Preparing to ride the resurgence of science

The ANU's new Dean of the Faculty of Science believes the outlook for Australian science is positive - with a resurgence of support on the horizon.

Professor Tim Brown says demand for a broad science education is on the rise and the exclusive focus on purely applied subjects has bottomed out.

"Employers and researchers are looking for people with the ability to solve problems, implement solutions and communicate the whole process," Prof. Brown said. "A broad science degree will provide this, as people are starting to rediscover."

Prof. Brown said communication skills are important for faculties in their teaching and in their efforts to spread the excitement of science to students, parents, teachers and the wider community.

He believes a turnaround in the view of science in the community is especially critical if Australia is to compete internationally and is excited by the opportunity available to faculties.

In addition to a very strong grounding in the core sciences, Prof. Brown said that the strength in cutting-edge areas enabled exciting new courses such as photonics (now a national priority), computational science, biotechnology, resource and environmental management, medical science and bioinformatics to be developed.

He firmly believes that for students to receive the very best in their university experience, faculties must continually strive to improve teaching and associated services. He said keeping teachers up to date and excited by their discipline was crucial in the process of creating a scientifically literate, numerate and interested society.

Teachers were one of the main influences in producing top-quality postgraduate researchers, he believes, as they made a significant impact on whether children became interested in science and mathematics.

"This is a key national need and we are uniquely qualified to provide that knowledge," he said.

Item provided courtesy of ANU