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Some of the world's best minds will meet at The University of Western Australia in November for In the Zone , an international conference aimed at stimulating debate on the geopolitical and business challenges facing Australia and its major trading partners.

The conference focuses on the countries within a shared time zone - a region comprising 60 per cent of the world's population, living in nations that promise the greatest economic growth of the 21st century. Themes for In the Zone are ‘Crisis, Opportunity and New World Order'.

Key speakers include Dr Narongchai Akrasanee, Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of Thailand; Tom Albanese, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto; Tim Costello, Chief Executive, World Vision Australia; Roy Krzywosinski, Managing Director, Chevron Australia; Professor Emeritus Sai Kit Lam, Senior Research Fellow, University of Malaysia; Professor Sangkot Marzuki, Director, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology Jakarta and President of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences; Jeremy Phillips, Executive Vice President of News Corporation; Indrani Bagchi, Diplomatic Editor of Times of India; and His Excellency Zhang Junsai, Chinese Ambassador to Australia.

Initiated by the University, the conference is being driven by a high-powered local committee that includes Premier Colin Barnett, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, UWA Chancellor and NAB and Woodside Chairman Michael Chaney, UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson, Conference Chair Professor Margaret Seares, UWA Professorial Fellow Kim Beazley, former Australian diplomats Dr Susan Boyd and Dr Richard Smith, JP Morgan Chairman Sir Rod Eddington, Australian Capital Equity CEO John Langoulant, and Nobel Laureate Professor Barry Marshall.

"Traditionally thought of as one of the world's most isolated cities, Perth's time zone is truly one of its greatest assets in a digitised world," Professor Marshall said.

"It enables WA's innovative scientists and researchers to communicate with their counterparts throughout the zone with ease, sharing information and building collective knowledge across national boundaries for the benefit of the global community."

The inaugural conference will be held from 8 - 10 November, before the 2009 APEC leaders meet in Singapore. Discount ‘early bird' registration closes on 31 July.

For more information, visit https://www.zone.uwa.edu.au/

Media references

Sally-Ann Jones (UWA Public Affairs) (+61 8) 6488 7975 / (+61 4) 20 790 098