The 2023 annual business meeting was held online on Tuesday October 17 following this agenda and papers (PDF 338KB).
Attendees: Iain Gordon (President and meeting chair), Paul Bertsch, Mindy Blaise, Rachel Brooks (for Martin Bliemel), Jennifer Howell, and Gabriele Bammer, with Rachel Bryant taking minutes.
Apologies: Martin Bliemel, Rob Raven and Ken Taylor
What have we done?
- See attached Report of the 2022 Business Meeting.
- Stuart White and Rob Raven have stepped down from Executive and there is currently one vacant position. Looking for three new nominations.
- Decision made to maintain status quo rather than become an independent organization at this stage.
- Discussion about events calendar: some success developing new events (item for discussion later in the meeting).
Held one seminar online in 2022 Professor Margaret Palmer, Director, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), USA. A recording of Margaret Palmer’s seminar (plus all other seminars) is available at: https://nitro-oceania.net/activities/seminars/
Two seminars in pipeline:
1) Larissa Behrendt from University of Technology Sydney to talk on 16 November, title to be advised.
2) Rachel Kelly from University of Tasmania, content, and time to be advised.
The aim is to host seminars supporting early career researchers and to hold workshops. - Working group responses
Gabriele Bammer – Multiple submission made to three Australian enquiries and one international call for input (details on website https://nitro-oceania.net/activities/working-groups/informing-research-and-funding-policy-working-group/); disappointingly there does not seem to be substantial interest in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and education in any of the Australian enquiries.
2022-23 Activity report, website report and financial statement
For ratification but this was not addressed.
Paul Bertsch commended Gabriele Bammer’s work keeping website going, it is still getting hits and would be good to include links to events mentioned in this meeting.
What should we do next?
Possible activities
1) Mindy Blaise – at ECU they hold round table events (The Ediths) bringing together scientists and artists for collaboration. Online curated conversation around a project or reading, usually attended by around 50 people, 300 members internationally. Offered to curate a round table series of interest to NITRO-Oceania members. To create a space to discuss how to develop skills e.g., for early researchers.
Action: Iain Gordon, Gabriele Bammer, Mindy Blaise to meet to discuss what and when in 2024.
2) Jennifer Howell – potential opportunity with public policy institute, Breakfast by the Bay, topics of public interest. Engagement could be broadened to issues NITRO-Oceania would like to nominate. Potential as a platform to raise issues, for engagement and to promote international transdisciplinary research. Link provided: https://www.uwa.edu.au/institutes/public-policy/home
Relevant Symposia
Mindy Blaise mentioned the Oceania Planetary Health Forum in Fiji, towards end of 2024.
Gabriele Bammer mentioned the Sustainability Research and Innovation to be held in Finland in June 2024 and International Transdisciplinarity conference (ITD24) in Utrecht in November 2024.
Who is going to lead us into the next phase?
Nominations for Executive and President
Three executive positions are now available. The Executive meets online monthly for approximately 1 hour. With no nominations forthcoming from the meeting there is a call out to invite members to nominate these positions. Iain Gordon is willing to remain as president if no other nominations.
Paul Bertsch nominated Iain to remain as president, seconded by Jennifer Howell.
What else? Any other business
Gabriele mentioned the Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity (https://itd-alliance.org/), which has three working groups, with a focus on toolkits, research integration, and early career researchers. Administered by a group in Switzerland. Nominations upcoming for the leadership board. It is a professional association with institutional and individual membership. Complimentary organisation to NITRO-Oceania.
Jennifer Howell mentioned that Susan Prescott from University of Western Australia was awarded the Integral Chair of Planetary Health Alliance and will be based in US starting early next year.
Iain Gordon is in communication with Hong Kong Polytechnic University regarding connecting with broader community and opportunities to co-host events, has provided information to the university on NITRO-Oceania. The university is multi-institutional and there is a formal process to go through to progress discussion.
Meeting concluded 12:37 pm (ACT time)