prof c praeger indonesian science fund march 2016 final

(1)

Lessons from Australia’s

Prof Cheryl Praeger

Foreign Secretary

Australian Academy of Science

Jakarta, 30 March 2016

(2)

Major focus on innovation and entrepreneurship

•Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science •Assistant Ministers for Innovation and Science

Chief Scientist

•Provides high-level independent advice to PM and Ministers

15 National Strategic Research Priorities that address five “societal challenges”

•Living in a changing environment

•Promoting population health and wellbeing •Managing our food and water assets

(3)

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills • 75% of the fastest growing occupations in Australia require STEM

skills and knowledge & employment in STEM related occupations is projected to grow at almost twice the pace of other occupations

• Therefore, countries must prepare their children – the workforce of tomorrow for this eventuality

• AAS developed science & maths education programs: Primary Connections, Science by Doing and Maths by Inquiry

(4)

• Australia does ~ 3% or world’s R&D. Needs to access other 97%.

National Innovation & Science Agenda:

• Global Innovation Strategy ($36m over five years) to improve Australia’s international innovation and science

collaborations

(5)

Important to support early and mid career researchers

Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science

•Australia’s most prestigious award for outstanding

achievement in scientific research, research-based innovation and excellence in science teaching

(6)

Australia has A$3billion – 27 major research facilities

Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

•11 countries participate, representing 40% of the world’s population

•A truly global enterprise (constructed in Western Australia and South Africa)

•SKA dishes will produce 10 times the data of current global internet traffic and use enough optical fibre

(7)

Congratulations on announcing the Indonesian Science Fund!

•Encourages researchers to make multi-year plans for their research programs

•Encourages collaboration and supports building research teams •Strengthens research capacity of the country, aids in retaining the best researchers

•Gives to solve big challenges facing the country

•Provides a means to support early career researchers and plays important part in career track

•Enables the country to develop broad research priorities.