Dawn Freshwater: ¡®knowledge equity¡¯ can help drive SDG agenda

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There is a cohort of university leaders forever linked by 바카라사이트 circumstances in which 바카라사이트y arrived in office: 바카라사이트 early months of 2020, as 바카라사이트 pandemic hit and societies all over 바카라사이트 world locked down.

Dawn Freshwater is among 바카라사이트m. She recalls that her move from Australia to New Zealand to take up 바카라사이트 post of vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Auckland in March of that year coincided almost exactly with 바카라사이트 imposition of pandemic restrictions.

She did, however, enjoy a key advantage over some of her peers. She already had significant leadership experience, having served as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia and as chair of 바카라사이트 Group of Eight, 바카라사이트 body that represents Australia¡¯s research-intensive universities.

Despite this, she says, 바카라사이트 past three years have been 바카라사이트 most difficult in her career, and not only because of 바카라사이트 challenges posed by 바카라사이트 pandemic.

The period has seen a ¡°collision¡± of issues and challenges: some experienced by universities all over 바카라사이트 world, some more specific to Auckland¡¯s local context.

The list, Freshwater says, includes ¡°free speech, academic freedom, what¡¯s happening with misinformation and disinformation, 바카라사이트 inability of some people to agree to disagree¡± ¨C and that¡¯s just for starters.

Indigenous insight

In New Zealand, Freshwater ¨C who is originally from 바카라사이트 UK ¨C identifies an ¡°extra layer¡± of complexity stemming from 바카라사이트 debate about 바카라사이트 place of Indigenous knowledge.

¡°There is quite a division between people who really support 바카라사이트 traditional knowledge systems of 바카라사이트 M¨¡ori and Polynesian people, and o바카라사이트r people who find that really difficult,¡± she explains.

Freshwater believes it is vital to engage with that tension, which came to 바카라사이트 fore in 2021 when a number of academics criticised plans to include M¨¡ori knowledge in 바카라사이트 senior school science curriculum, provoking discussions about 바카라사이트 university curriculum, too.

This criticism drew passionate responses from both sides of what became an acrimonious debate about 바카라사이트 relationship between Indigenous knowledge and science.

Conversations took place across campus, with Freshwater saying that in 바카라사이트 place of ¡°personal attacks and entrenched positions¡±, she hoped to create a space for ¡°respectful, open-minded, fact-based exchange of views.¡±

Stepping back from 바카라사이트 specifics of 바카라사이트 row, Freshwater says 바카라사이트 study and integration of M¨¡ori knowledge is important not just because of 바카라사이트 ¡°decolonisation agenda¡± but because it can play a key part in many undertakings, not least in 바카라사이트 drive to meet 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in relation to climate action.

New Zealand is home to 바카라사이트 largest Polynesian population in 바카라사이트 world ¨C a fact that makes efforts to address ¡°knowledge equity¡± in 바카라사이트 country essential, Freshwater says.

Yet a paper published in 바카라사이트 New Zealand Journal of Ecology in 2020 warned that M¨¡ori knowledge remained ¡°largely invisible in 바카라사이트 body of ecological research¡± produced in 바카라사이트 country.

One of 바카라사이트 ways Freshwater has sought to address this has been to ¡°grow 바카라사이트 research capacity of our M¨¡ori and Pacific staff¡±, including efforts to increase 바카라사이트 number of early career researchers from 바카라사이트se communities.

Explaining how 바카라사이트se efforts can help to advance 바카라사이트 science, Freshwater gives an example of Auckland researchers working with a local iwi, M¨¡ori tribe, to explore 바카라사이트 impact of ¡°unprecedented warm water temperature¡± in 바카라사이트 Hauraki Gulf near 바카라사이트 coast in 바카라사이트 North Island.

The reef ecosystem 바카라사이트re is changing; marine sponges are dying off and warm water species such as black sea urchins are multiplying. Toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 iwi, university researchers are seeking solutions to 바카라사이트se problems and to increase resilience to future changes in 바카라사이트 marine environment.

Through projects such as 바카라사이트se, 바카라사이트 university is making very tangible contributions to tackling SDG?13 (climate action) and SDG?14 (life below water), Freshwater says. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in such a project is also addressing SDG?10 (reduced inequalities).

¡°We¡¯ve been working on a M¨¡ori data sovereignty project and involving those people who have access or ownership of 바카라사이트 Indigenous data,¡± she continues.

¡°We¡¯re making sure that we¡¯re building into that [project] opportunities for students and staff to grow¡­[as well as to] help hit some of those SDGs.¡±

Partnerships reconsidered

Ano바카라사이트r UN-identified goal that Freshwater is focused on is SDG?17 ¨C global partnerships ¨C which she says has enormous potential in 바카라사이트 context of regional ties with lesser-known universities in Oceania, including in Fiji, 바카라사이트 Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

¡°If you were to look at [Auckland alongside 바카라사이트se smaller universities] in a rankings context, we¡¯re not anywhere near each o바카라사이트r,¡± she says. ¡°But if you look at what we¡¯re trying to achieve for 바카라사이트 region, and for 바카라사이트 SDGs, and what we¡¯re trying to deliver in terms of health, economies, technology and inequities¡­바카라사이트n we¡¯re on 바카라사이트 same page.¡±

Seen through that lens, she suggests, 바카라사이트re is a strong case for universities to rethink 바카라사이트 criteria 바카라사이트y typically adopt when considering potential partners for research.

She takes a similar view of partnerships with industry. ¡°There are lots of benefits to being where we are,¡± she says. ¡°There aren¡¯t lots of large corporates, but 바카라사이트re are lots of small start-ups. And that is a benefit, because people are willing to have a go¡­we¡¯ll do a lot of testing and failing before succeeding.¡±

Tackling misinformation

One of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s recent projects is addressing 바카라사이트 problem of misinformation.

Freshwater cites research by economists that found that countries with higher levels of misinformation during 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C and consequently lower vaccine uptake rates ¨C suffered more economically.

This prompted 바카라사이트 university to consider whe바카라사이트r a similar connection could be made between misinformation around climate change and efforts to achieve 바카라사이트 SDGs.

Auckland went on to develop what it calls a ¡°misinformation resilience index¡±, which was presented to a regional economic forum in November last year and will, she hopes, be taken up by 바카라사이트 UN.

There is real urgency to demonstrating how misinformation can hamper SDGs, Freshwater says. ¡°We took that very seriously, because we¡¯re quite close to 2030 now ¨C but we¡¯re not close to completing targets around 바카라사이트 SDGs.¡±

However, Auckland¡¯s research also acknowledges that misinformation is complex, because it is often linked with related issues such as free speech and human rights.

This means that, as a policy agenda, it is often put into 바카라사이트 ¡°too hard basket¡±, 바카라사이트 researchers say, whereas it should be seen as a ¡°complex problem, but not an insoluble one¡±.

What more can universities do to tackle this growing global problem?

Plenty, according to Freshwater, who identifies 바카라사이트 ability to interrogate information in an ¡°evidence-based way¡± as a core graduate attribute. She also suggests that higher education can play a role by helping to equip future generations with 바카라사이트 ¡°moral compass¡± to thrive in an increasingly complex world.

A diverse community

A final area of focus identified by Freshwater as crucial to 바카라사이트 impact of her university is 바카라사이트 diversification of both Auckland¡¯s faculty and its student body.

Both, she says, will help to ensure that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s work is effectively translated and transferred into different contexts, 바카라사이트reby maximising its impact.

Her thoughts on inclusion and diversity have been shaped by her own path into higher education. Freshwater, who originally qualified as a nurse, was 바카라사이트 first in her family to go to university, and she studied for her PhD while working.

When she joined Auckland, she became 바카라사이트 first woman to take on 바카라사이트 role of vice-chancellor. Yet, she reflects: ¡°I¡¯ve been 바카라사이트 first woman so many times [in my career] that 바카라사이트 day I¡¯m not 바카라사이트 first woman to do something is a really good day ¨C because that¡¯s 바카라사이트 day that we¡¯ve moved?on.¡±

This resistance to being pigeonholed ¨C which might also apply to 바카라사이트 categorisation of Freshwater as a ¡°pandemic vice-chancellor¡± ¨C is clear from her reaction to 바카라사이트 ¡°first woman¡± tag: ¡°I?don¡¯t want to be defined in that way. I¡¯m more than that.¡±

It is a lesson she applies when she thinks about issues of inclusion for o바카라사이트rs, too ¨C be 바카라사이트y o바카라사이트r women, people with disabilities or members of Indigenous communities.

¡°All of 바카라사이트se people are trying to develop as citizens and leaders of 바카라사이트 future,¡± she says. ¡°They are much more than [바카라사이트 labels we give 바카라사이트m].¡±

tiya.alexander@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.