ReStarting Australia: Co-designing Pathways Contributing to Post-COVID Recovery

Join us at the ReStarting Australia event on Tuesday 25th May to codesign pathways contributing to the critical issues in society's post COVID-19 recovery.

RMIT researchers swiftly responded to the COVID-19 crisis by establishing the Post COVID-19 ReStart initiatives, aimed at identifying and addressing the extensive implications to government, industry and the community. The initiatives focus on critical issues exposed by and arising from the pandemic, and working to progress Australia's recovery and future resilience.

By aligning RMIT's considerable research capability in key strategic directions, we have used the disruption of the pandemic to introduce fairer, greener, healthier, and more digitally-enabled approaches that foster high quality personal and working lives.

The ReStart initiatives have shifted their focus from developing mitigation solutions in 2020, to implementing sustainable processes that address systemic issues. To date, the initiatives have held over 80 events with involvement from over 2,700 academics and industry partners.

Hear from our prominent speakers on strategies and solutions that will assist Australia in its post-COVID re-growth and future resilience, and gain knowledge on the five RMIT ReStart Initiatives.

Keynote Speakers

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Emma King

Emma King joined the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) as chief executive officer in 2013, providing a strong voice of leadership and advocacy on social justice issues for the community sector. Emma was previously chief executive officer of the Early Learning Association Australia (formerly Kindergarten Parents Victoria), the peak organisation representing parents and providers of early learning services in Victoria, along with an extensive background in the public sector and in workforce and education issues. Emma is to Co-Chair of the Victorian Anti-Poverty Week Steering Committee and sits on a number of committees and advisory groups including the Family Violence Steering Committee, NDIS Implementation Ministerial Taskforce, Roadmap to Reform Implementation Ministerial Advisory Group and the Police Commissioner's Human Rights Advisory Group.

Katie Flanagan

Professor Katie Flanagan is a clinician scientist who has worked on global health issues for more than 20 years. She is Head of Infectious Diseases at Launceston General Hospital where her department provides a clinical infectious diseases service for the population of North and NW Tasmania. She is a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) which is the peak body advising the federal government on vaccines. She is affiliated to University of Tasmania, Monash University and RMIT where she is conducting a number of research projects. Her main research interests are in the fields of vaccinology and infectious diseases immunology.  She has led numerous vaccine immunology trials throughout the world including trials of novel malaria and HIV vaccines in African infants, and trials of the immunological effects of commonly used vaccines in the young and elderly. Her current main research focus involves applying systems biology techniques to study human responses to vaccination particularly at the extremes of age; and the role that biological sex plays in the vaccine-specific responses and non-targeted effects of vaccines.

Kane Thornton

Kane Thornton is Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council, the peak body for the renewable energy and energy storage industry in Australia. Kane has more than a decade's experience in energy policy and leadership in the development of the renewable energy industry. Kane has advocated for and helped design the policies that have been critical to the renewable energy industry's growth, and continues to be an active political advocate, public presenter and media spokesperson.
His previous roles include senior manager and advisor for Hydro Tasmania and executive officer of Renewable Energy Generators Australia. He has held a range of advisory and board roles with government and non-government organisations in the climate change and energy sector, and is Deputy Chair of Sustainability Victoria.

Time 

Agenda 

2:15 

Welcome & Acknowledgement of County  

2:20  

Presentation by Emma King, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) & Chair of VCOSS-RMIT Future Social Service Institute 

2:33 

Presentation by Professor Katie Flanagan, Head of Infectious Diseases Service at Launceston General Hospital and member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI)

2:45 

Presentation by Kane Thornton, Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council 

3:00 

Speaker Q&A 

3:10 

Overview of the five ReStart initiatives 

3:20 

End 

This event is brought to you by the Research and Innovation Portfolio in conjunction with the Enabling Capability Platforms, RMIT University.  

We look forward to you joining us.

Upcoming events

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.