Associate Professor Benjamin Mountford has been awarded the 2024 Vice-Chancellor's Staff Excellence Award for Research Training for his efforts to position our Ballarat Campus as a regional centre for higher degree by research (HDR) students in the humanities, arts and social sciences.
Since 2022, Associate Professor Mountford has been working to build the Ballarat Campus's reputation in the field, culminating in the official launch of the Centre for Regional Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (RHASS) in October.
The centre provides a bespoke, vibrant, industry and community-engaged postgraduate research training environment for students, partners, and supervisors. It serves as a hub for visiting scholars and HDR students and has hosted graduate-focused workshops, introducing students to arts industry leaders and mentors.
Associate Professor Mountford said he was honoured to be recognised with a Vice-Chancellor's Staff Excellence Award. He acknowledged the efforts of the Faculty of Education and Arts, the Ballarat Campus team and the ACU Graduate School to build a program that reflects our commitment to arts and humanities research in the regions, enhancing our relationships with industry partners and ensuring new opportunities for our HDR students.
"As universities we need to keep working to ensure we better serve the communities we are part of," Associate Professor Mountford said. "Ballarat is an important cultural centre and this program has allowed us to make a more active contribution to the humanities and arts in the region and to play a role in fostering the next generation of cultural thinkers and leaders."
Associate Professor Mountford said his efforts were inspired by ACU's re-commitment in Vision 2033 to 'enacting our mission with purpose and impact'.
"By supporting HDR research at Ballarat, we are connecting the deep thinking, critical analysis and creative processes that underpin the humanities and the arts with broader discussions and debates about some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the Ballarat region and regional Australia generally," he said.
"We are making a positive contribution to our community through our research, nurturing responsible citizenship and supporting the development of more inclusive and culturally engaged regional communities."
He explained that the RHASS postgraduate program is focused on developing the whole person, whatever their stage of life or background, and creating a new cohort of cultural leaders for the Ballarat community.
"ACU's commitment to fostering collaborative engagement with partners, prioritising high-impact research, and further activating our regional campus at Ballarat have been important drivers for us."
"We are also excited by the opportunity to connect our Ballarat centre with researchers working across our campuses and to provide colleagues and HDR students with the opportunity to share knowledge and build relationships that strengthen our national profile in the humanities, arts and social sciences."
For more information about the Centre for Regional Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (RHASS) visit https://www.acu.edu.au/rhass.
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