Four universities join national regional policy research effort

The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) has today launched Regional Research Connections – a partnership with Universities that will provide new capacity for regional policy research in Australia.
Four Universities have joined with the RAI to form Regional Research Connections – University of South Australia, RMIT University, Southern Cross University and Charles Darwin University.
RAI CEO Jack Archer has welcomed the new partnership and said Regional Research Connections will combine the specialist regional research capabilities of Universities, with the RAI’s in-house research team.

“We are excited to be collaborating with these Universities and look forward to the contribution that the expertise within these institutions will make to regional issues,” Mr Archer said.

Some words from our University partners:

• Regional Research Connections will help Charles Darwin University find solutions to the challenges of Northern Australia, while also overcoming fragmentation of research effort – Charles Darwin University DVC: Professor Lawrence Cram.
• The research collaboration developed by the RAI provides an opportunity to build a national, interdisciplinary collaborations to build capacity to address policy questions and issue that are important for Australians living in regional areas – Southern Cross University DVC (Research): Professor Susan Nancarrow.
• A coherent approach to regional development research is long overdue in Australia, so RMIT welcomes this initiative by RAI, bringing together governments and universities around a considered research agenda – RMIT DVC Research and Innovation: Professor Calum Drummond.
• This is an important partnership for rural and regional Australia and we’re delighted to be collaborating with colleagues nationally to bring our best research expertise in regional development and sustainable communities to inform and support policy innovation – University SA DVC: Research Professor Tanya Monro

Regional Research Connections will support the Intergovernmental Shared Inquiry Program recently announced by the RAI and supported by the Australian Government and States and Territories with regional responsibilities.

“This year our research focus is on better options for regions in economic transition, confronting the challenge of changing job options in regions and investigating future regional settlement patterns,” Mr Archer said.

“Each area of inquiry will benefit from having the Universities collaborating and leading in our research teams,” Jack Archer said.

To support the Shared Inquiry Program and Regional Research Connections, the RAI has also added new international and local policy expertise to its Research Advisory Committee (RAC) with the following appointments:

• Dr Chris McDonald, Policy Analyst, Regional Development and Tourism Division, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
• Ms Kate Charters, National Convenor, Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia (SEGRA)
• Ms Nicole Pearson, General Manager Regional and Dams Policy Branch, Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities.
• Ms Maree Parker, Executive Director, Regional Strategy and Programs, Regional Economic Development, Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning.

The RAC provides oversight and advice to the RAI’s research program and the RAI is pleased to welcome these policy leaders into the group.

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Amanda Barwick
M: 0429 142 232
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