The initiative was led by PVC (Research Performance and Development), Professor Amanda Barnier and Deputy Deans Research and Innovation. The Themed workshops and Open-Door workshops gave researchers an opportunity to explore research strengths and consilience, and to forge new collaborations aimed at bringing a range of disciplinary perspectives to research problems.

Professor Greg Downey, Interim Dean, Macquarie School of Social Sciences participated in the Brain Capital workshop.

“Everyone worries about academic silos which can keep us isolated in our own groups, talking to the same people over again. Macquarie is a special place where you can get new connections to happen. I am excited to pursue new leads and find fresh collaborators,” he says.

Themed workshops were co-hosted by Professor Barnier, and Deputy Deans Research and Innovation and Open-Door workshops were hosted by Research Centre directors. Workshop themes included Ageing Well, Ageing Together and Living Pasts, Resilient Futures. There were also workshops on Sustainable Cities and Brain Capital.

“The workshops revealed new ways in which our researchers and research teams might collaborate, coordinate, and converge efforts to become more than the sum of our parts. They highlighted Macquarie’s many research strengths and culture of collegiality as well as enormous potential for new and distinctive approaches to solving the big problems of the future,” says Professor Barnier.

By 29 August, over 20 Expressions of Interest had been received. From these, selected collectives will be invited to pitch their MQRC bid to a panel of internal and external experts in late September.

Workshop participant Associate Professor Dr Lisa Spagnolo, of Macquarie Law School says, “at the end of the workshops there were some tentative ideas for potential future collaborations. Of course, it is up to individuals to follow through, something that isn’t easy when we are all time poor. But that was the beauty of the workshops – they were an impetus to do that. A great starting point to spark connections and interest!”

Information about the 2023 MQRC Scheme and Workshops can be found on the Research Centres Scheme webpage.

To mark last week’s launch of the Macquarie Business School, we highlight some of the School’s outstanding business minds.

Collaboration key at new Macquarie Business School

Professor Stephen Brammer, Executive Dean of Macquarie Business School was featured in The Australian regarding the launch of the new Business School.

Climate wars: what you need to know before you vote on Saturday

Carbon pricing expert Stefan Trueck, Professor of Business Analytics, sits down for a Q&A on the differences between the major parties’ climate policies.

Can numbers be trusted? How annual reports could look in the future

Dr Andreas Hellman from the Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance addresses how new technology may soon replace questionnaires to delve deeper into our subconscious reactions to financial information, which could revolutionise the way annual reports are designed.

Meet Australia’s most diverse board

Associate Professor Lan Snell explains Macquarie University’s Business School has reimagined the MBA for a future, global workforce, advised by an industry board whose composition also leaves the past behind.

How Blockchain could change the way you buy your next house

Slashing the cost of real estate conveyancing is just one of the ways blockchain technology will transform commerce and affect our daily lives. Professor Tom Smith, Head of Macquarie’s Department of Applied Finance, explains.

Keep it local to help break third world poverty cycle

New research from Professor Aron O’Cass from the Department of Marketing will provide a road map for governments and manufacturers in developing countries to help end entrenched economic disadvantage.

Why is Australia still opening coal mines?

 While most countries see renewables as the way of the future, Australia is still obsessed with fossil-fuels. Macquarie Business School’s Professor Martina Linnenluecke examines the business case for coal.

Cashless society a foil for rogue banks

The potential for money laundering by rogue banks will diminish as Australia transitions to a cashless society, says Macquarie Business School’s Professor Tom Smith.

“For two decades I have been working on identifying the principles underlying resilient, high-performing organisations – from small firms through to entire nations,” Gayle explained.

The meeting was organised to discuss how countries in the G77 could use the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP), developed by the King of Thailand to successfully implement the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In her presentation, Gayle outlined the SEP process, showing delegates how it applied to several of the SDGs. Her research into sustainable leadership is of great interest in Thailand, which is looking for practical, evidence-based guidelines for implementing the SEP.

“My associates and I have often been invited to address large audiences and conduct various research projects based on the SEP, including editing a forthcoming book of case studies by Thai experts about applying the SEP to business, health, education, community development, prisoner rehabilitation and agriculture,” said Gayle .

The G77 is equivalent to the United Nations’s G20 but for developing economies, giving them an enhanced negotiating capacity in the United Nations. The group currently includes 134 member countries, with Thailand being the chair in 2016.

“The meeting in Thailand is just one of many forums where experts and policy makers can work together to help achieve UN goals,” said Gayle . She has been invited to address the G77 again, at its meeting in June.

 Learn more about Gayle and her research.