Business
10 June, 2021
Economics for recovery and sustainability
AN international conference hosted by James Cook University next month will explore the themes of community empowerment, sustainable cities and transformative economies.
The International Conference on Business, Economics, Management and Sustainability (BMAS) on July 2-3 follows on from the successful Urban Thinkers Campus event JCU hosted in Cairns in 2019.
“At that pre-COVID event, we brought together national, international and local thinkers to share ideas about the urban space,” conference chair Associate Professor Taha Chaiechi said.
“Of course, for people in our region that included discussion of how to plan for the tropics, how to cool our urban spaces, and how smaller regional centres can grow without losing the things we love about our communities.
“If you’re involved in areas such as community-based initiatives, urban planning or sustainable development, we hope you’ll join us for inspiring presentations and discussions.”
Dr Chaiechi said the conference would look beyond orthodox economics to consider approaches that might better suit particular communities.
“When we look for ways to survive and thrive in the face of risks such as climate change and a global pandemic, we need to move beyond a one-response-fits-all approach,” he said.
“This is particularly important for vulnerable and at-risk communities, which tend to be more susceptible to external risks such as natural disasters and public health emergencies.
“On the positive side, each community has particular assets and potential it can bring to bear on these challenges.
“To achieve sustainable development we need to identify the untapped skills and knowledge that each community can use to adapt to or overcome the challenges they face.
“Because of travel restrictions, our international guests will be joining us online, but we’re planning a safe, face-to-face experience for everyone who is able to attend locally.”
BMAS is hosted by JCU’s Centre for International Trade and Business in Asia and will be held at JCU’s Nguma-bada campus in Smithfield.
For further information and to register:
