25 October 2009

This week Members of Parliament and Senators will have access to some of the best knowledge in the humanities, arts and social sciences (HASS) through the 2009 HASS on the Hill event.

Professor Linda Rosenman, President of the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, said researchers, educators, designers, artists and professional practitioners will come to Parliament House and meet policy makers so they contribute to meeting the challenges before Australia.

"HASS on the Hill is an exercise in knowledge transfer: Finding ways to make HASS practice and research contribute to a prosperous, inclusive, innovative and creative Australia," she said.

"HASS on the Hill is about building the bridges to policy makers. It is a determined campaign to explain the value of HASS knowledge and skills."

The 2009 HASS on the Hill meetings comes as the Government implements its Powering Ideas innovation agenda which calls for more collaboration among researchers, and between researchers and industry. "HASS on the Hill delegates and their colleagues across the country can provide evidence for good policy making and show the link between the creative arts and Australia innovation agenda," Professor Rosenman said.

HASS delegates include business innovators, geographers, arts curators and artists, Indigenous education specialists, men's health researchers, historians, specialists in languages and cultural awareness, and leaders in the social and education research which underpins programs for helping disadvantaged Australians.

HASS on the Hill's first day at the National Library of Australia on October 27 features a meeting of the delegates to explore common issues and priorities across the HASS sector. The Minister for the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP will speak at the National Press Club. On Wednesday October 28 delegates meet individual MPs and Senators at Parliament House and the Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation Mr Richard Marles MP will address delegates.

The event is sponsored by University of Technology, Sydney, Innovative Research Universities, the Australasian Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, the Australia Council for the Arts, Go8, National Tertiary Education Union, RMIT University, ANU, National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia, the Cooperative Research Centres Association, the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts and the Australian Academy of the Humanities. The Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is a government partner.

CHASS is an active network of specialists across the humanities, arts and social sciences which promotes and provides a coordinating forum for the sector.

For further comment: Helen O'Neil, Executive Director, CHASS, (02) 6201 2740