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- Toss Gascoigne steps down
- Innovation
- Rigor and relevance
- Federal Budget 2008
- PhD scholarship
- Excellence in Research
- Review of innovation systems
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- Pity about cluster funding
- RQF Chairs announcement
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- New President for CHASS
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- Measures of quality and impact
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New President for CHASS
20 September 2006
Professor Stuart Cunningham was elected President of the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), at the AGM in Sydney this week.
Professor Cunningham is director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, based at the Queensland University of Technology. His centre draws on contributions across the humanities, arts and social sciences to help build a more dynamic and inclusive innovation system in Australia.
He says that too many of Australia's policy settings overlook the enormous potential of the humanities, arts and social sciences to contribute to the national economy and well-being. "Australia is a socially cohesive nation, and our writers, teachers, artists, urban planners and enterprise and political leaders have contributed mightily to that," he said. "Most of them have developed their careers engaging directly with the humanities, arts and social sciences.
"What value do you place on social cohesion at a time when civil strife and war rage across the globe?"
Professor Cunningham said his priorities as President will be:
- consolidating the sector's profile with national parliamentarians and decision makers
- connecting more effectively with industry and business
- bringing the excellent research resources of the sector to bear more decisively on issues of national importance
- engaging the membership base to reflect its concerns in our advocacy, research and activities.
He paid tribute to the work of his predecessor, Professor Malcolm Gillies.
"Malcolm has led the charge to put the humanities, arts and social sciences on the policy map," he said. "His leadership has been inspirational, and his voice will be greatly missed in the national debate as he heads to his new role as ANU Vice-President on the US east coast."
"But CHASS will continue to challenge the policy status quo in Australia, until people in our sector can make their full contribution. We're running a lop-sided ship at the moment."
Stuart Cunningham is the author or editor of several books and major reports, the latest being What Price a Creative Economy? and another edition of the very successful textbook he and Federation Fellow Graeme Turner edit, The Media and Communications in Australia.
He has served as a Commissioner of the Australian Film Commission and Chair of QPIX, Queensland's Screen Development Centre.
- 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
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