff from all of South Australia's universities, were treated to a lively introduction by Vice Chancellor Peter Høj, a witty conclusion from PVC Michael Rowan and a passionate argument from Pal.

Pal argued that we 'modern' populations are shadowed by 'monsters' (reflected in our public knowledge systems by crude stereotypes of Others, for example the Islamic terrorist, or the dysfunctional Aboriginal community, or the Mumbai slum dweller) which confine and compromise our western culture. We have not moved on as far as we think from the world of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, which was replete with monsters and satyrs, and many of our monster figures have reappeared since the events of 9/11. It is possible, though, Pal argued, to develop a post-colonial ethical stance in order to produce non-coercive knowledge systems.

Covert bullying project

Dr Barbara Spears and Associate Professor Bruce Johnson, School of Education, together with researchers from Flinders University and in partnership with the Coalition to Decrease Bullying, Harassment and Violence in SA Schools, have received funding for an important UniSA research project into covert bullying in schools. The Minister for Education, Science and Training announced the funding on 24 May 2007 at the launch of National Safe Schools Week. ‘Insights into the Human Dimension of Covert Bullying’ is an innovative technology project to record ‘spoken stories’ from students, parents and teachers, showing the very human face of bullying – real people, real stories and practical solutions. More information.

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HRISS researchers at international conferences

Prof Ian Richards was among 15 invited presenters at an international communication ethics colloquium in Grand Rapids, USA, from 27 April–1 May. Prof. Richards’ paper addressed the role of trust in journalism.

Prof Lis Porter has been invited by the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) to be a keynote speaker at a seminar 'Money for Women Peacemakers' to be held on 24 May 2008 in the Hague, Netherlands. The seminar will be held on the International Women’s Day of Peace and Disarmament and WPP’s 10th anniversary.  Prof Porter will talk about women's peace activism, the effects of financial support on peace work and the opportunities and challenges of fundraising by women peacemakers.

Barbara Pocock presented a paper entitled ‘Working time and workplace flexibility in Australia: politics, policy and experience’ at a Symposium on Employee Voice and Work-Life Flexibility at the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, 3-6 January 2008.

Professor Victoria Carrington spent 2 weeks as Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the University of Alberta (Edmonton) hosted by the Faculty of Education Technology Council. During the visit she presented a range of presentations including a keynotes, invited special lectures, PD and alumni events and Brown Bag Lunch seminars. She also sat in on various committee meetings and visited the School of Distance Education, University of Athabasca.

Assoc Prof Helen Nixon and Prof Barbara Comber presented a paper co-authored with Phil Cormack entitled 'River literacies: cross-disciplinary collaborative research with teachers' at the annual conference of the European Educational Research Association, Ghent, Belgium, 19 September 2007.

Prof Rhonda Sharp was invited as an international expert to the United Nations Expert Roundtable on ‘Financing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment’, held in Oslo, 3–8 September 2007. The findings of the round table will be reported at the 52nd UN session on the Status of Women in New York in March 2008.

Prof Roger Harris presented an invited keynote address to the 14th Annual Conference of the European VET and Culture Network held at the University of Konstanz, Germany, on 30 August to 1 September 2007. His address was entitled 'Crossing cultural boundaries: VET teachers working within private industry'.

Assoc Prof Gerry Bloustien convened the Cultural Studies Network panel on Creative Cultures and presented a paper on Youth and Media Arts Enterprise in the global knowledge economy at the Cultural Studies Now International Conference at the University of East London 19–22 July 2007.

Roger Klinth, visiting scholar from Linköping University, Sweden

Roger Klinth is a historian from Linköping University, Sweden who was based at HRISS from July 2006 to July 2007. He completed his PhD in 2002 on the topic Making daddy pregnant: Swedish papa politics 1960–1995. He is now leading the research project ‘The new father: myth or reality. A research program on fatherhood, paternal leave and new masculinities’. During his year at HRISS he collected Australian material on fatherhood politics and cultural images of fatherhood. He made comparisons between Sweden and Australia, two democratic welfare states with quite similar cultural traditions but quite different political approaches to social and family policy.
 

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