Reserve Bank Governor and UNE alumna, Michele Bullock, will deliver the keynote lecture on Economic conditions in post-pandemic Australia with a regional lens to a capacity audience of 270 people.
Vice-Chancellor Chris Moran said engaging with alumni and the Armidale community are integral to brand UNE.
"We are delighted to support and engage with the Armidale community and alumni through local events like this. Having distinguished alumni like Michele Bullock return and share their insights not only enriches our community but also highlights the significant contributions and successes of our graduates to society," Professor Moran said.
Rotary event coordinator, Andrew Murray said securing Michele Bullock as speaker was a great outcome for the Club.
“We are very honoured to have Michele deliver our annual lecture,” Mr Murray said.
“Rotary will donate the net proceeds from the lecture to the UNE SMART Region Incubator, whose founder community is building the future of the region. To date, these founders have generated $23m investment to the region and over 300 jobs.
“Michele is also very generous with her time and will be visiting the Armidale Secondary College and the UNE SRI while she is here.”
Rotary has a long history of commitment to the wider Armidale community and has previously supported local schools, NERAM and NECOM, Backtrack, the Women’s Shelter and PCYC to name a few of their recipients.
Established in 2017, the UNE SRI supports over 60 founders, with 35% focusing on agricultural innovations. It is at the forefront of agricultural innovation, fostering a community of founders who are revolutionising production management.
“The donation from Rotary will further our mission to inspire and accelerate the next generation of innovators," Dr Lou Conway, Director of the UNE SRI said.
“It will support us to broaden our community of founders and link young innovators with researchers and investors to scale sustainable businesses.
“Specifically, Rotary's generous support will be used to support the winning teams at AgTech Youth Innovation Summit at the UNE SMART Farm on 24 September. The event will attract 120 young people, who will work on a climate challenge for agriculture. The donation will further enable the winning team to participate in the EvokeAg Conference in 2025.”
