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ABARE head says climate change a priority

March 18, 2005

Fisher Moses Piggott thumb.jpgThe Executive Director of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Dr Brian Fisher, has highlighted climate-change policy as an “enormous global problem” needing the collaborative efforts of people in a range of professions.

Dr Fisher was delivering the Occasional Address today at a graduation ceremony for graduands in the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law at the University of New England.

“Each one of the professions represented here today has a role in bringing insight to the problem,” he said. He emphasised the need for collaboration by saying: “No one of us can find a solution by ourselves.”

Dr Fisher’s address preceded the conferring of degrees by the Chancellor of UNE, Mr John Cassidy, on 213 graduands at the ceremony, and a further 228 who could not be present.

Today’s wet weather meant that the ceremony, usually held on the lawns of Booloominbah, took place in UNE’s Lazenby Hall. Both Dr Fisher and Mr Cassidy commented on how welcome the rain was for New England’s farming community.

Dr George Battese, an Honorary Fellow and former Associate Professor of Econometrics at UNE, received a Doctor of Economics degree for work addressing inefficiencies of production in industry. Dr Battese was a member of UNE’s academic staff for a total of 32 years.

James Murray, aged eight, received the award of Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours on behalf of his father, David Murray, who died unexpectedly earlier this year. Mr Murray graduated with a Bachelor of Economics degree, and completed his Honours program with first-class results, last year. Mr Murray’s mother, Mrs Joan Murray, his daughter Hillary, and other family members were at the ceremony.

At the end of the ceremony Sheree Smith, who graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, delivered a vote of thanks on behalf of the graduates. Ms Smith was one of four graduates at today’s ceremony who received the New England Award, which recognises students’ involvement in extra-curricular training and community service. A total of nine New England Awards are being presented at UNE graduation ceremonies this autumn; they are the first fruits of this new award program.

Tomorrow’s [March 19] graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is the last of the four autumn ceremonies for this year.


Media contact: Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

The photograph displayed here, showing Dr Fisher (left) with the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, and the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law, Professor Roley Piggott, is available. Please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049 for this and other Graduation photographs.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at March 18, 2005 03:52 PM