About the School of Sustainability
"We can expect to see massive growth in what has become known as the green collar market, and as a recent CSIRO report phrased it, ‘most jobs will be varying shades of green.’ All new jobs will need a sustainability angle, so graduates from our school will already have an extremely competitive edge across every industry."
- Brad Pettitt, Dean, School of Sustainability
The world is now paying close attention to sustainability issues, but at Murdoch we've been focused on environmental issues since we first opened our doors more than 30 years ago.
We asked our Dean to share some short thoughts about the School of Sustainability.
Brad Pettitt, tell us about...
- The biggest challenge facing future generations of sustainability experts:
"Sustainability is such a rapidly changing and emerging field, with science and policies changing on practically a weekly basis. The biggest challenge for people will be staying at the cutting edge of thinking around sustainability, keeping on top of literature and debates to keep their knowledge relevant."
- The new Climate Change Management course:
"This course is based on the premise that climate change is this century's biggest challenge, and it's the first undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree of its kind in Australia. The course will help to create the kind of graduates we need in the 21st century - those who have a holistic understanding of climate change from a scientific and policy perspective."
- The one thing students should graduate from the school with:
"Critical optimism. We hope that students develop the critical skills they need to understand the interconnectedness and complexity of sustainability issues, while finding a way to maintain their passion and hope for finding solutions."
- Students who have achieved amazing things:
"We have lots! It's typical that our students end up in pivotal positions, whether it's working in remote indigenous communities, being a sustainability officer for local government, or being in a high profile role such as Senator Scott Ludlam in Canberra."
- Murdoch lecturer Peter Devereux and his position on the national board of Oxfam Australia:
"After joining Community Aid Abroad (now Oxfam) in the early 1980s, Peter was elected to the National Board of Oxfam Australia in October 2008 for a four year term. Peter uses his extensive experience working for developing countries and sustainability expertise to make a valuable contribution to the board's strategic work."
- Juggling your roles as Fremantle City Councillor and Dean of the School:
"There's a lot of overlap between my two roles. We're trying to make Fremantle a sustainable city, so I get to put into practice the concepts I teach and research - and the practical side informs my teaching. It’s a nice synergy - and it keeps my job interesting!"
- The most life-changing thing you learnt when you were working in Cambodia:
"While I was working for Oxfam America on a sustainable fisheries project in Tonlé Sap, I learned that giving people a way to control their lives and natural resources is the best way to conserve the environment and get people out of poverty."
