CHASS FORUM

Exploring Current Social Issues

On October 8, I was fortunate enough to represent Kew High School at the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Public Good National Forum. The forum was held at the University of Melbourne. CHASS holds an annual forum to facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge and skills to address the complexity of today’s social problems and develop solutions towards social progress.

The forum consisted of a number of speakers, well known in their respective fields, who present, take questions and discuss their views. The first speaker was social researcher and author, Hugh Mackay, who discussed the ideas of independence and interdependence and the importance of having a sense of belonging. Other speakers included: Professor Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist of Australia who contributed to a panel discussing the importance and value of humanities, arts and social sciences research; Professor David Christian who explained his interdisciplinary approach known as Big History and the role of the Humanities in the Anthropocene; and Tim Wilson the Australian Human Rights Commissioner who participated in a panel exploring the importance of safeguarding freedom of expression.

There was also a showcase for the Design Institute of Australia’s Australasian Graduate of the Year Awards, which displayed the work of final year design students from across Australia and New Zealand. The final speaker of the day was Dr Frank Furedi, a sociology professor, who participated in a discussion with Professor Anthony Elliot, Director of the Hawke Research Institute, together they explored the rising culture of risk, fear and terror in the 21st Century.

Overall I found it to be a very informative and interesting experience. It allowed people from a variety of fields to come together to participate in discussions and explore current social issues and the impact that Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences can have.

Tara O’Brien

Year 11