Internationally-renowned academics, such as Economics Nobel Laureate Professor Vernon Smith, will headline a series of lectures at The University of Western Australia, under a $300,000 partnership with industry leader Alcoa.
The Alcoa Visiting Professor program is a three-year partnership that will enhance the ability of the University's Business School to promote leadership development and mould future industry leaders.
"These leading national and international academics will help our business school to deliver world-class professional development to the West Australian business community," UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson said.
"The University, in conjunction with Alcoa, is excited to share the knowledge and skill of global industry business leaders and academics to continue paving the way for new generations of graduates to achieve international excellence within our State's booming resource economy."
Alcoa's Managing Director Mr Alan Cransberg, a UWA engineering graduate, said that retaining talent was one of the major challenges facing Australian businesses and that the need for an even more talented and skilled workforce was a key issue for companies like Alcoa.
"A key plank in Alcoa's approach to sustainability is partnering stronger communities and this program is enhancing the ability of the UWA Business School in delivering world class professional development," Mr Cransberg said.
Professor Smith won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002 for his pioneering work in using laboratory experiments in economical analysis, revolutionising the way economics is conducted in the global market today. In his experiments, people are asked to perform decision-making tasks - such as buying and selling items, buying at auction or making risky decisions, in a laboratory setting - to test hypotheses about people's economic behaviour and the role of institutions.
Professor Smith will present a free public lecture How to spend a thousand without losing millions at UWA's University Club Lecture Auditorium at 6pm, on Monday, March 17, 2008.
Media references
Dr Steven Schilizzi (School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UWA) 61 8 6488 2105
(for background on Prof Smith's visit)
Libby Archell (National Partnerships Manager, Alcoa) 61 8 9316 5290 / 0404 800 174
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs) 61 8 6488 5563 / 0432 637 716
