Sydney Ideas

It's been a big year. We’ve put together a few of our key talks, with leading thinkers from the University of Sydney and beyond to reflect on 2020 and what might lie ahead in 2021. Take a listen, and dive into the longer talks. Sydney Ideas will be back with more talks and ideas in the new year! FEATURING: – Mark Scott AO, The road ahead [00:00:00] – Professor Tim Soutphommasane, Combating viral panic [00:00:27] – Professor Ian Hickie, COVID-19 and mental health [00:0035] – Professor Julie Leask, The vaccination gap [00:00:57] – Professor Jaky Troy, In this together [00:01:10] – Sam Mostyn, Rebuilding Australia's future [00:01:35] – Mariam Mohammed, What will the future of women's work look like? [00:01:50] – Roxanne Moore, Raising the age of criminal responsibility [00:02:08] – Dr Gareth Bryant, The asset economy [00:02:34] – Professor Guy Standing, The basic income imperative [00:02:51] – Minister Matt Kean, Charging ahead with clean energy [00:03:00] – Professor Dianne Wiley, Running out of water [00:03:31] – Bruce Pascoe, Perennial Soil [00:03:44]

Black holes are the most mysterious objects in the universe; matter and space folded into an enigmatic knot from which not even light can escape. The 2020 Nobel Prize awarded research into black holes, thinking about the unthinkable, and seeing the unseeable. But just what did these extraordinary scientists do? Tune in as we try to unravel the puzzle. FEATURING – Professor Geraint F. Lewis, University of Sydney. Geraint's research focuses on cosmology, gravitational lensing and galactic cannibalism, all with the goal of unravelling the dark-side of the universe. – Professor Peter Tuthill, University of Sydney. Peter is an expert in astrophysical imaging; studying stars and their immediate environments with unprecedented resolution. This public talk was held virtually and recorded on 2 December 2020. For further resources, including the transcript, visit our website: https://bit.ly/36wwXfZ

The science and economics tells us sustainable energy alternatives make sense. So, what’s the missing link in the path to a clean and prosperous future? FEATURING: – Matt Kean MP, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, offers perspective into the economic impacts and benefits of investing in alternative energy sources. – Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience and a world leader in perovskite solar energy cells, shares insights into solar photovoltaic research and its potential to produce cost-effective ways of energy generation. – Professor Thomas Maschmeyer presents a case study on gelated zinc bromide batteries, an Australian technology breakthrough. – Linda Scott, President of Local Government NSW (LGNSW) and City of Sydney Councillor, will talk about sustainability at a local level and community engagement. – Dr Tanya Fiedler from the University of Sydney Business School moderates the discussion. Dr Fiedler played a key role in the development of the University's Sustainability Strategy. This discussion was held virtually and recorded on 30 October 2020. For further resources, including the transcript, visit our website: https://bit.ly/3dcCaw9

This year has seen a complete restructure of how society conducts its business. The shift from traditional "face-to-face” work environments has been both unsettling and disruptive. But for some, particularly people with blindness or low vision, it’s proof that flexible or alternative working is a marker of both efficiency and productivity. We bring together a panel of individuals with lived experience to explore new ways of working amid disruption; and how organisations adapt to support and develop people with disability to thrive in the workforce. FEAUTURING – Simran Goyal, EY Associate – Matt O'Kane, Director of Notion of Digital Forensics – Gareth Ward MP, NSW Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services – Chair: Professor Peter McCluskey AO, Director of the Save Sight Institute at Sydney Eye Hospital – Audience Q&A moderator: Professor John Grigg, Head of the Discipline of Ophthalmology at the University of Sydney This discussion was held virtually and recorded on 28 October 2020. For further resources, including the transcript, visit our website: https://bit.ly/3iGibam

It has never been more important to be sharing Indigenous knowledge. So many solutions to the problems we face today can be found in that wisdom. Bruce Pascoe delivers a lecture on Indigenous farming and land management. The 'Dark Emu' author is also joined in a conversation with plant breeder and agricultural scientist Dr Angela Pattison. Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services) at the University of Sydney, chaired this public talks event. This event was held virtually and recorded on 19 October 2020 and marks the inaugural Arthur and Hilda Winch annual lecture in pre-colonial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture; made possible by a donation from Mr Ron Winch and the Winch family. For more information, including further resources and the transcript, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3kZDG7u

COVID-19 has ushered in a global economic slump, which may lead to a global depression. But is the coronavirus just the trigger for a financial crisis that was waiting to happen? Globalisation and the economic policies of recent decades have produced a fragile system best described as rentier capitalism, characterised by a global class structure with rapidly growing precariat, and an increasingly deteriorating income distribution system. A basic income as an economic right suggests an alternative way out of the pandemic slump – so what are the social risks of ignoring or delaying this? FEATURING – Professor Guy Standing, SOAS University of London and Co-founder of Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) – Professor Greg Marston, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland – Moderator: Professor Lisa Adkins, Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney For more info, including a transcript to this conversation, visit our website: https://bit.ly/3mwUcgK

How is the shift to digital shaping workplaces, cultures and employment opportunities? Explore future ways of working that are truly inclusive of people with disability. FEATURING – Dr Manisha Amin, CEO of Centre for Inclusive Design – Professor John Buchanan, University of Sydney Business School – Dr Sheelagh Daniels-Mayes, University of Sydney School of Education and Social Work – Charles Humblet, Co-Chair, Disability at Work Network, University of Sydney – Penelope Pitcairn, Staff Accessibility Manager, University of Sydney – Moderator: Associate Professor Jennifer Smith-Merry, Director of the Centre for Disability Research and Policy This conversation was held as part of Disability Inclusion Week at the University of Sydney (21-25 September 2020). For more info, including a transcript to this discussion, visit the website: https://bit.ly/2RgEKHq

Shaun Gladwell’s practice engages personal experience and a wider speculation of art history to examine the dynamics of contemporary culture. Shaun transposes forms of urban expression such as skateboarding, graffiti, BMX bicycle riding, break-dancing and extreme sports into the multiple mediums of his practice. These performances, videos, paintings, photographs, sculptures and virtual reality works make discursive investigations into forms of creativity and notions of freedom. Hear Shaun speak more about his work in this conversation with Blair French, CEO of Carriageworks. The 'Art of influence' series features pioneering Sydney College of the Arts alumni, as they reflect on their careers, creative practice and the themes that inform their work. For more details, visit our website: https://bit.ly/34NTTba

In Australia, you need to be 18 to vote, 16 to drive a car, 13 to get a Facebook account. But the current age of criminal responsibility is 10. An estimated several thousand children under 14 appear in court on criminal matters each year. The vast majority of these are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. Apart from the undeniable long-term social costs, keeping young people in prison is also an enormous financial burden so where is the justification? THE SPEAKERS – Dr Michael Doyle, Senior Research Fellow, University of Sydney Central Clinical School – Roxanne Moore, Executive Officer, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) – Dr Nicole Watson, Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney Law School – Associate Professor Megan Williams (Moderator), National Centre for Cultural Competence, University of Sydney For more info and resources, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/2PLLw7i

This special Sydney Ideas conversation marks the 10th Annual Robert Dixon Memorial Animal Welfare Symposium and explores a series of critical questions regarding companion, performance and wild animals. Considering we don't euthanise humans, how do we navigate through the ethics of conduct in this space and the potential conflicts of interest? Our panel discuss factors that influence end-of-life decisions. FEAUTURING – Dr Larry Vogelnest - Senior Veterinarian, Taronga Conservation Society – Dr Martin F. Lenz, Queensland Racing Integrity Commission – Dr Emma Whiston, Veterinary Home Euthanasia Service – Dr Peter Bennett, Associate Professor in Oncology and Small Animal Medicine, University of Sydney – Dr Kat Littlewood, Lecturer in Animal Welfare, Massey University New Zealand – Chair: Dr Bidda Jones, Chief Science & Strategy Officer, RSPCA Australia For more information, visit the Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/3k5rnqB