Foreword

Dr Robyn Minchinton Deputy Chancellor.

Research is crucial because it pulls us into the future. Research asks the important questions – the ‘why?’ and the ‘how’?

CQUniversity’s engagement and can‑do values challenge us to seek practical answers to those vital questions, on behalf of the communities which support us. Truly engaged research also brings benefits and value to future students because we translate the hands‑on, real knowledge gained from our research into what we teach. In this book, we celebrate the first 1000 Research Higher Degree candidates and we look beyond – to the next 1000 RHDs – and our exciting future. CQUniversity’s dedicated research supervisors and expert support team in the Research Division know that the ultimate measure of success for our RHD candidates is not just about getting them to where they want to be in their research program. It is equally about how they get there and who they become in the process. Mid to later career research candidates also seek to give back to their industry, capturing a career’s worth of knowledge, understanding and valuable perspectives. Supervisors matched closely with the candidates by topic and by research strategy also bring their own personal, professional and global experiences to their key role. Supervisors are essential in guiding the candidate and in so doing, sharing their knowledge, perceptions and skills across the research generations. CQUniversity RHD candidates emerge from their research program with sought‑after workplace and career skills. These include being able to: » find, absorb, process and organise new information in a meaningful way » connect, collaborate and communicate clearly with experts from other fields » ask good questions » prioritize competing goals and limited resources » deal with complexity and rapid change » explain their work and its impact in plain language » be accountable and tenacious » undertake critical self‑reflection

Our RHD graduates emerge as experts, and they are practical.

We know that research supervisors and support teams are vital to the success of every RHD candidate. The other key contributors to our inclusive research culture are our external research partners. We simply could not deliver research programs and graduates without the input of research partners, ‘on the ground’, in our local communities. Our partners stretch us to understand their real‑world problems, push us to find practical solutions that make a difference, and so pull us into the future with them.

This celebration of 1000 Research Higher Degrees is an opportunity to connect us with past, present and future research candidates in Australia’s near and farther away, globally connected communities. CQUniversity’s research partners in Indigenous communities, government, agriculture, engineering, healthcare, education, manufacturing, transport, ecology, entertainment, and tourism celebrate with us because we all succeed through this research. Our 1000 RHDs have already made a positive contribution to so many of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including those in good health and wellbeing, quality education, affordable and clean energy, industry innovation and life below water and on land. We look forward to the discoveries and contributions of the next 1000 RHD candidates in our future journey with great hope.