University of Tasmania, Australia

A free public lecture by

Professor Daniel Sarewitz

Professor Daniel Sarewitz is the co-founder and Director of Arizona State University’s Consortium of Science, Policy and Outcomes and a visiting Scholar at the University of Tasmania.

Science and Technology Policies for a Small Island: Surfing the Kondratieff Wave

Technological change drives political, economic and social transformation across the globe. Paroxysms of economic instability in the U.S. and Europe, alongside unprecedented growth in China and other rapidly industrializing societies, are testimony to the power of this transformational force. No region or state can control, or insulate itself against, the pervasive impacts of technological change. But appropriate policies for organizing and benefiting from research and innovation—science and technology policies—can be an important tool for societal resilience and cohesion.

For a small island like Tasmania that seeks to protect what is special about its ways of life, this means not only policies that deliver market competitiveness, but also those that support and enhance the vitality of important institutions, ensure that new knowledge and innovation meet local and regional needs, and contribute to the range of non-economic public values that undergird societal aspirations. In this lecture, Professor Sarewitz will discuss the sorts of science and technology policies that might help meet the needs of Tasmania in the broader context of a globalizing technological society.

Presented by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, in conjunction with ANU’S HC Coombs' Policy Forum.