Broadcaster Phillip Adams will again participate in UQ’s annual Diversity Week celebrations (May 25-29) to chair a spirited conversation with eminent panellists on whether it’s possible to truly see the world from another’s perspective.
The host of ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live, Mr Adams AO will oversee the panel discussion as part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Equity and Diversity Awards event on Thursday, May 28.
Professor Carmen Lawrence, Australia's first female State Premier and former Federal Health Minister, and Professor Kevin Clements, Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at The University of Otago, New Zealand, will join Mr Adams in exploring the question, “In Others’ Shoes: Possible or Pipedream?”
At the 2008 awards, Mr Adams chaired a lively debate on the topic: “Wired for Warfare? Packaged for Peace? Does spirituality divide more than it unites?” based on the theme The Spirit of Diversity.
UQ’s Diversity Week is held each year to highlight and celebrate the many faces of the University community and to encourage students and staff to consider issues of diversity under one overarching theme.
The 2009 theme, In Others’ Shoes, challenges us to consider the world through multiple lenses ¬– to reflect upon how a person's worldviews are shaped by the people and societal beliefs around them.
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Keniger said a panel discussion was a great way to evoke a lively debate on an issue that was relevant to the modern world.
“So often we are too consumed in our own lives to notice the lives of those around us and this year’s theme makes us stop and think about the University’s diverse population and its different life paths,” Professor Keniger said.
Mr Adams will lead the featured panel at about 4:45pm on Thursday, May 28, with the discussion available for podcast after the event.
The Vice Chancellor’s Equity & Diversity Awards event is open to staff, students and guests of the University and is free of charge. Those interested in attending can register at http://www.uq.edu.au/diversity-week/ or by contacting Kristy Gan k.gan@uq.edu.au.
Media: Eliza Plant at UQ Communications (07 3365 2619)
