Research Projects - 2010

National Water Fellowship (2010): Cross-connections: linking urban water managers with humanities, arts and social sciences researchers

Researchers: Dr Zoë Sofoulis (Fellow), Dr Justine Humphry (Research Associate), Vibha Bhattarai Upadhyay (Research Assistant)

Partners: National Water Commission (opens in a new window)

Funding: National Water Commission Fellowship Program; workshop grant from Australian Academy of Humanities

Period: 2010-2011

This project investigated the Australian urban water sector’s engagement with humanities, arts and social sciences [HASS] research as part of developing socially sustainable water management. Activities included developing a database and the Tributaries directory of social and cultural researchers on urban water, interviewing water managers and researchers, conducting two knowledge exchange workshops, and producing a final report (opens in a new window)for the National Water Commission’s Waterlines series. The research found mismatched expectations on how HASS research can or should contribute to water management strategies; it identified the need for HASS researchers to make their work more ‘translatable’ into action, and suggested initiatives to help overcome the enormous disparities between research funding and infrastructure for sciences and engineering compared to social and cultural research on water.

Shanghai Expo

Lead Researcher: Dr. Tim Winter
The CCR Shanghai Research Team: Ien Ang, Hart Cohen, Scott East, Hilary Hongjin He, Rob Leggo, Sally Leggo, Cameron McAuliffe, Brett Neilson, Willem Paling, David Rowe, Louise Ryan, Juan F. Salazar, Tim Winter

In 2010 the city of Shanghai hosted the largest, most spectacular and most expensive World’s Fair ever. The Shanghai Expo attracted a staggering 73 million visitors, ensuring China and the host city remained in the global spotlight for the six-month duration of the event. Costing around 45 billion dollars and with its theme of Better City, Better Life, the Expo was held in a country experiencing a level of urban growth unparalleled in history. With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, many of which face uncertain futures, this mega event confronted the multitude of challenges now converging on the all-pervasive notion of ‘sustainability’. To this end, 190 countries, more than 50 non-governmental organisations, and a variety of multi-national institutions involved in urban governance addressed such issues.

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