Supporting pacific development. The research looks at the extent to which twenty-two of the world's richest countries support development in the Pacific Islands region through their efforts with respect to aid, trade, migration, private investment, security, technology and environmental sustainability. It will develop an index that will rank these countries on the basis of these efforts.
Policy Modelling for Ageing in Emerging Economies: The Case of Indonesia. This project, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Indonesian Planning Authority, will support major social and economic policy development in a rapidly ageing region. It will break new ground by developing a cutting-edge economic policy model reflecting salient features of ageing in emerging economies, taking into account the wider implications for education, employment, formalisation, growth, and retirement. It w ....Policy Modelling for Ageing in Emerging Economies: The Case of Indonesia. This project, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Indonesian Planning Authority, will support major social and economic policy development in a rapidly ageing region. It will break new ground by developing a cutting-edge economic policy model reflecting salient features of ageing in emerging economies, taking into account the wider implications for education, employment, formalisation, growth, and retirement. It will bring the armoury of policy analysis instruments available to these countries up to the standard now enjoyed by the developed world. Indonesia, on the brink of major pension reform, will be used as a test bed. Data sets will be developed to allow the model structure to be applied to other emerging economies in Asia. Read moreRead less
Pacific Labour and Australian Horticulture. This 18-month research project will investigate the costs and benefits of increasing labour mobility between the Pacific and Australia, including the feasibility of a seasonal labour program to employ agricultural workers from Pacific Island nations in the Swan Hill/Mildura region during periods of peak labour demand. It will forge a ground-breaking collaboration between an international development agency and local government to investigate how such a ....Pacific Labour and Australian Horticulture. This 18-month research project will investigate the costs and benefits of increasing labour mobility between the Pacific and Australia, including the feasibility of a seasonal labour program to employ agricultural workers from Pacific Island nations in the Swan Hill/Mildura region during periods of peak labour demand. It will forge a ground-breaking collaboration between an international development agency and local government to investigate how such a scheme might contribute simultaneously to economic and social development in Pacific Island nations (through remittances and skills transfers) and in regional Australia (by improving the labour supply to key horticultural industries).Read moreRead less
Functional characterisation of neurons derived from embryonic stem cells and NS cells. The ability to obtain specific neurons from NS cells will revolutionise the study of nerve function, will allow the establishment of much-improved models for discovery of new drugs, and will define how enriched populations of neural cells can be obtained for applications in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The project will provide vital data for the emerging biotechnology industry associated will appl ....Functional characterisation of neurons derived from embryonic stem cells and NS cells. The ability to obtain specific neurons from NS cells will revolutionise the study of nerve function, will allow the establishment of much-improved models for discovery of new drugs, and will define how enriched populations of neural cells can be obtained for applications in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The project will provide vital data for the emerging biotechnology industry associated will applications of stem cell biology, and will stimulate clinical researchers to investigate the therapeutic potential of cell derived from NS cells.Read moreRead less
ASEAN+3 Free Trade Agreement and Its Impact on Australia-Vietnam Trade. The ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and Korea) free trade agreement endorsed by ASEAN Leaders in 2001 poses a serious trade diversion threat to Australia's goods and services trade to ASEAN and North Asia (reaching $33.9b and $85.0b respectively in 2001, see DFAT 2003). No research on this has been done or reported. The project, with Vietnam Institute for Trade collaboration, uses new analytical and empirical approaches to investigate ....ASEAN+3 Free Trade Agreement and Its Impact on Australia-Vietnam Trade. The ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and Korea) free trade agreement endorsed by ASEAN Leaders in 2001 poses a serious trade diversion threat to Australia's goods and services trade to ASEAN and North Asia (reaching $33.9b and $85.0b respectively in 2001, see DFAT 2003). No research on this has been done or reported. The project, with Vietnam Institute for Trade collaboration, uses new analytical and empirical approaches to investigate this FTA and its implications to Australia's trade to a major ASEAN country, namely Vietnam, where 2002 trade reached $2.8b and Australia's global companies (eg. ANZ, Telstra, RMIT) currently have large operation.Read moreRead less
Leveraging Remittances with Microfinance: A Cross-country Study. This study recognises the high and growing significance of overseas migrant remittances as contributors to GDP and household livelihoods in many countries. It responds to current policy interest in remittances as a development resource, as well as security concerns related to informal funds transfers. This groundbreaking study will work with microfinance providers in six Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, S ....Leveraging Remittances with Microfinance: A Cross-country Study. This study recognises the high and growing significance of overseas migrant remittances as contributors to GDP and household livelihoods in many countries. It responds to current policy interest in remittances as a development resource, as well as security concerns related to informal funds transfers. This groundbreaking study will work with microfinance providers in six Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga) to investigate the impacts of remittance-linked financial services on household well-being and economic development. The study will identify how existing and new services can best promote development and poverty reduction in migrant-sending areas.Read moreRead less
A New Phase and New Issues of Rural-Urban Migration in China. China’s urbanisation has come to a turning point. The large pool of rural young workers (16-25 years of age), which fed the industrialisation needs of the 1990s and 2000s, has exhausted. Future growth needs to rely on the increase in the length of stay of the existing migrants and the increase in older new migrants. Due to this shift, the institutional restrictions, which deter family migration, become the key challenge. This project ....A New Phase and New Issues of Rural-Urban Migration in China. China’s urbanisation has come to a turning point. The large pool of rural young workers (16-25 years of age), which fed the industrialisation needs of the 1990s and 2000s, has exhausted. Future growth needs to rely on the increase in the length of stay of the existing migrants and the increase in older new migrants. Due to this shift, the institutional restrictions, which deter family migration, become the key challenge. This project examines the cost of the migration restrictions (shortened labour supply and reduced human capital accumulation for the current and next generation migrants: their education, health and pro-social behaviour); and the best way to reform the restrictions on family migration and the priority for the reform.Read moreRead less
Neurons isolated from embryonic stem cells as functional models for drug discovery. By using gene expression-based selection criteria embryonic stem cells can be driven to differentiate into specific neuronal lineages which show many of the morphological characteristics and immunocytochemical features of neurons in culture. There is, however, comparatively little evidence indicating that these stem cell-derived neurons actually behave as neurons. Our aim is to characterise and contrast four ne ....Neurons isolated from embryonic stem cells as functional models for drug discovery. By using gene expression-based selection criteria embryonic stem cells can be driven to differentiate into specific neuronal lineages which show many of the morphological characteristics and immunocytochemical features of neurons in culture. There is, however, comparatively little evidence indicating that these stem cell-derived neurons actually behave as neurons. Our aim is to characterise and contrast four neuronal cell cultures established with gene-based selection criteria. These cultures will be characterised by gene expression, immunocytochemistry, radiolabelled neurotransmitter release, electrophysiology and Ca2+ imaging studies. This study will highlight the functional effects of gene selection procedures upon stem cell-derived neurons.Read moreRead less
Pathophysiological mechanisms in equine dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis). Dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis) is a developmental orthopaedic disease of horses, which causes significant wastage within the Thoroughbred racing industry. The disease affects growth cartilage beneath joint surfaces in such a way that cartilage fails to be replaced by bone, resulting in defects in the joint surface and lameness. This project will identify differences in gene expression between normal cartilage and ea ....Pathophysiological mechanisms in equine dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis). Dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis) is a developmental orthopaedic disease of horses, which causes significant wastage within the Thoroughbred racing industry. The disease affects growth cartilage beneath joint surfaces in such a way that cartilage fails to be replaced by bone, resulting in defects in the joint surface and lameness. This project will identify differences in gene expression between normal cartilage and early dyschondroplastic lesions, in order to identify the sequence of molecular events leading to induction of disease. The basic understanding of joint development obtained from this work will assist in the development of strategies to prevent and diagnose dyschondroplasia in horses.Read moreRead less
Metabolic Profiling of Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem cell therapies are becoming a commercial reality. Stem cell products have an estimated value of US$ 87 million this year and are predicted to be worth US$ 8.5 billion within a decade. Development of stem cell products will be an international research effort with many contributing to the final products. Research described here will augment this effort, strengthening Australia's contribution by developing novel intellectual property and appl ....Metabolic Profiling of Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem cell therapies are becoming a commercial reality. Stem cell products have an estimated value of US$ 87 million this year and are predicted to be worth US$ 8.5 billion within a decade. Development of stem cell products will be an international research effort with many contributing to the final products. Research described here will augment this effort, strengthening Australia's contribution by developing novel intellectual property and applications. The training of individuals skilled in stem cell research will add to Australia's pool of stem cell researchers. Individuals trained in this area will be paramount to maintaining Australia's research effort and in the application of these technologies into the Australian health sector.Read moreRead less