The new joint national Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation (CRRI) has moved into the second stage of its feasibility study with a program of custom-designed courses to be offered across rural and regional Australia.
The University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne are the founding partners in the CRRI, which has nodes at Gatton, Queensland, and Shepparton, Victoria.
The feasibility study is funded by the Federal Government through a grant announced last November by the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs Dr David Kemp, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, John Anderson, and the Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government Senator Ian Macdonald. The study is also being supported by the University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland, Professor John Hay, and the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, Professor Sally Walker, today welcomed the CRRI's move to stage two of the feasibility study.
Professor Hay and Professor Walker noted that in the first phase of the study, the CRRI has developed a network, with two foundations, eleven regional universities throughout Australia, some divisions of CSIRO, a CRC and State and Federal Government departments contributing to its activities.
In the second phase a program of 15 courses will be offered across rural and regional Australia on the themes of Rural Community Development, Women in Business Leadership and Developing Visions for Regional Communities.
The Rural Community Development course will be led by the Rural Extension Centre, a joint venture of the University of Queensland and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. The University of Melbourne will offer the Women in Business Leadership program and the Regional Visioning program will be provided by regional partners of the CRRI within their own regions, using a program kit designed by CRRI partners.
Professor Hay said that a particular feature of the CRRI concept is provision of tools for rural and regional communities. Also, scholarships covering all tuition costs and contributing to other associated expenses will be offered by the CRRI to help people attend the programs..
"The courses offered by the CRRI can be used as professional development or on a stand-alone basis by people wishing to build a project relevant to their area of interest" Professor Hay said. The CRRI wishes to promote the concept of mutual obligation and people accepting a CRRI scholarship are expected to become part of its network of demand - a web-based network helping the CRRI partners keep informed about the requirements of rural and regional Australia
Professor Walker welcomed the progress being made by the national Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation, noting that it has an important role to play in driving growth and development in rural and regional Australia. The CRRI, she said, is not only attracting involvement and support from other universities, but also from research organisations and government.
"This partnership with the University of Queensland and Australia's regional universities will assist us to develop quality programs built around an adult education model," she said. "These programs have been custom-designed to help people in rural and regional Australia tackle problems specific to their situation.
"The University of Melbourne is extremely pleased to be involved in one of the inaugural education programs developed for the CRRI. The Women in Business Leadership program will be designed to help women in rural and regional areas gain additional skills enabling them to perform in business at an advanced level," she said. "This course should therefore have valuable spin-offs for local economies."
A list of proposed venues for CRRI courses and an example of a scholarship application information pack and application form is attached.
For information contact:
University of Melbourne - Christina Buckridge 03 8344 6158; 0412 101 316
Professor Snow Barlow 0407 251 574
University of Queensland - Jan King 07 3365 1120; 0413 601 248
Associate Professor Bob Beeton 0419 714 533
CRRI 2000 courses and Venues
Rural Community Development
Emerald (July) (Q), Gatton (October - December) (Q), Roseworthy (October - December) (S.A.), Dubbo (October - December) (N.S.W.) and Dookie (October - December) (Vic)
Women in Business Leadership
Warragul (October 2-6) (Vic), Gatton (November 16-20) (Q), Albany (October 30 - November 3) (W.A.), Ballina (November 13 - 17)(N.S.W.) and Dookie (November 20 - 24) (Vic).
Planning for a Prosperous Future
Armidale (N.S.W.) (UNE), Ayr (Q) (JCU and CQU), Whyalla (S.A.) (UofA), Orange (N.S.W.) (U.Sydney and CSU) and Ballarat (Vic) (La Trobe and Ballarat).
