Latest Research to Reality released
Issue seven of the Research to Reality newsletter was officially launched by UTAS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Rathjen, at a University Club function recently.
The evening celebrated the research of the University and thanking those who featured in and produced the newsletter.
The research showcased in issue seven of R to R includes a program to measure Australia’s illicit drug trade, an innovative world-first tool new system for observing coral reefs and Professor John Dickey’s (UTAS School of Physics) project that aims to explore the milky way with 31 institutions in 11 countries.
Prof Rathjen said the nexus between teaching and research is what makes UTAS distinctive as a university.
“Research is the heart and soul of a university of this kind. We know the sorts of contributions we can make to society, the ways we can shed light on complex problems and maybe come up with solutions, and help policy, is only a by-product of the innovative research that we can do. I think everyone has a fair understanding that in the modern world innovation is the lifeblood of economic prosperity and of course that too is a by-product of our research.”
“Professor John Dickey’s research, which is deeply international, speaks to what this university can do for the people of Tasmania.
“It takes Tasmania into the international community. There aren’t many things in Australia that really do that – we’re good at sport, we’re good at mining - but we don’t play on the international stage in too many other areas. But our good universities do play distinctively in the international community of ideas.
“It doesn’t just speak to Tasmania itself but to the kind of experience and aspirations we give to our students. They come here, they’re embedded in an international community and their gaze is shifted upwards, and so too the expectations of what they might do with their lives,” Prof Rathjen said.
“We have probably of all the universities in Australia the greatest difficulty in striking the right balance between focus and breadth. Because we are the only university in the State we have to engage in research across all the disciplines and this (R to R) celebrates precisely that and our link to the international community.”