Sydney Ideas

The civil war in Syria has entered its seventh year. With death toll estimates ranging from 220,000 to 400,000 casualties and more than 11 million civilians internally displaced or seeking refuge abroad, it has been described as the world’s deadliest conflict of recent times. In this forum, a panel of experts will explore political, cultural and humanitarian dimensions of the Syrian tragedy. The panel focuses on questions relating to allegations of genocide, the use of archaeological and historical monuments as ‘weapons of war’, and the causes and consequences of failures to prevent atrocity crimes in Syria and elsewhere. The discussion also considers the limitations of our capacity for empathy towards ‘distant others’ and the implications for effective action towards peace and human rights. SPEAKERS - Dr Ross Burns has published two books on the history and monuments of Syria Monuments of Syria (2009); and Damascus; A History (2005). - German born Syrian-American composer and pianist Malek Jandali has spoken at Harvard, Duke and the UN headquarters in New York City. He is the founder of Pianos for Peace, a non-profit which aims to build peace through music and education. - Dr Eyal Mayroz is a Lecturer in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney. His research interests include Genocide Studies, Counter-terrorism, Human Rights and Middle East Politics. Forum moderated by Wendy Lambourne, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney. Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 27 June: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/war_syria_destruction_culture_human_rights_forum.shtml

What is the impact of Hillary Clinton's loss and will it discourage or motivate women to become more politically engaged? In conversation with Geraldine Doogue, current host of ABC Radio National’s Saturday Extra, Anna Greenberg who has over 15 years of experience polling in the political, non-profit and academic sectors, charts a way forward for women in politics in both the United States and Australia. A Sydney Ideas and US Studies Centre event at the University of Sydney on 21 June 2017: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/women_politics_anna_greenberg.shtml

What does it mean to urbanise? Are industrialisation and urbanisation two aspects of the same process? How do villages have a chance to thrive if a state is determined to urbanise the country? Drawing on cases in the peri-urban area of the Pearl River Delta, this talk by Professor Luigi Tomba, Director of the China Studies Centre, The University of Sydney, discusses aspects of China’s rapid urbanisation. It will explore strategies that village collectives have put in place to defend their economic, social and cultural autonomy in the face of the desire of the state to both claim control of ever greater portions of the country’s collective land, and to urbanise as much as possible of the population. Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 20 June, 2017 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/professor_luigi_tomba.shtml

Belkis Wille is senior Iraq researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division, Human Rights Watch. She discusses the worsening situation for civilians in Mosul, the prospects of justice for victims of ISIS abuses, the prospects for reconciliation in Iraq, and why the international community including Australia should do more to ensure respect for human rights in Iraq. Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 15 June 2017: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/belkis_wille.shtml

Professor Yolanda Moses, Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Cultural Competence, National Centre for Cultural Competence. Based on an article ‘Confronting the Trump Effect on Our Campuses’, recently published in Inside Higher Education, Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Cultural Competence, Professor Yolanda Moses will discuss institutional commitments to diversity, social justice and inclusion in today’s current political climate. She will make the case that an “America first “policy clashes with the core values of contemporary higher education in the U.S., and suggest some strategies and practices to resist the proposed “closing of the American mind.” Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 9 June 2017: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/professor_yolanda_moses.shtml

The challenges that face schools are not simple but there are local, national and international models that may provide some pathways to changing school learning and teaching practices, leadership and governance. This panel considers how schools and schooling can benefit from new models and approaches to learning. They draw on international experience, emergent models (such as the 4Cs) and discuss the role of technology in enabling and potentially impeding learning. Speakers: Professor Michael Anderson, School of Education and Social Work; Mrs Robyn Evans principal, Casula Public School; Dr Miranda Jefferson , Teaching Educator, Catholic Education Office Parramatta; Mr Greg Whitby, Executive Director of Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta; Dr Phil Lambert PSM (panel chair. Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 8 June 2017. http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/ESW_deans_lecture_series.shtml

Carlos Ghosn, one of the world’s most influential business leaders and was the first executive to run two Fortune Global 500 companies simultaneously, discusses the future of the automotive industry, the importance of innovation in business, and what it takes to be a truly global leader. Mr Ghosn has been the industry's leading advocate for sustainable transportation; Renault and Nissan were the first automakers to launch a range of affordable zero-emission vehicles. He is also leading the Alliance’s pioneering effort to develop autonomous-drive and connected-car technologies and services. Presented by the Australian Lebanese Foundation in partnership with the University of Sydney Business School and Sydney Ideas This event was held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 8 June 2017: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/carlos_ghosn.shtml

We think we know civil war when we see it. Yet ideas of what it is, and what it isn’t, have a long and contested history, from its fraught origins in republican Rome to debates in early modern Europe to our present day. Defining the term is acutely political, for ideas about what makes a war “civil” often depend on whether one is a ruler or a rebel, victor or vanquished, sufferer or outsider. Calling a conflict a civil war can shape its outcome by determining whether outside powers choose to get involved or stand aside: from the American Revolution to the war in Iraq, pivotal decisions have depended on such shifts of perspective. A panel of historians, lawyers and philosophers respond to David Armitage’s book 'Civil Wars: A History in Ideas', in which he offers a unique perspective on the roots and dynamics of civil war, and on its shaping force in our conflict-ridden world. Speakers: Professor David Armitage, Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History, Harvard University; Associate Professor Maartje Abbenhuis, History, University of Auckland; Dr Eleanor Cowan, Lecturer in Roman History, University of Sydney; Professor Andrew Fitzmaurice, Professor of History, University of Sydney; Professor Duncan Ivison, Professor of Political Philosophy and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) University of Sydney; Professor Ben Saul, Challis Chair of International Law, Sydney Law School Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 5 June 2017 http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/professor_david_armitage.shtml

In the last 50 years museums have slowly changed from exhibitions ‘about’ Indigenous peoples to exhibitions by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander curators. As the University of Sydney embarks on the building of the new Chau Chak Wing Museum, we consider what are the next steps and continue to question how exhibitions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections can engage all visitors meaningfully. Speakers: Sharni Jones, Manager of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections at the Australian Museum Stephen Gilchrist, Associate Lecturer Department of Art History, University of Sydney Rodney Kelly, Gweagal activist for the repatriation of ancestral collections to Aboriginal ownership Amanda Reynolds, Stella Stories artist, curator, cultural consultant and editor Matt Poll, (panel chair) Assistant Curator, Indigenous Heritage, Macleay Museum, Sydney University Museums A 2017 Reconciliation Week at the University of Sydney event, co-presented with the Macleay Museum. Held on 31 May 2017: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/reconciliation_week_arts_aboriginal_australia_forum.shtml

What’s wrong with our kidneys? And what we are doing about it at the University of Sydney. Professor Steve Chadban reviews the state of the nation in terms of kidney health and discusses the spectrum of kidney disease in the Australian population. He then turns to the lab to explore potential solutions for key problems in kidney health. From the lab he next moves to the clinic to examine the impact of specific interventions for people with kidney disease. Finally he returns to the population level to observe the impact of treatments for kidney disease on outcomes. Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 31 May 2017: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/21st_century_medicine_2017.shtml