Sydney Ideas

The world has traditionally relied heavily on the 'business as usual model' of industrial food production and supermarket-oriented consumption. However, this system is not sustainable if we’re to secure a healthy future for people and the planet. Hear from Hilal Elver, UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Food; OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn and Mario Herrero from CSIRO, as they share insights into how we might address food security. Visit the website for for information including Hilal's slides and further resources: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/food-security.html

Climate change, resource extraction and increasing levels of extinction present unprecedented challenges. How can the humanities and social sciences help us to respond to the biodiversity crisis in a more just way, which transforms how we protect the foundations of life on our planet? This podcast was recorded on Thursday 19 June 2019 at the University of Sydney: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/biodiversity-and-extinction.html

Humans' contribution to climate change is an important prompt for us to consider other global injustices that we may not immediately connect to this hotly-debated topic. Hear from internationally renowned scholars Petra Tschakert, Maan Barua and Makere Stewart-Harawira, as they respond to this question of justice. The discussion was chaired by University of Sydney's David Schlosberg. This podcast was recorded on Thursday 13 June 2019 at the University of Sydney: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/social-economic-futures-climate-change.html

How does language determine what we know or how we experience the world? As the online realm increasingly converges with our offline experiences, it raises an important question: whose knowledge dominates these new spaces? Whose voices are missing, and what are the consequences of these inequities? This podcast was recorded on Wednesday 12 June at the University of Sydney: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/wikipedia-and-knowledge-equity.html

Language is sometimes viewed as a window on the mind, but it is equally a tool, a weapon, or perhaps most accurately: a remote control device. Are we controlled by language? Content warning: this podcast contains course language and discusses violence. Listener discretion is advised. This podcast was recorded on Thursday 6 June at the University of Sydney: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/does-language-control-us.html

Insights from the past to transform our environmental future Archaeology can help us understand how climate and environmental change in our recent and distant past shapes our future. Join us as we delve into the little-known world of environmental archaeology, during National Archaeology Week. This event was held on Wednesday 22 May at the University of Sydney https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/national-archaeology-week-environment.html

As part of Seymour's Centre's premiere season of 'Made to Measure' by Alana Valentine, this special Sydney Ideas event explores the role the arts has to play in investigating major public health issues. Following a performance of the play, writer Alana Valentine, University of Sydney's Professor Stephen Simpson and dressmaker Santina Porpiglia, had a discussion about art and science working together and its contributions in shifting perceptions. This podcast was recorded on Tuesday 21 May at the Seymour Centre: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/made-to-measure.html

When a rare medical condition (limb girdle muscular dystrophy) struck Monkol Lek in his early twenties, he took matters into his own hands and retrained in human genetics at the University of Sydney at Westmead. Monkol is now at the forefront of genetic research at Yale and his findings so far have the potential to be game changing for a number of diseases. Hear him share insights into his incredible work and story. This was recorded at a Sydney Ideas event held on Monday 20 May at the University of Sydney. For a transcript of the event and more information, visit our website: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/monkol-lek.html

Student activism in China dates back 100 years, but since their emergence as a political force in 1919, students have influenced and inspired landmark protests across the 20th century and beyond. On 4 June 1989 the world watched on in horror as the Beijing spring protests by Chinese students were brutally repressed by military intervention. The foundation for that momentous and tragic event was laid in Beijing on 4 May 1919 when students took to the streets of the Chinese capital for the first time to protest the terms of the Versailles treaty. From that day on, student activism became an almost constant element and 'students' emerged as important advocates for political thought and practice. This event was held on Tuesday 7 May at the University of Sydney and co-presented with China Studies Centre, the Department of History and the Sydney School of Education and Social Work: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/student-activism-china.html

This year marks the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, whose vision and leadership led to the independence of India against British colonial rule more than 70 years ago. Join us to reflect on the life, learnings and legacy of Gandhi in this event with Gandhian scholar Dr Shobhana Radhakrishna and University of Sydney's Professor Elizabeth Hill and Professor John Shields. Learn more: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2019/mahatma-gandhi.html