All in a day's work

UQ PhD graduate - Dr Monique Taylor
UQ PhD graduate - Dr Monique Taylor

UQ PhD graduate, Dr Monique Taylor, has just about seen it all, thanks to several research scholarships, one of which allowed her to visit the Great Wall of China.

Shortly after submitting her thesis in September last year, Dr Taylor attended the prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) and Consortium of China 9 Research Universities (C9) ‘Clean Energy and Global Change’ conference at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
One of only 16 doctoral students from Australia, Monique’s expertise in the area of governance and economic development, energy and industrial policy was highly sought after at the conference.
“I was the only one at UQ researching on China’s domestic and international energy behaviour, so it was fantastic to attend the conference in China and collaborate with others who were researching similar topics,” Dr Taylor said.
“There was a definite split in the students with those researching the scientific elements of clean energy versus those who were investigating the topic from a policy angle; which allowed for robust discussions and certainly provided greater insight into all the areas of clean energy and global change that require attention.
“I think the more science oriented students realised that there are significant legal and political aspects involved in the topic as well as industry policy to consider.”
Seen as leaders of the next generation, the 34 students from China and Australia presented their global perspectives on clean energy and global change, and exchanged ideas across disciplines and national boundaries on key global clean energy issues.
Monique’s presentation explored the opportunities and challenges of wind power development in China through an industry policy lens.
“It was valuable learning more about the diverse range of clean energy technologies that are currently under development.”
 
“There were also opportunities to make long-standing friendships and professional connections, which is one of the many benefits of conferences such as these.”
 
Being well accustomed to travel, visiting the Great Wall of China and attending a formal tea ceremony during the Go8-C9 conference was “all in a day’s work” for Dr Taylor who has studied and presented in New Zealand, Germany, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.
 
Dr Taylor currently lectures and tutors in UQ’s School of Political Science and International Studies.
 
She also holds a Research Assistant position with Dr Alastair Stark who is examining crisis management during the 2010/11 Queensland floods.
 
“I have kept an open mind about my career and have worked in a number of different organisations to date. For instance, I recently worked for the Queensland Government in the Department of Justice and Attorney General which allowed me to gain practical experience in dealing with policy makers,” Dr Taylor said.
 
“Whilst building intellectual capital in a narrow field is a common pathway for many PhD students, I have gained immense satisfaction by keeping my options open.”
 
The 2012 Go8-C9 conference will be held at UQ from October 8-12 and focus on water, water management and global sustainable futures.
 
Media:  
Carly Stokes, UQ Graduate School, c.dengate@uq.edu.au  
Dr Monique Taylor, uqmtayl9@uq.edu.au

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