Professor Paul Patton, Associate Dean (Research), University of NSW School of History and Philosophy

While an apology from our Prime Minister has made a start, the vexed issue of justice for Indigenous Australians will require creative effort across multiple disciplines of social and political thought if our nation is truly to make amends, writes Paul Patton.

The condition of Australia’s Indigenous population poses some of the most difficult public policy problems facing the country. Academic scholarship from across the Humanities and Social Sciences has long been a source for new approaches to some of these problems. Anthropologists led the way in enabling non-Indigenous people to appreciate the complexity of Indigenous societies and their relationship with the land.

Re-writing history

Historians have re-written the history of colonisation to take into account the experience of Indigenous people. Art historians, literary and cultural theorists have helped make Indigenous culture accessible to a broad public.

Sociologists and political scientists have drawn attention to the internal complexity of contemporary Indigenous social and political life. Political theorists and philosophers as well as lawyers have explored the issues raised by the demands of Indigenous peoples for justice and equality.

‘Just foundations’

Many people support the goal outlined by former Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1993, when he described the Mabo decision as an historic opportunity to establish relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens on ‘just foundations’. However, there is much less agreement on what would constitute a just settlement in this case.

The first dimension of justice involves equal treatment for all. Th is requires not just the formal equality that comes with equal treatment before the law and the absence of discrimination, but also substantive equality of access to public goods and services. Statistics show that Indigenous people remain disadvantaged in relation to health, education, employment and treatment by the criminal justice system.

The second dimension of justice involves compensation for past injustices. While there is room for disagreement about the principles that should govern such compensation and the manner in which it should be calculated, these are not insuperable difficulties. They alone do not justify the reluctance of courts and governments to compensate for past policies such as child removal.

A New Dialogue is being pursued between Indegenous and non-Indigenous Austalians

New Relationships

The third dimension of justice is more difficult to characterise, as it concerns the nature of the relationship between individuals and groups. It relies on the idea that all peoples are equally deserving of recognition and respect and that they should not be arbitrarily subject to external government.

Yet the authority of the present Australian government derives from the colonial rule that was imposed on Indigenous peoples without their consent and without regard for their own laws and practices of government. This is why many believe that as long as the present Constitution fails to place the country’s relationship with its Indigenous peoples on just foundations, there remains unfinished business.

New philosophies

As Patrick Dodson, the former Chair of the Reconciliation Commission, argued in his 2008 Nulungu Lecture, “There is a task for the nation in the achieving of a new philosophical framework that underpins the relationship between the settler peoples and the first Australians”.

In late February 2009, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of NSW, Professor James Donald, appointed Patrick Dodson as the Professor of Indigenous Policy and the Director of the Indigenous Policy and Dialogue Research Unit (IPDRU) with a view to contributing to this task. The Unit will also provide an institutional and research centre for the ‘Australian Dialogue’ initiative.

An Australian dialogue

The ‘Australian Dialogue’ initiative, which was established in 2008 by Professor Dodson and Major General John Sanderson, aims to develop the new philosophical groundwork that will guide the development of a new relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.

The IPDRU will initially sit within the faculty’s highly regarded Social Policy Research Centre. It will collaborate with the University’s Nura Gili Indigenous Programs Centre to provide an institutional base for continuing the kind of multi-faceted dialogue envisaged by Professor Dodson and his collaborators.

Professor Paul Patton is Associate Dean (Research) at the University of NSW School of History and Philosophy

Website: http://hist-phil.arts.unsw.edu.au
Republished from Australian Innovation 2009 – the print publication.

• Resources and energy
• ICT and emerging technologies
• Health
• Sustainable development

These areas capture the multidisciplinary nature of our research programs, which are accessible across all of the University’s four academic faculties – Science and Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities and Business.

Curtin’s commitment to innovative and relevant, world-class research programs is what brings to Perth the high-calibre researchers who lead our centres and institutes.

An example is the University’s recent investment in building our existing capacity in radio astronomy to become a leader in research, here at the University, in Australia and in the international community. Launched in 2008, the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy (CIRA) is a multi-million-dollar institute that combines physics and engineering in the field of radio astronomy. CIRA is the first cross-disciplinary research hub of its kind at an Australian university.

The institute is led by Western Australian Premier’s Research Fellow Professor Steven Tingay (astrophysics and technical astronomy) and the nation’s only Chair in Radio Astronomy Engineering, Professor Peter Hall (engineering and industry collaboration). World-renowned in their field, both leaders joined Curtin in 2008 and have boosted Curtin’s research expertise in radio astronomy. Professors Tingay and Hall will soon have 25 researchers who will focus in part on strengthening Australia’s bid for the proposed international $2 billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Curtin’s initiative is consolidated by the Western Australian Government’s $20 million investment in the recently announced International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). Professors Hall and Tingay are Deputy Directors of ICRAR (an equal joint venture between Curtin and The University of Western Australia), which will focus on technical astronomy, science and engineering and industry collaboration.

Such an outcome demonstrates Curtin’s ability to identify progressive research areas, and then embark on strategies for research forays into exciting areas of opportunity.

Resources and Energy

Curtin’s leading role in resources and energy research is clearly demonstrated by one of the University’s most strategically important initiatives: the Resources and Chemistry Precinct development. During 2009, the first of more than 300 professional scientists, engineers and staff will begin occupying state-of-the-art facilities for chemistry and energy-related research.

The $116 million project is being funded by Curtin, BHP Billiton, the Chemistry Centre (WA) and both the Federal and Western Australian governments. The main building will house research groups from Curtin’s Department of Applied Chemistry – including the Nanochemistry Research Institute, the Curtin Water Quality Research Centre and the WA Corrosion Research Group. The Chemistry Centre, the State Government’s flagship chemical science facility, will relocate to the precinct this year, adding to the hub of expertise for collaborative outcomes-based research across these disciplines. Within a few years, the precinct is expected to host the Southern Hemisphere’s largest group of researchers working within resources, minerals and chemistry.

Curtin’s research capabilities in resources and energy-related fields are well recognised. The expertise of the WA Corrosion Research Group, for example, is in demand by oil and gas companies that need research into the assessment and control of corrosion. For that reason, Woodside Petroleum and Chevron Australia have jointly funded a Chair in Corrosion Research at Curtin.

The University’s capability to establish partnerships with major international companies is further illustrated by the Rio Tinto Centre for Materials and Sensing in Mining, which is undertaking strategic research for optimising open-pit mining operations.

Excellent prospects for industry-supported projects are also found in minerals exploration and processing. The Centre for High Definition Geophysics, for example, is developing new seismic technologies to detect mineral resources. The mining industry also maintains high demand for innovations in hydrometallurgy that enable the viability of low-grade ores or untapped mineral deposits.

ICT and emerging technologies

The exploration and development of next-generation information and communication technologies offers exciting opportunities for researchers. Curtin continues to excel in research in pattern recognition, spatial science, wireless telecommunications, e-business and digital ontologies.

The Institute for Multi-sensor Processing and Content Analysis, for example, undertakes cutting-edge research that attracts industry and government funding. In collaboration with industry partner Digital Technology International, new technologies that were developed via projects supported by the Australian Research Council are now being deployed in intelligent systems that improve industrial efficiency and enhance security in complex environments such as public transport.

At Curtin Business School, research in ICT and emerging technologies is also intensifying. In particular, research at the Digital Ecosystems and Business Intelligence Institute (DEEBI) is advancing novel technology infrastructure. This includes web services, new ontologies in data mining, text mining and cyber security. DEEBI’s work is in demand in areas as diverse as commerce, transport communications, logistics planning, mining, healthcare and education.

Health

Chronic conditions now dominate health care spending in Australia. Accordingly, health care research must look closely at preventative care and long-term health maintenance. To address the issue, Curtin has announced plans to create a bold, integrated and relevant health research institute – the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI).

CHIRI’s programs respond astutely to the shifting health care patterns of ageing populations, and of societies that suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Curtin is providing more than $60 million for new infrastructure, and for research programs investigating evidence-based solutions to these contemporary health challenges. CHIRI’s outstanding research capabilities are drawn from a range of respected research groups in the Faculty of Health Sciences. These include the Centre for Research into Ageing, Centre for Developmental Health, Centre for International Health, Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease and the National Drug Research Institute.

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is recognised as a core concern of governments and communities worldwide. In line with this, Curtin recently consolidated its leadership in the area by establishing the Australian Sustainable Development Institute (ASDI). Through ASDI, Curtin offers visionary research opportunities in sustainable development, built environment, climate change, environmental ecosystems, biodiversity, sustainable tourism, and sustainable resource processing.

The Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute is also making a critical contribution, with research that serves business, government and the community.

The University’s overarching intention for this area of research strength is for highly relevant, multidisciplinary projects that enhance the physical, social, economic and cultural health of communities.

Excellence in research

These examples demonstrate Curtin’s commitment to providing outstanding opportunities for researchers seeking to engage in and advance both academically rigorous and internationally relevant research.

Curtin’s vibrant research culture is continually enhanced by the quality of our researchers, their programs, and our partnerships. We understand that quality, high-impact research is multidisciplinary in nature, and we promote collaborative projects that contribute to the sustainable environmental, economic and cultural development of communities worldwide.