Leading public debate

Aside from its involvement in a range of conferences, in 2008 CCS launched a public lecture series. In March 2008 Prof Jeffrey Reitz from Canada was a CCS visiting scholar, and delivered the first CCS public lecture with Professor Jock Collins, UTS academic and founding member of CCS. They address comparative research in Canada and Australia on religion, religiosity and the social integration of immigrants in both countries. In April 2008 the second public lecture was delivered by Prof. Patrick Bond, the Director of the Centre for Civil Society at the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, who spoke on the role of progressive civil society in addressing the challenges of water scarcity at local, national and international levels. Prof Bond was joined by Geoff Young the Manager of the Community Education Unit, Sustainability Programs Division, at the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW who spoke about the public education role adopted by the Department to address the management of water resources.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.