The Perth Research Hub for an innovative new research centre that will focus on engineering, the social sciences and humanities, ecology, urban design and urban climatology, and water resources technology has been officially launched at The University of Western Australia by the State Minister for Water, Bill Marmion.

Building capacity through education to help the emerging Indian Ocean nation of Myanmar achieve its potential in the Asian Century is the key to a scholarship announced jointly today by The University of Western Australia and Woodside Energy.

Australia's ability to capitalise on the Asian Century will depend on strong cross-cultural leadership that is built on the foundations of trust and relationships, according to the one of the Task Force members of the Australian Government's Asian Century White Paper.

Perth has well and truly left its "branch office town" tag behind and become a city that is globally and regionally integrated, and significant for more than just its minerals and resources sector.