About RUCTA
The Research Unit on Cultures and Technologies in Asia , RUCTA , established in December 2001 by the Monash Asia Institute (MAI) and the UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education (UICEE), brings together expertise on Asia in five Faculties of Monash University: Arts, Business and Economics, Engineering, Law and Information Technology. Having secured seed funding from the Monash Special Research Fund for 2002, RUCTA aims to establish itself as an independent research group.
Drawing on their global networks and partnerships, including FAO, UNESCO , various think tanks and international companies, the MAI and UICEE have agreed to work together for their mutual benefit in this joint research initiative . Cross-faculty collaboration is realised with the involvement of the following Monash units:
- Six research centres located within the Monash Asia Institute .
- UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education (Director, Prof. Zenon J. Pudlowski)
- Castan Centre for Human Rights Faculty of Law (Director, Professor David Kinley)
- Department of Geography (Head, Professor Nigel Tapper)
- National Centre for Australian Studies (Team Representative, Dr Chris Baker)
- Faculty of Information Technology (Team Representative, Associate Professor Robin Pollard)
- Department of Economics (Team Representative, Dr Russell Smyth, Asian Business and Economics Research Unit)
- Faculty of Business and Economics (Team Representative, Professor Onkit Tam)
Key research areas and cross-disciplinary approach
Globalisation is being accompanied by paradigm shifts in Asia. The RUCTA team has identified seven major research themes that are critical to the future of the region. Australian interests are also prominent in these fields. The seven key research areas are (team leaders in brackets):
- Accelerated
urbanisation in Asia
(Prof. Zenon J. Pudlowski, UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering) - Environment, resource management and the
migration of labour in Asia
(Dr Penny Graham, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Faculty of Arts) - Development and technology in the abolition
of poverty
(Prof. Mark Wahlqvist, Director, Asia Pacific Health & Nutrition Centre, MAI) - Work,
consumerism, leisure, tourism: impact of technological change
(Dr Wendy Smith, Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Economics) - Asian corporate
governance
(Prof. On Kit Tam, Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Economics) - The
internet in Asia: revitalisation or death of cultural variety?
(Assoc Prof. Alison Tokita, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, Faculty of Arts) - Human
rights in Asia
(Professor David Kinley, Castan Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law)
These seven themes are closely interrelated. For example, the abolition of mass poverty in Asia is affected by the urbanisation process, and IT solutions to poverty increasingly involve the capacities of the internet. Technological change is changing the pattern of work and leisure, but for the ultra-poor the outcomes may not necessarily be beneficial. Poverty alleviation will be influenced by the natural environment and the access that the poor have to resources. The systems of corporate governance are key determinants of company performance, whether new technologies can generate jobs, and how the profits of rentiers can be reduced. Engineering and information technology have much to contribute to resolving mass poverty by designing appropriate physical environments in urban and rural areas and promoting sustainable energy sources. Finally, solutions to mass poverty sit within the context of the human rights of the poor who characteristically lack the power to defend their needs and interests.
The synergies between the seven key research themes can be demonstrated in other ways but the focus on poverty will form a starting point for the research activities of this unit. This is because poverty has been so persistent and aid agencies (eg World Bank, ADB and AusAID ) and IT companies (eg Infosys and NIIT) have now recognised poverty as a primary cause for instability in the Asia-Pacific. Given the range of expertise, RUCTA is interested in undertaking research consultancies for governments and business.
International co-operation and collaboration
RUCTA hopes to expand the range and depth of its international partnerships and research collaborations. We are interested in linking up with governments, companies, scholars, think tanks and NGOs. If you are interested in such a relationship, please write to Professor Marika Vicziany, Project Co-ordinator (email: marika.vicziany@ adm. monash.edu.au )