Talk Global Forum - Melbourne's global identity and the future: Where in the world are we?

Date: Tuesday 21st Aug 2007
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Venue: BMW Edge, Federation Square

Speakers

• Paul James - Director, Global Cities Institute, RMIT
• Robyn Archer AO - Singer, Writer and Artistic Director
• Ben Foskett - CEO Invest Victoria
• Ian Jarman - CEO, Spring Worldwide

Moderator
Peter Mares

Description
How do we balance the global and the local? Where does Melbourne fit in Australia’s global identity and what are our strengths? What are likely to be Melbourne’s future international commercial and cultural success stories? How can Melbourne best position itself in expanding economies like China and India? What are the skills needed for the global economy? Is our diaspora a brain drain or asset?

• Listen here to the Speakers
• Listen here to the Discussion
• Download a copy of the transcript here

This forum was presented in conjunction with RMIT's Global Cities Institute and City of Melbourne's Melbourne Conversation series.

Speakers
Paul James - Director, Global Cities Institute, RMIT
Paul James is Director of both the Global Cities Institute (RMIT) and the associated Globalism Institute (RMIT). He is a member of the Council of the Institute of Postcolonial Studies, an editor of Arena Journal, and an editor or on the editorial boards of eight other international journals, including Globalizations and Global Governance. He has received a number of awards and fellowships including the Japan-Australia Foundation Fellowship, an Australian Research Council Fellowship, and the Crisp Medal by the Australasian Political Studies Association for the best book in the field of political studies.

Robyn Archer AO
Robyn Archer is a singer, writer and director who has performed throughout Australia and the world. In addition to her extensive onstage and backstage resume, Robyn is a passionate advocate for the arts and often in demand as a speaker. Robyn is currently International Artistic Advisor for Luminato – Toronto’s new celebration of arts and culture, and advises numerous festivals wordwide. She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2000, and Chevalier du l'Ordre des Arts at des Lettres in 2001 and holds honorary doctrates from Flinders and Sydney Universities.

Ben Foskett - CEO, Invest Victoria
Ben was appointed CEO of Invest Victoria in February 2004 after working for over thirty years in the financial services industry. Invest Victoria is the State Government’s foreign direct investment agency, and has a network of eleven offices around the world (San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangalore and Dubai). These offices promote and position Melbourne and Victoria as a place for international business to invest and to grow their business in Asia, as well as supporting Victorian businesses who want to develop new export markets. Prior to joining Invest Victoria Ben spent three years in China as Chief Representative (Country Manager) for AMP Ltd. Between 1992 and 1999 Ben was State Manager and Investment Manager, Victoria for the AMP. Ben was the chairman of the Australia China Chamber of Commerce in Beijing and is currently Vice President of the Australia China Business Council (ACBC).

Ian Jarman - Chief Executive, Spring Worldwide Limited
Ian is a lawyer and currently the Chief Executive of his own international marketing company Spring Worldwide Limited. Ian has particular expertise in global brand marketing, international networking and bilateral trade. Ian has built a very successful career in the development of commercial Intellectual Property Rights on behalf of a diverse range of global sports bodies (for example within the Olympic and Commonwealth Games movements) and working with a number of international NGOs. His work over the years has developed a range of business benefits for leading global brands including Microsoft, Heineken, British Airways, adidas, E.ON, BG Group, Standard Chartered and Ford. Ian has recently moved back home to Melbourne after living in London for nine years.

Moderator
Peter Mares presents the weekly discussion program 'The National Interest' on ABC Radio National (Sundays at noon) and is an adjunct research fellow at the Institute of Social Research at Swinburne University of Technology, where he writes on issues of migration, borders and human movement. Peter has been a journalist and broadcaster with the ABC for more than twenty years. From 1987 to 2002 he specialised in reporting Asian and Pacific affairs, including two years as a foreign correspondent based in Vietnam. In 2001 he published 'Borderline' (UNSW Press), a detailed critique of Australia's policies towards refugees and asylum seekers that won numerous awards.

Return to Events >>