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USC forms research relationship with Lombok
The University of the Sunshine Coast has begun a new chapter with one of Australia’s closest Asian neighbours in a bid to develop a program of education and research to benefit both countries.
A delegation of USC staff and academics recently returned from the Indonesian island of Lombok after signing an agreement with the Provincial Government of Nusa Tenggara Barat to work with Lombok’s University of Mataram (UNRAM).
USC’s Lombok Research Initiative (LoRI) will collaborate with UNRAM on research areas including coastal management, capacity building in sustainable tourism and language education.
USC’s Lecturer in Human Geography Dr Harriot Beazley said the lack of rights for children and women in Lombok was another key field of investigation.
“Our plan is for USC to work with the Women’s Study Centre at UNRAM on children’s rights because we know that children in Lombok are facing many neglect issues including a lack of education,” she said.
“They are often left to be raised poorly by the community because their parents migrate overseas for work.
“There is also very little information available about children with disabilities and how they are treated because they are usually hidden away from society.”
Dr Beazley said it was hoped that some of the research outcomes could be used to formulate government policy and obtain aid where needed.
USC’s Lecturer in Tourism Dr Gayle Mayes said the new partnership also allowed for student study exchanges and experimental learning programs.
“The unique opportunities for programs and exchanges will be of tremendous interest and benefit to the university, staff and students of both countries,” she said.
“We will learn so much from each other by deliberately creating collaborative projects that require English and Indonesian language and research skills.”
— Michelle Widdicombe