Research impact tag: Public policy - Research Impact at UWA

Democracy and divided societies

September 12, 2019/in 44 – Studies in Human Society, National security, Public policy, Social, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

The spread of democratic governance is central to the promotion of peace and in upholding stable global and regional relations. Professor Benjamin Reilly is an internationally recognised political scientist at The University of Western Australia whose research focuses on democracies in the Indo-Pacific region. His work on democratic governance, political development, electoral system design, and party politics in post-conflict environments has helped shape political and electoral reform in new and emerging democracies, and he also advises governments on these issues.

Stopping the spread

March 1, 2018/in Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) has been on the rise in Western Australia (WA), with nearly half of the cases presenting as MenW. Since 2013, a team of researchers at UWA led by Associate Professor Charlene Kahler have been researching IMD and MenW and have been instrumental in informing the WA government of the need to act in delivering vaccinations to the community, the most effective preventative measure to eradicate this disease.

Drop by drop

July 19, 2017/in Engineering, Computing & Mathematics, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Water is a key driver for all our activities; transporting life giving solutions into the environment and into our bodies. It plays a critical role in making our cities and towns more liveable and our industries viable. Staggeringly, we have access to only 3% of the world’s total water. Of that, 1% falls in the wrong place, 1% falls at the wrong time and only the remaining 1% is accessible for use. By using a multidisciplinary approach, Professor Anas Ghadouani and his team have been dedicated to helping communities close the loop on the water cycle at a local level.

Understanding and predicting ocean weather

February 10, 2017/in Engineering, Computing & Mathematics, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Our planet experiences a range of natural disasters that can cause loss of life and displacement of communities. By using the latest technology and modelling to understand and predict ocean weather, this team have been able to help global communities.

Seeds of Life

October 20, 2016/in Science, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Food security in Timor-Leste became a major issue following its independence in 2002. Having poor farming practices and increasing concerns over food security, by 2015 Timor-Leste was ranked fourth on the Global Hunger Index. During the hungry season which spans 3 – 4 months per year, farmers and their families experience severe food shortages, poverty and chronic hunger, leading to malnutrition and stunted growth in children. The UWA Seeds of Life program has impacted the lives of East Timorese by reducing the hungry season and improving food and nutrition.

Brightpath to learning

July 26, 2016/in Education, Law, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Assessing student work in performance based learning areas is now much easier thanks to research developed out of The University of Western Australia and the subsequent formation of the company Pairwise. In collaboration with teachers and school associations, Pairwise has now successfully developed and commercialised the Brightpath approach, which is already being adopted in many schools across Western Australia.

Murujuga: Dynamics of the Dreaming

June 1, 2016/in Arts, Indigenous, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

This team from UWA are exploring the Dampier Archipelago (Murujuga). What they have uncovered so far is astounding, and pushes back the known occupation of this place to before the Last Ice Age. It also contains an estimated one million engraved motifs of great scientific and cultural significance, an important part of understanding the human journey in Australia’s north-west. The Dampier Archipelago (Murujuga) is a National Heritage Listed place, contains heavy industry and is the traditional home of several Aboriginal groups.

Barrow Island Archaeology Project: a deep history

April 15, 2016/in Arts, Indigenous, Stories /by Scott Mitchell

Led by Peter Veth, Professor of Archaeology, the UWA team (the first to be granted permission to conduct a long-term heritage research project on Barrow Island) set out to establish how Australia was settled by Aboriginal people and what life was like. Celebrated amongst their findings was some of the earliest evidence of Aboriginal occupation of Australia (dating to approximately 50,000 years ago) anunique climatic records of Northern Australia and the discovery of some of the earliest human use of maritime resources east of Wallacea.