Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Kevin Rudd MP
Federal Labor Leader
Member for Griffith

Professor Stuart Cunningham
President, CHASS
LPO Box 5086, University of Canberra
Bruce ACT 2617

23 November 2007

Dear Professor Cunningham,

Thank you for your correspondence calling for an interdisciplinary approach to problem-driven research. I believe you have raised important points about the potential for a coordinated and focused approach to innovation.

As you may be aware, Federal Labor detailed our Innovation Future for Australian Industry on 21 November, affirming our belief that problem solving, creative ideas and new technologies are vital to meeting the economic, social and environmental challenges we face as a nation.

A Rudd Labor Government will build a truly national innovation system, valuing the breadth of Australian research effort across the humanities, creative arts and social sciences as well as scientific and technological disciplines.

I am aware that CHASS has had a number of discussions with Federal Labor's Shadow Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research, Sentaor Carr, and his staff, and that Senator Carr addressed the annual CHASS HASS meets parliament event earlier this year.

Together with Senator Carr, I have already indicated that a new Innovation Minister and a Department of Innovation will be established if Labor wins the election. As foreshadowed in our discussion paper released in April this year, such a decision signifies Labor's commitment to reshape national innovation policy, to revisit our national research priorities and to reemphasise the importance of public benefit research.

New mechanisms will be needed as part of this new approach to innovation and research, many of which we have outlined in our Future for Australian Industry Announcement. The CHASS suggestions are a welcome contribution, and we would look forward to working with you in implementing our innovation agenda, should we have the opportunity following the election.

Yours sincerely

Kevin Rudd
Federal Labor Leader
Member for Griffith
Kevin Rudd MP
Federal Labor Leader

 

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For more information, please contact:

Toss Gascoigne

Executive Director

Council of the Humanties, Arts and Social Sciences

Phone: +61 2 6249 1995

director@chass.org.au