RMIT Social Sciences Week events

Date: Monday 9 September

Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Location: RMIT Megaflex 3 (008.04.013 ), Building 8, 360 Swanston St Melbourne, Victoria

This event will launch the book 'Power, Privilege and Place in Australian Society', by Patrick O'Keeffe. 'Power, Privilege and Place in Australian Society' contributes to urgent discussions in key areas of Australian society. At a moment in time where a more progressive, caring, inclusive and optimistic public discourse is required, this book takes up the challenge of thinking constructively and creatively about the possibilities for change. This book is based on lectures developed for the RMIT University undergraduate course 'Australian Society in a Global Context', which was a collaborative teaching effort that drew on the expertise of numerous PhD candidates who taught in this course.

To support the launch of this book, past tutors in this course will speak about their research, and identify opportunities for social change that disrupt power and privilege in Australia. Dr Stefani Vasil (Australian Catholic University) will speak about their research into experiences of gender based violence among migrant women. Dr Liam Davies (RMIT University) will discuss housing insecurity and the residualisation of public housing in Victoria. Dr Tuba Boz (RMIT University) will outline the role of sport and dance in building multiculturalism from the grassroots in suburban Melbourne. Dr Rachel Goff (RMIT University) will reflect on their work in developing culturally humble approaches to designing with often-marginalised communities.

Date: Monday 9 September

Time: 4:00pm - 6:30pm

Location: Building 16 (Storey Hall) - RMIT University Building 16 336/348 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

The Homelessness and Housing Insecurity research theme of the Social Equity Research Centre invites you to a screening of the documentary, Undercover, followed by a panel discussion, UNDERCOVER: The Hidden Faces of Homelessness

Narrated by Margot Robbie and sharing the often secret lives of an eclectic group of women across Australia, UNDER COVER shines a light on the devastating reality of older women's experiences of homelessness. UNDER COVER follows ten of these women. For these women, life hasn't panned out the way they expected. They've lived in nice houses, worked good jobs, educated their children and then suddenly … life unravelled and through no fault of their own, they found themselves unable to pay their rent or mortgage. The women featured in UNDER COVER, are all over 50, and are a diverse group from varied backgrounds – wealthy, poor, middle class, working, unemployed, migrant and Indigenous. Faced with the hardships of housing stress and ageing, these women are seeking to find a home to call their own, for the final chapter of their lives. Their moving but optimistic portraits reveal the struggles these women face, and lay bare the flaws in our society, as well as our economic fragility in the modern world.

Hosted by Associate Professor Juliet Watson, from the Social Equity Research Centre at RMIT University

Joined by Panellists: 

• Dr Tuba Boz, Lecturer in Social Work and Human Services at RMIT University,
• Jo Smith, Team Coordinator, Women's Housing Support Program (Vic), YWCA Australia, and
• A lived experience participant

Date: Tuesday 10 September

Time: 10:30am - 11:30am

Location: Online via Teams

This event brings together academics from across a range of disciplines to engage in meaningful discussions and collaborative efforts towards a more just and secure society for women.

Join RMIT academic experts as they share knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions to help promote, protect and empower women:

• Dr Rojan Afrouz (Social Work)
• Dr Leila Afshari (Management)
• Associate Professor Brianna Chesser (Criminology and Justice)
• Dr Bronwyn Coate (Economics)

Moderated by Professor Lisa French.

Date: Tuesday 10 September

Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Location: Online via Teams

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, evolving market dynamics, and unprecedented global interconnectedness, organisations are constantly navigating a landscape of both challenges and opportunities. This event will delve into the strategies and insights that enable organisations to not only survive but thrive in such a fast-changing global society.

Join the following innovative academic thinkers as they explore the key factors that contribute to organisational success amidst volatility and complexity.

• Professor David Fan (Human Resource Management)
• Dr My Nguyen (Finance)
• Dr Marian Makkar (Marketing)
• Dr. June Tran (Management)

Through an expert-led panel discussion, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of embracing cultural diversity, sustainability and corporate responsibility and global market trends and opportunities.

This event is a must-attend for executives, managers, and professionals who are keen on equipping their organisations with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and practical strategies to drive their organisations forward, ensuring they remain competitive and resilient in the face of ongoing global challenges.

Join us as we explore the multifaceted ways in which organisations can achieve lasting success in a fast-changing global society.

Date: Wednesday 11 September

Time: 11:30am - 12:00pm

Location: Online 

RMIT University has worked to support Open Scholarship over several years. It now has a suite of resources and policies to support its goal to encourage and concretely support the development of Open Education Resources by RMIT staff. This online session outlines what Open Scholarship and Open Education Resources are, and their benefits, and introduces the ways in which RMIT now enables its educators to develop and publish open-access materials. This session explores a case study of open scholarship, an edited volume titled A Skilled Hand and a Cultivated Mind: A Culture of Learning and Teaching at RMIT University (2024; eds: Lee, Ducasse, Ni, Quek and Yoshida). The editors of this volume reflect on their experiences in developing this book for RMIT Open Press and how they collaborated with RMIT's library to make it happen.

Date: Wednesday 11 September

Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm

Location: RMIT Building 57, Floor 4 Activities Room 004

Across Victoria, approximately 430 schools are listed on the Department of Education (DoE) Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). Inclusion on the BARR requires a school to pre-emptively close on catastrophic fire danger days, develop bushfire emergency management plans and undertake other bushfire preparedness activities. Reflecting developments in child- and youth-centred disaster risk management, both in Australia and globally, the DoE’s policy guidance for BARR schools explicitly recognises that involving students as genuine participants in school bushfire planning and preparedness will increase their capacity to cope in the event of a bushfire emergency. Supporting the participation of young people in the design and implementation of policies, plans and standards for disaster risk reduction is also identified as a priority action in the Victorian Government’s Education and Training Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan.

This hybrid event, supported by RMIT University and the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, will showcase innovative new research on student participation in bushfire planning in Victorian secondary schools.  Researchers from RMIT University and Leadrrr will share the latest findings of participatory action research being conducted at Upwey High School on Melbourne’s bushfire prone peri-urban fringe. They will also present an emergent evidence-based framework for supporting student participation in ways that adhere to existing regulatory requirements, accommodate the priorities of those with designated responsibilities for school emergency management, and respect the knowledge and perspectives of students themselves. Students from Upwey High School will then join the researchers for a panel discussion on the implications of the research for systems change in their own school and other schools around Australia.

Speakers

• Dr Erica Kuligowski (RMIT University)
• Dr Briony Towers (Leadrrr)

Panelists

• Students from Upwey High School, Victoria

Date: Thursday 12 September

Time: 9:00am - 5:30pm

Location: Storey Hall, RMIT University, Building 16, Level 5,  336/348 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Co-conveners: Informit and CAVAL

Kummargii Yulendji Symposium focuses on how we describe, apply and amplify First Nations Knowledges and publications.  It offers a forum for the ongoing movement of Indigenising the research, libraries and publishing sector, which is evolving in exciting ways.

After a successful inaugural event in 2023, Kummargii Yulendji Symposium* returns as part of Social Sciences Week, aiming to foster the community of practitioners in this sector, facilitate dialogue, and expand our collective understanding of how Indigenisation projects are being implemented and innovated – across Australia and internationally.

The 2024 program will include experts and project teams leading the development of guidelines for description, referencing, right of reply, cultural safety, AI and future technologies, re-visioning colonial structures and systems.

Keynote presenters

• Tui Raven, Deakin University
• Professor Hēmi Whaanga, Massey University (Aotearoa/New Zealand)

Full program and registration to be announced soon.

This is a free event, but registration is essential.

Date: Thursday 12 September

Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Location: Online via Teams

Undertaking PhD studies can be a powerful catalyst for advancing social change within various industries. This event will bring together current and recently graduated PhD students to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges that come with leveraging advanced academic research to foster meaningful societal impact.

Speakers include:

• Sasimali Attanagoda (Graduate School of Business and Law) – The potential challenges of hybrid work on employees
• Dr Bronwyn Bruce (Economics, Finance and Marketing) – Younger women’s long-term financial wellbeing through social marketing interventions 
• Parker Rettke (Management) – Inclusion & The Iron Cage: Unleashing the Potential of Workforce Diversity
• Xuan Zheng (Graduate School of Business and Law) – Work Design For People With Disabilities.

Moderated by Associate Professor Lena Wang.

Hear from RMIT PhD students and graduates who have successfully implemented their research findings to drive social change in their industries.

Gain practical advice on selecting research topics, securing funding, and overcoming common obstacles in your PhD studies.

Explore the diverse career paths available to PhD graduates in both academia and industry, and learn how to position yourself for success.

Date: Thursday 12 September

Time: 4:00pm - 4:15pm

Location: RMIT Megaflex 3, Building 8, 124 La Trobe St Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia

Stories matter in climate changed worlds. They matter in how humans and non-humans dwell with, envision and respond to climate change impacts. Storytelling translates and represents lived experiences and scientific projections. In this panel, we consider the forms and roles of storytelling in shaping human relationships to climate change, environmental politics and the non-human world. We explore how science and data without stories and meaning, can lack forms of connection that lead people to act.

Brought to you by RMIT University’s Centre for Urban Research and non/fictionLab, this panel brings together storytellers and social scientists engaged in critiquing and envisioning future worlds to discuss the role, power and trouble with storytelling for climate action.

Date: Friday 13 September

Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm

Location: Room 080.02.002, Level 2, Building 80, 435-457 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000.

"The Children's Sensorium – coalescing art and social science perspectives for children's wellbeing" panel discussion illustrates the promise, challenge and necessity for interdisciplinary research to address the challenge of children's mental health and wellbeing. By building on an example of successful pilot project aimed at children's mental health: "The Children's Sensorium – Art, play and mindfulness for post-pandemic recovery", the panel fosters a conversation about interdisciplinarity, co-design and creative methods in social research with difficult to reach groups, in this case children. The event includes a screening of the short documentary, talks by members of The Children's Sensorium team including the project curator, Prof Grace McQuilten and others, and Q&A with audience.

This event is hosted by Social Equity Research Centre (SERC) at RMIT's School of Global, Urban and Social Studies and Contemporary Art and Social Transformation Centre (CAST) at RMIT's School of Art as part of Social Sciences Week 2024.

Date: Friday 13 September

Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Location: Building 80, Level 8, Room 080.08.010 435-457 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

This seminar presents a collaborative cross-disciplinary project between Beyond the Stone Walls Advisory Collective (BSWAC), Corrections Victoria and RMIT. Mr Hisham Attia of College of Vocational Education, and Dr Marietta Martinovic of College of Design and Social Context, both at RMIT, employed design thinking to a project within a correctional setting – Improving offender reception process at a prison. We discuss the journey of this project and its outcomes. The feedback from Corrections Victoria was that it was ‘impressive,’ ‘ground-breaking,’ and that they ‘loved the thoughtfulness and considerations of each suggestion.’