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It was my great pleasure last month to attend the launch of Social Sciences Week at Parliament House in Canberra. The breakfast launch was hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Social Sciences, co-convened by Senator Barbara Pocock FASSA, Dr Carina Garland MP and Julian Leeser MP, and featured the announcement of the Academy's 2024 Rechnitz Grants for early- and mid-career Indigenous social scientists.
My congratulations to grant recipients, Professor Corinne Sullivan, Dr Sheelagh Daniels-Mayes and Dr Bep Uink, who were all in Canberra to receive their awards and to share a small snapshot of their amazing work. Dr Jacinta Walsh was unfortunately unable to attend.
Social Sciences Week was a big success more generally, with over 80 events across Australia and online. Highlights included the Academy's second annual Great Debate between Fellows Anthony Elliot and Lisa Given on the question Does social media unite or divide us?, two Academy Paul Bourke Lectures (Dr Sophie Webber and Dr Arj Dibley), and a sold-out 500 person film screening and panel discussion for the 30th anniversary of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in Melbourne. Recordings of some events are available to watch on our website.
Looking ahead, registrations are open for the Academy’s 2024 Annual Events – our New Fellows Presentations and Annual Dinner, both taking place on Tues 19 November in Canberra. Our guest speaker for the dinner will be The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Treasurer of Australia. And we'll soon be announcing the 2024 Paul Bourke Awards and the successful applicants for the Academy’s Workshops Program grants – details will be shared on our website and the Academy’s social media channels on Twitter and LinkedIn.
In other news I am pleased to announce that the Academy has been selected by DFAT to deliver the Australia-France Indo-Pacific Studies Program, which will include research grants, visiting Fellowships and strategic dialogues on key issues for the region. Further information and grant guidelines will be available soon.
And on a final sad note, the Academy's Director of Fellowship, International and Awards, Michelle Bruce, who is well known to many of our Fellows, will be departing after almost ten years with the Academy. Our sincere thanks to Michelle for her professional and dedicated leadership during this time. |
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It’s a wrap! Social Sciences Week 2024 |
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Attendees at the 2024 Social Sciences Week launch at Australian Parliament House. |
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From bustling cities to regional towns, Social Sciences Week 2024 (SSW) sparked curiosity and discussion across the nation. With over 80 events, the week saw students, universities and the broader community gather to explore new ideas, engage in debates, and celebrate the social sciences.
While picking a favourite would be akin to choosing a favourite child, we loved hearing The Great Debate at the National Library of Australia, as speakers battled over whether social media unites or divides us.
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Professor Lisa Given, Great Debate winner, and Dr Chris Hatherly (Academy CEO). |
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Debaters Professor Anthony Elliott and Professor Lisa Given, with debate moderator Ginger Gorman. |
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It was also fantastic that 2024 was the second year in a row that a Parliamentary Breakfast was part of SSW. This year’s breakfast saw social science champions gather to acknowledge achievements and create connections across the academic and policy spheres. A lovely addition to the event was seeing the Academy’s 2024 Rechnitz Award recipients, Dr Sheelagh Daniels-Mayes, Professor Corinne Sullivan, Dr Bep Uink, and Ms Jacinta Walsh, honoured for their work and research supporting knowledge and understanding of the society, languages and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Congratulations to everyone involved in SSW 2024, in particular our fantastic sponsors and supporters – we couldn’t do it without you. And remember – it’s never too early to think about next year – mark 8-14 September 2025 now for #SSW2025!
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Congratulations! |
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A massive month of achievements! Congratulations to the following Fellows.
Fellow Michael Berk was recognised as a recipient of the Australian Mental Health Prize for his work transforming the treatment landscape of psychiatric disorders. Read more about this fascinating work, which uses stem cell technology to find and repurpose medications already in widespread use.
The University of Canberra has awarded former Chancellor Emeritus Professor Tom Calma AO FAA FASSA an Honorary Doctorate, in recognition of his distinguished career as an advocate for social justice and for his outstanding leadership, both at the University and in the national arena.
At the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Fellow Professor Felicity Meakins was one of 30 co-authors whose book Tamarra: A story of termites on Gurindji Country took out the Children’s Book category. Well done!
Staying with books, Fellow Kate McGregor won the NSW Premier’s History Awards 2024, for her book Systemic Silencing: Activism, Memory and Sexual Violence in Indonesia. Judges commented that this impressively written book is ‘is a first-rate piece of historical scholarship’. Congratulations Kate.
Meanwhile, Professor Kerrie Mengersen has been recognised in the Australian Academy of Science’s 2024 Premier honorific awards, recieving the 2024 Ruby Payne-Scott Medal and Lecture. Her multidisciplinary work has focussed on developing new statistical methodologies, and most recently, focuses on the intersection between statistics, machine learning and AI.
Congratulations to Fellow Professor Kim Rubenstein on her recent Lifetime Achievement Legal Research Medal from the Council of Australian Law Deans, the peak body for Australian Law Schools. You may enjoy reading some of her comments on the award. |
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Events |
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Register now: Treasurer Jim Chalmers speaking at the Academy’s Annual Dinner
Don’t miss the Academy’s annual dinner on 19 November in Canberra, at which we’ll have the pleasure of hearing from several Jubilee Fellows, our Paul Bourke Award recipients, and the Federal Treasurer. Tickets here.
Also on 19 November (nicely timed in the lead up to dinner), are the presentations from 2024’s New Fellows. Don’t forget to register. |
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2024 Keith Hancock Lecture
The Keith Hancock lecture and panel discussion on 31 October features two Fellows: Professor Robert Breunig and Dr Ken Henry. Tickets available here. |
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Shape the Nation lecture: Dr Cathy Foley, Australia's Chief Scientist
On 28 November in Western Australia, we’re proud to have Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley presenting this year’s Shape the Nation lecture. Get all the details here. |
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International |
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Want to improve your social media skills? Mark October 16 in your diary. |
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The International Science Council is offering free online social media training to Members and early- and mid-career researchers across the Asia-Pacific region. The section will explore how scientists can navigate social media to promote and communicate their work. Register here or find the full agenda here. |
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Read, watch, listen and attend |
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Stay up to date with the latest reports, articles and events featuring Fellows and the social science community. |
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Read |
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Fellow and Academy President, Richard Holden, has a new book out, co-authored with Steven Hamilton: Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism How we crushed the curve but lost the race.
Fellow Klaus Neumann explores shifting social dynamics in his new long read for Inside Story: Germany’s New Normal. |
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Watch |
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There’s still time to catch up on all the excellent SSW2024 events you missed. Hours of excellent viewing is available on demand. If you aren’t sure where to start, head to Youtube for one of this year’s Paul Bourke Award Lectures, Making ‘sustainable finance’ more sustainable, with Dr Arjuna Dibley (co-hosted by the Academy).
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Listen |
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As housing policy continues to make itself a potential 2025 election issue, why not revisit a previous episode of the Seriously Social podcast. The missing middle: Getting density right is available at this link or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
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Attend |
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Every year, Academy Fellow, the late Joe Isaac is honoured through the Joe Isaac Symposium. This year’s free event on 15 October is titled Varieties of Digital Ecosystems at Work. Add it to your calendar here. |
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We are saddened to hear of the passing of Fellow Dr Duncan Standon Ironmonger, AM FASSA. An esteemed economist, Duncan was a pioneer in the field of household economics. He will be fondly remembered for his kindness and generosity, energy and optimism, love for storytelling and his passion for ideas and friendship.
Follow this link to Duncan’s Academy profile. |
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The Academy strives to keep you informed, including sharing sad news of Fellows’ passing.
Notices are posted on Twitter and in our monthly newsletter, though delays may occur if we receive information after publication. Please help by sharing the Vale section with your networks where appropriate and notifying us of any Fellow’s passing. We appreciate your understanding.
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The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which our national office is located, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, and
to their elders past and present. |
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