Welcome from the University of South Australia
Professor
Peter Høj
Vice Chancellor and President, University of South
Australia
The University of South Australia is proud to be working with former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke to deliver a new International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding devoted to ground-breaking research and creating positive change. This is fitting as this University is also home to the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, honouring his contribution to world peace - a goal to which he remains steadfastly committed.
Establishing this new Centre also goes to the heart of our University's core values of community engagement, cultural diversity, social justice, openness, and international relevance.
Bob Hawke explains below why this Centre is vital. We agree and hope you will share in this vision for bridging an emerging global divide.
Please look through this site to learn more about our vision and objectives.
I also ask you to get behind this important agenda by supporting the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding with your donation.
We have secured generous Federal and State government grants but your support will help us to reach funding targets that will permanently secure a high level of expertise and quality projects.
In seeking endowments the university will ensure that your interests are served through a worthy result. We are totally committed to excellence, with rigorous research effort, policy projects and international collaborations that deliver practical outcomes.
Thank you for considering your contribution to a viable global future.
| One of the blessings of my life has been the
ability to bring together disparate people to create common
understanding in situations of dispute and confrontation. It is now my great wish to play a part in finding solutions to one of the world's most difficult and dangerous problems: the basic lack of understanding and increasingly hostile tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. The University of South Australia has accepted this challenge and will establish an International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding. The Centre will have a new focus on the triggers for prejudice that present barriers to dialogue. Respected friends on the world stage have commended this initiative and I urge you all to actively support the establishment of the Centre and provide the impetus for it to vigorously pursue its objectives. In our hope for a better world it's time to bring our intellectual resources together and, with empathy and goodwill, do something to achieve that end. |
| The Hon RJL Hawke Former Prime Minister of Australia |