Research conference highlights 

The week of 14 October had a number of highlights for HASSE colleagues. The 2024 Research Futures Symposium was held on Monday 14 – Tuesday 15 October and featured guest speakers Professor Deborah Youdell (Macquarie) and Emeritus Professor Jane Kenway (Monash). Prof Youdell’s keynote address, Biosocial Research Futures, considered entanglements of biological and social processes and the implications of these for learning and educational practice. Professor Kenway’s keynote, The accumulation economy of the private school sector: extraction, mystification and depletion (co-authored with Rebecca Boden, Tampere University and Malcolm James, Cardiff Metropolitan University), considered the implications of what they term an ‘accumulation economy’ for the inequitable distribution of public funding across schooling sectors. Both keynotes demonstrated how interdisciplinary research can be put to use to explore complex issues, and to generate insights about ways in which intractable problems might be addressed. It was wonderful to welcome these distinguished scholars to UNE, and to have them share both days engaging with our HASSE round tables.

A special word of appreciation also goes to our external discussants over the two days: Dr Chris Muller (Macquarie University); Professor Meredith Marra (University of Canterbury, NZ), Professor Vera Mackie (University of Wollongong), Assoc/Professor Kathomi Gatwiri (Southern Cross University), Dr Emma Burns (Macqarie University) and Assoc/Professor Alistair Rolls (University of Newcastle).

A highlight of the symposium was the extent to which so many colleagues, external discussants and guest speakers attended multiple sessions, both in person and online via zoom. Their respective

Professor Deb Youdell, Macquarie University, was a guest speaker at the Research Futures Symposium.

commitment to joining multiple sessions speaks to the importance of learning from and thinking with those from disciplines beyond our own, and contributes so much to a vibrant research culture. Particular thanks also to Assoc/Prof Jill Fielding, Dr Jo Bird, and Mr Michael Brogan, each of whom not only attended a number of roundtable sessions, but also kindly assisted at various points across the two days with zoom, powerpoint and associated technical issues. We also very much appreciated the hospitality of Oorala colleagues for their assistance with practical aspects of hosting the symposium, and who made us feel so welcome. Feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are particularly appreciative of the HASSE Research Groups and Networks that hosted roundtable sessions this year – University Cultural and Creative Arts Network (UCCAN); Interculturality and Education Strategic Research Group; Teach for the Future Initiative; Rural, Regional, Remote & Equity, Inclusion and Participation groups; Medieval and Early Modern Europe Research Group; UNE Asia Pacific Network; Southern Communities Research Network; Psychology and Wellbeing in Education Research Group; and UNE Literary Worlds Research Group.

The symposium was followed by another three days of research highlights, including the Research Pathways Conference and two full-day Academic Publishing Masterclasses, all hosted by the Graduate Research School. HASSE doctoral candidates attended the Nature Publication Mastercalss on 15 October presented by Marian Turner (Senior Editor, Nature Ecology and Evolution) and Susan Allison (Chief Editor, Nature Reviews Nephrology and Consulting Editor, Nature). HDR candidates from HASSE, Business and Law attended the Publication Masterclass hosted by GRS on 18 October, with presenters Emeritus Professor Jane Kenway, Professor Peta Mitchell (QUT), and UNE Professors Jane Stadler and Sue Saltmarsh. The coordination of these HASSE and GRS events created a week of rich discussion and learning both for academic staff and postgraduate students. Thanks to everyone who contributed to its success!

Emeritus Professor Jane Kenway presenting at the Academic Publication Masterclass