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The Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, visited The University of Western Australia today to discuss issues of faith and globalisation.

Mr Blair was UK Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007.  In 2008, he established his Faith and Globalisation Initiative with Yale University in the US.  Since then the Initiative has grown to include eight leading research universities worldwide, including McGill, Peking University, The National University of Singapore, Durham University and The University of Western Australia

UWA's Religion and Globalisation Initiative, as part of the global university network working with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, offers courses, lectures and academic conferences that examine the ways in which religions and secular ideologies impact contemporary life and global politics.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson said UWA believed it was vital to provide students with cultural competence in an era of rapid globalisation and inter-connectedness.

"The need for a broad and deep understanding of life is increasingly important for a generation that will have a multiplicity of careers in various cultures and locals across the globe," he said.

"Our staff and students are drawn from more than 100 countries.  This initiative encourages reflection on the deeper values and meaning that sustain us all," Professor Robson said.

At UWA, Mr Blair and his delegation joined a discussion with academic staff to talk about the interface between religion and globalisation in world affairs and to identify potential global research collaborations.

Media references

Elena Douglas (Convenor, UWA Religion and Globalisation Initiative)  (+61 8)  6488 7575 / (+61 4) 18 687 645
Sally-Ann Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 7975  /  (+61 4) 20 790 098