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Guest Speaker Prof Russell Foster

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater addressing the 2019 UWA London Alumni Reception

UWA alumni and friends were given insights into the University’s activities when Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater addressed the 2019 UWA London Alumni Reception at Scarlett Green in Soho. Joining Professor Freshwater were UWA staff, including Professor Peter Robertson, Dean and Head of the Business School; Professor Romola Bucks, Head of the School of Psychological Science; and Professor Peter Eastwood, Director of UWA’s Centre for Sleep Science.

Professor Freshwater highlighted the importance of Western Australia’s open, vibrant and healthy society which continued to grow through adaptation and flourished when it accepted the diverse offerings of immigrant cultures. She was persuasive on the importance of adapting to and embracing difference, bringing a fresh humanity to education. It was the duty of universities, wherever they were, to demonstrate there were shared human values – of dignity and freedom, of respect for place and space – especially as digital technology led us towards an exciting but also uncertain future.

This led into a discussion of the UWA 2030 vision: which aimed to build connections and ties, not only with the rest of Australia, but with neighbours, including the peoples of the Indian Ocean Rim. Situated as it is at the fulcrum of the Indian Ocean Rim, UWA was able to play a key role in shaping the social and economic transformation of the region. UWA would strive to be known for excellence in collaboration across existing and emerging fields, becoming an integral partner to industries globally and, in doing so, opening up new and exciting opportunities for research and education.

Guest Speaker Prof Russell Foster

Dave Sherwood, UWA’s 2013 Rhodes Scholar and co-founder of Bibliotech

The UWA 2030 vision and Strategy 2020-2025 charted an ambitious agenda for the future – one that tested the image of the traditional public research-intensive university. UWA was proud to be developing the next generation of globally relevant and responsible leaders, promoting trustworthy research that improved lives, and equipped students through an experience-oriented and values-led curriculum to enable them to have a positive impact on society.

To this end, Professor Freshwater also focused her speech on two of the grand challenges identified in UWA 2030: sustainable oceans and coastlines – a subject of great importance to Australia as a very large island between the Indian and Pacific Oceans with an immense coastline; and the creation of “just and equitable” societies.

In concluding, Professor Freshwater acknowledged the lifelong connection graduates have with UWA and the importance of nurturing this growing community.

She introduced Dave Sherwood UWA’s 2013 Rhodes Scholar and co-founder of Bibliotech, who gave a brief presentation outlining his company’s mission and the progress it was making towards becoming the “Spotify of textbooks”. Students would for a monthly fee to Bibliotech be able to access a wide array of textbooks online. Dave had been joined in London by a number of other UWA alumni to drive Bibliotech forward, all of whom were in attendance at the Reception.

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