Sydney Ideas

The capacity to make precise genome edits is slowly changing our approach to medicine, agriculture and our planet. This panel discussion is the first in a series of Sydney Ideas events discussing the new possibilities of genome manipulation. This event discussed fundamental science and applications of genome editing. A Sydney Ideas event held at the University of Sydney on Thursday 14 June 2018. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/genome-editing.html

What does conflict in Syria mean for GDP, capital stock, fiscal and monitory dynamics, employment, poverty, education, health, human development index, and social capital? Zaki Mehchy, a co-founder and researcher of the Syrian Center for Policy Research, will present the latest findings on the socioeconomic impact of the conflict in Syria. A Sydney Ideas event held at the University of Sydney on Tuesday 12 June 2018. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/the-syrian-conflict.html

In the 2018 Professor Walter Stibbs Lecture, Nobel Laureate Professor Brian Schmidt looks at the Universe's vital statistics and what we do (and don't) know about the past, present and future. A Sydney Ideas event held at the University of Sydney on Tuesday 5 June 2018. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/the-state-of-the-universe.html

Are we eating ourselves sick? Join our panel of speakers to ask: could food really help us ward off diseases like diabetes, dementia, cancer and dental or cardiovascular disease? Hear from our panel of experts from across the University of Sydney’s health faculties. This event was held at the University of Sydney on Wednesday 23 May 2018. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/food-as-medicine.html

This event, co-presented with the Department of Archaeology, brings together two archaeologists to discuss the status of Aboriginal archaeology, as well as where we should go from here into the future. A Sydney Ideas event held at the University of Sydney on Tuesday 22 May 2018. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/an-ancient-and-dynamic-history-aboriginal-archaeology.html

Professor Jean Lau Chin from Adelphi University in New York examines what successful 21st century leadership should look like in our increasingly diverse and global society. A Sydney Ideas event held at the University of Sydney on Thursday 17 May 2018. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/global-and-diverse-leadership.html

Australia poet Mark Tredinnick discusses the landscape in and of contemporary poetry, the role of the lyric in a time of spiritual and ecological crisis, and the importance of writing across the disciplines and embedding creativity in education at all points of life and learning. A Sydney Ideas event held at the University of Sydney on Tuesday 15 May 2018. https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/landscape-of-poetry-mark-tredinnick-in-conversation-robyn-ewing.html

This event brings together a panel of experts to discuss how the Australian healthcare system is a major contributor to the nation's carbon footprint. Held as part of Sydney Ideas on 1 May 2018: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/is-the-health-sector-key-to-a-low-carbon-world.html

Professor Mary Kaldor will introduce the concept of global security cultures in order to explain why we get stuck in certain ways of doing security. She argues that, in contrast to the Cold War period when there was one dominant security culture based on military forces and states, nowadays there are several competing cultures including Geopolitics, New Wars, the Liberal Peace and the War on Terror. She will discuss the contradictions, dilemmas and experiments that might open up alternative pathways.

Nadia Urbinati, one of Italy's most distinguished scholars, analyses the main forces that are nowadays tearing apart more than a few democracies around the world, Italy included. In an unusual twist, she concentrates less on the overt enemies of democracy than on those who pose as its friends: for instance, technocrats wedded to expert procedures; demagogues who make glib appeals to 'the people', and media platforms bent on turning politics into a sensational spectator sport and citizens into fans of opposing teams. Presented as part of Sydney Ideas with Sydney Democracy Network (SDN) and Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC)on 17 April 2018: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/sydney-ideas/2018/the-false-friends-of-democracy-power-opinion-truth-people.html