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IN July 2001, Rio Tinto conducted a series of interviews with 50 opinion leaders in Western Australia, aiming to identify the critical issues for the development of this State.The outcome of this project was reported in a booklet entitled “Sharing the Views”. For those of us reflecting on the role institutions such as Murdoch University might play, it makes compelling reading. A number of themes emerged. There was recognition that Western Australians must learn to live in a very delicate environment, that research should provide new opportunities to exploit our natural resources in ways that were not damaging to our environment and that we must value more fully intellectual and creative drives. The interviews underscored the need for cooperation and collaboration, pointing out that new initiatives must have the support of the community. These comments have a resonance with many of us at Murdoch University. We have a history of teaching and research in Environmental Science and were first in Australia to establish a degree program in this field. An active, diverse research program has grown up around this teaching area. Similarly, we have a fine record of achievement across many other sections of the University in working cooperatively with industry and government to find solutions to particular, local problems. Indeed it might well be said this concentration on research into local problems, with an emphasis on the impact on the social, physical and cultural environment, characterises a large portion of the research carried out by Murdoch University. The Rio Tinto booklet identifies the need for universities and non-government organisations to play a leading role in finding ways for the community to become “sustainable”. There is ongoing debate as to the precise meaning of “sustainability”, though there is a clear core of agreement that the term has environmental, social and economic dimensions. At Murdoch we have research that engages in many of the issues that flow from such debates. We have an Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy (ISTP) that has a long history of research in this area. The research groups at Murdoch, such as the ISTP, have made substantial input into public debate on topical issues over recent years. In this way, our researchers have not only engaged in the question of finding solutions to particular problems, but they have also contributed to public understanding and the development of public policy. We believe that these are key elements of leadership in the community. This issue of Synergy provides us with a showcase of the research at Murdoch University that is related to the notion of “sustain-ability”. A quick scan through the table of contents reveals that indeed the notion of sustainability is multi-dimensional. It covers areas as diverse as the develop-ment of international policy on carbon credits, to finding ways of making our agriculture more sustainable. What underpins all of this research is a commitment from the individuals to the notion that we can find new ways to do what we do in a way that will not only benefit ourselves, but will also help protect the future of our communities. |
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Editor: Pepi Smyth
Produced by the ">Office
of Community Relations, Murdoch
University |
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