Copies of the presentations can be downloaded from the program. Please note that these presentations should not be cited or otherwise used publicly without the express written permission of the presenter.
About the symposium
Beyond Periphery is about inspiring a different way of thinking about particular parts of the world. The understanding of the ‘regional development’ universe is that there are cores and peripheries, and they have certain relationships which make it possible to predict outcomes of processes (economic exchange, human mobility, dispersal of innovations etc).
In Beyond Periphery we argue that there is another class of region that is not engaged in these core periphery structures. These regions either have very weak ‘cores’ that are unable to sustain the relationships (Northern Territory, Alaska etc) and so ‘flows’ become chaotic; OR they have cores which exert too much power on the relationships (South Australia, Greenland, the north of Canadian provinces etc) and so prevent the regions from seeking alternative inputs.
Aims of the symposium
- Investigate new ways of dealing with regional development challenges in sparsely populated areas
- Hear from prominent researchers and practitioners from around the world who will present case examples of the important demographic, social, and economic issues
- Actively workshop strategies and policies for addressing the challenges to effective regional development
The Symposium will include an opening plenary in each location and a set of workshops around particular regional development issues.
WHY TWO PARTS?
The idea of a two-part Symposium spread across the width of Australia's 'Middle Dirt' is a novel one.
The two-part approach:
- Provides more access for more people (delegates and discussion leaders)
- Allows exploration of a range of regional development contexts in context
- Stimulates better collaboration between people who might otherwise view the barrier of distance as an insurmountable one
The Symposium is a collaboration between regionally focused organisations - engaging research institutions, regional development institutions and sponsors across the Northern Territory (NT) and South Australia (SA) - and beyond. The close historical links between the NT and SA continue to exert a strong influence on both jurisdictions, and in their regional development futures continue to be closely linked.
Many delegates will choose to engage in person in one part only, but can still benefit from the two-part structure through a series of publications based on Symposium sessions, and material captured for Charles Darwin University's postgraduate education unit Topics in Human Geography: a remote perspective.
who is it for?
The Symposium is aimed at policy makers, programme managers, community leaders, funding agencies, community organisations and academic researchers. The opening plenaries in both Darwin and Whyalla will be open to the public.
Delegate numbers for the subsequent workshop sessions will be limited to ensure active participation. Delegates can choose to enrol for the entire event or for one of the parts.
who will lead the discussions?
Discussion leaders will include academics and policy makers with experience in remote Australia, Canada, Alaska, and Europe. The focus will be on active discussion of experiences from around the world, with short presentations and facilitated workshops dominating the program.
