Social Sciences Week

‘The First Inventors: How People Shaped a Continent’ | An evening with Larissa Behrendt AO, Billy Griffiths and Sean Ulm To celebrate Social Sciences Week, and the research that helps us understand and shape society, RMIT University is proud to present celebrated Eualayai/Gamillaroi author, filmmaker and academic Larissa Behrendt AO, award-winning author and historian Billy Griffiths and one of Australia’s leading archaeologists, Sean Ulm, as they discuss their new book The First Inventors: How People Shaped a Continent. Drawing on the groundbreaking 4-part documentary series of the same name, The First Inventors takes readers on a journey through 65,000 years of innovation, […]

Australia’s rooftop solar boom has helped many homeowners cut electricity bills, but renters and apartment dwellers remain excluded. Plug-in solar panels and batteries could help close this gap. Plug-in solar systems include one or two photovoltaic panels and a micro-inverter, feeding power into a home’s mains circuit through a standard outlet. A combination with plug-in batteries can increase the use of self-generated electricity. Although widely adopted overseas, plug-in solar systems are illegal in Australia. Join us to discuss regulations, safety standards, consumer acceptance and protections to better understand the role of this technology in a fair low-carbon housing transition. Panel […]

The Great Debate is back for its fourth big year! Join us for an evening of compelling debate as six of Australia’s premier academics argue for and against the state of Australian politics. Arguing for the affirmative are: Professor Anika Gauja, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research at the University of Technology Sydney, Thomas Mayo, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander author, orator and justice advocate, and assistant National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Professor Graeme Orr, expert on electoral law at the University of Queensland. For the negative, the team includes: Professor Kim Rubenstein, co-director of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation […]

AI is here – the genie is out of the bottle. The question now is how we manage its impact and shape a digital future that benefits society. Behind the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is a vast and complex infrastructure network, with data centres playing a critical role in powering the technologies transforming how we live, work and connect. As part of Social Sciences Week, ‘AI Data Centres: Exploring the Buildings Behind the AI Boom’ brings together industry, government and academic perspectives to explore the opportunities and challenges of Australia’s digital transformation. The panel will examine how we can […]