MEDIA RELEASE
$10 MILLION FOR NEW UNIVERSITY CHAIR BOOSTS NATIONAL FOCUS ON CHILD PROTECTION ISSUES
11 May 2004 MINBUD 18/04
Australian Government funding of $10 million over the next ten
years will establish and support a new Chair in Child Protection
based at the University of South Australia to provide a special
focus on research into child protection issues.
The appointee to this professorial position will lead and promote
research into child protection and assist researchers working to
combat child abuse across the disciplines of early childhood and
family studies, psychology, education and literacy, conflict
management, Indigenous communities and cultures, service delivery
and social policy .
The long-term damage caused by child abuse has broad and costly
repercussions, not only for victims of that abuse, but for their
families and the wider community.
The new Chair was announced jointly with Australian Progressive
Alliance Senator for South Australia, Meg Lees, and University of
South Australia Vice-Chancellor, Professor Denise Bradley, on
19 March 2004.
In founding the Chair, the Australian Government shows its
support for research into the causes and impacts of child abuse and
commitment to developing national education and training programmes
that will make a real difference.
The University of South Australia has a long history of quality
research in this field and an excellent reputation for working
successfully with education and human service agencies and
government departments. The University was the first in Australia to
establish a child abuse research unit which is already recognised
nationally and internationally.
A Reference Committee, with representation from outside the
University and including a nationally recognised expert in child
protection, will be established to oversee the selection of the
appointee to the Chair.
The position will be advertised both nationally and
internationally with leading academics and practitioners in the
field approached to assist in identifying candidates. It is expected
that the appointee will be selected in the second half of the year.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323
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