News Archive

UWA Business School
Homelessness, Indigenous employment, equal remuneration and social innovation have all been under the spotlight as part of the UWA Business School's Centre for Social Impact's (CSI) latest activities.

The Centre's activities have encompassed teaching, research, and community engagement, all contributing in various ways to CSI (UWA)'s mission - to create beneficial impact in Australia through teaching, research, measurement and the promotion of public debate.

In March, CSI (UWA) held a panel discussion on equal remuneration, chaired by Cheryl Kernot and attended by a cross section of social sector, government and corporate stakeholders. Other recent events included the launch of a social procurement report, a discussion panel on homelessness, visit by Generation One representatives, and a spotlight on Indigenous employment as part of the regular Yakety Yak CSI series.

Stan and Jean Perron Visiting Professor in Ethics and Entrepreneurship Tina Dacin, Director, Queen's School of Business Centre for Responsible Leadership visited UWA for one week in May. She delivered a Public Lecture on Social Innovation to more than 70 attendees, presented an academic seminar to UWA staff and spoke at a Leaders Lunch to 40 business, government and academic leaders.

In exciting teaching news, the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact is well underway through the UWA Business School, providing an opportunity for corporate and social sector professionals to better understand changes in the international social landscape as well as offering MBA students opportunities to undertake study in social change leadership and entrepreneurship.

Several research projects are also under way, with one of the largest areas being a set of four separate ongoing research projects being undertaken on behalf of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. In these studies, CSI (UWA) Director Professor Paul Flatau is examining inter-generational homelessness, the cost of homelessness, age-specific housing, and the integration of homelessness and health services. These studies are also complementing CSI (UWA)'s work with Swinburne University, the Australian Catholic University, Mission Australia, Salvation Army and Anglicare, which is examining the economic and social impact of interventions to assist the homeless.

Other research areas being examined by CSI (UWA) include improving Indigenous employment opportunities in the Pilbara and other regions, supporting university education for disadvantaged people, and improving our understanding of the role of values in the Australian community in driving the extent and types of "giving", "volunteering" and "community engagement" behaviours.

In addition, Professor Flatau has been appointed Chair of the Social Innovation Grants Panel and sits on the Minister for Child Protection's Western Australian Homelessness Council.

To support CSI (UWA)'s busy schedule, the Centre has welcomed several new staff. Sonia Nolan, Community Engagement and Corporate Affairs Manager, has joined the team from the Energy and Minerals Institute at UWA, and brings extensive corporate and communications experience from the corporate, government and small business sectors.  Tim Daly has just started as a Post-Doctoral Fellow on the Australian Giving, Community Benefit and Values Research Project. Alicia Bauskis, Research Assistant, will be working on two ARC Linkage Projects - the Costs of Youth Homelessness, and Community Embedded Socially Supported University Education. Finally, Emma Hagdorn, Research Assistant, will be working primarily in the area of Indigenous business and contracting.

Media references

Heather Merritt
Director, External Relations
UWA Business School
T: +618 6488 8171
M: 0419 950 027
E: [email protected]

Sonia Nolan
Community Engagement and Corporate Affairs Manager
UWA Business School
T: 6488 7586
E: [email protected]