Papers & Presentations
Sustainable Communities- a strategic approach
Gerry Anderson, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Ballarat
Educational and Academic Services
g.anderson@ballarat.edu.au
As the pace of change quickens, technological developments outstrip the capacity of some elements of society to keep up - the digital divide becomes a disempowering reality for many. A strategic approach to establishing a sustainable model of community is to leverage information and communication technologies to deal simultaneously with the key issues of personal growth, economic development and social cohesion. Environmental ecosystems provide a useful metaphor. The Western Region strategy through a range of integrated community-based projects is attempting to meet this challenge. These projects include infrastructure development; public access, training and support; education and health services; business and government services and the development of an enterprising culture.
Biography
Professor Anderson has made a significant contribution to tertiary education in regional Victoria through a range of teaching, research and community activities. He has published across a wide range of disciplines in Statistics, Economics and Information Technology, was formerly Head of the School of Mathematics and Computing and is currently Pro Vice Chancellor and Director of Information Services at the University of Ballarat in Western Victoria.
The establishment of the IBM Global Services data centre at the University Technology Park and the development of Ballarat OnLine and VicNet West as a public access network for the Western Region has made Ballarat a leading regional centre in the development of IT. Professor Anderson has been a leading proponent and initiator of these and a number of other programs promoting access to and training in information and communications technologies and services for regional communities. In this capacity he is a member of the Regional Council for Adult and Further Education, the Commonwealth Board for Regional Telecommunications and Infrastructure Fund (Networking The Nation), and Director of the University Centre for Electronic Commerce. Back to papers listing