15 September 2014
The University of South Australia and the City of Unley have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue innovative new research and programs, information exchange, and key projects of benefit to the council, community and local businesses.
The partnership will focus on research and community engagement, following today’s MOU signing by UniSA Pro Vice Chancellor (Business and Law) Professor Marie Wilson and City of Unley Mayor Lachlan Clyne.
Included in the MOU are:
- Post graduate and graduate student placements which link into joint research projects between UniSA and the City of Unley.
- Research projects including positioning the City of Unley as an Age-Friendly City.
- An internship program for undergraduate students focusing on aligning with age friendly research and health and wellbeing.
- Joint exhibitions and events held in Unley to showcase students’ work in areas including art, architecture and design.
- Competitions for interior design students to come up with innovative ideas to benefit the Unley community.
The MOU signing extends the existing working relationship between the council and UniSA.
Mayor Clyne says a key component of the City of Unley working with UniSA is to further evolve what is already the state’s leading Age Friendly City Strategy.
“This partnership with UniSA enhances the City of Unley’s capacity to offer an unequalled community spirit across every stage of life,” Mayor Clyne says.
“The Age Friendly City Strategy supports positive and active ageing in the city and enables residents to ‘age in place’. This will become the exemplar strategy that other councils can subsequently template, thus ultimately benefiting the entire state.
“Age friendly cities and communities are places where people of all ages can live healthy and independent lives for as long as possible, and remain in a secure and supportive environment that enables residents to participate in the community as they grow older.
“The Age Friendly City initiative was launched by the World Health Organisation in 2005 and the City of Unley became the first SA council to join the WHO Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities in 2012.
“The community consultation period for this new strategy has just closed, and we’re looking forward to progressing it using the research collected by the University’s Centre for Work + Life to benefit people who live in, work in and visit the City of Unley.”
UniSA’s Marie Wilson says the MOU signing means the Age Friendly Strategy can now be expanded to include student placements which underpin the strategy’s diverse aspects, including transport, housing, social inclusion and communication.
“Formalising this partnership will really start to bring our research and teaching together to benefit not only our students and university community, but also deliver a wide range of benefits for residents in the City of Unley,” Prof Wilson says.
“The MOU builds opportunities for our students and staff to practically engage with the community and local businesses to deliver expertise, build a track record and undertake research that has impact.
“Our partnership activities will deliver value to both organisations and to the Unley community.”
Media contact: Kelly Stone office 8302 0963 mobile 0417 861 832 email Kelly.stone@unisa.edu.au
