Bond University’s research awards have been told that acknowledging traditional Indigenous knowledge is a crucial element of the journey towards reconciliation in Australia.
Acting Vice Chancellor and Provost Keitha Dunstan addressed the gathering of academics less than 48 hours before polling day for the voice referendum.
“Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing were based on observation, experimentation and accumulating knowledge,” said Professor Dunstan, a descendant of the Mandandanji people of South-West Queensland,
“It was not through journals but through elders that knowledge was passed down, including bush medicine which modern medicine still hasn't quite caught up with.
“There is accumulated knowledge that has not yet come forward into modern science, so we are looking forward as we move forward on our journey of reconciliation to taking better advantage of that.”
The top award at the Vice Chancellor's Research Awards 2023 went to Professor Tammy Hoffmann OAM.
Professor Hoffmann collected the Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Award for her work at Centre for Evidence-Informed Health Decisions in the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare.
Other winners were:
Vice Chancellor’s PhD Award - Dr Matthew Olsen (Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine)
Vice Chancellor’s Award for Early Career Research Excellence - Assistant Professor of Public Health Mina Bakhit (Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine)
Vice Chancellor’s Award for Research Supervision - Professor Wayne Hing (Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine)
Vice Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Service - Assistant Professor Mark Bahr (Faculty of Society & Design), Chair of the Bond University Human Research Ethics Committee since 2007.
The research awards included a minute’s silence in memory of Professor Kevin Ashton who passed away in September following a short illness.
“I know that we all held Kevin in very high esteem,” Professor Dunstan said.
“As well as being an exceptional educator and academic he was a driver of change within the research portfolio.
“I know that he will be very much missed.”
The research awards are a highlight of Research Week at Bond University.