Ground Zero Mosque must go ahead, says God’s biographer
Opponents of the Ground Zero Mosque must not be allowed to succeed for fear it will fuel further US/Islam hostility, says upcoming Centre visitor Jack Miles.
Miles, the distinguished professor of English and Religious Studies at the University of California, Irvine and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of GOD: A Biography, is travelling to Sydney for the first time to deliver a Sydney Ideas lecture entitled Waiting for the Preacher: Obama’s America in World Religious Context.
The lecture on September 6 will look at what the religious and anti-religious world is waiting to hear from Barack Obama, a man both acclaimed and mocked as a preacher. Miles, who once trained to be a Jesuit priest, has been studying and writing about religion for half a century and is senior fellow for Religious Affairs with the Pacific Council on International Policy.
More information
Perception meets the reality of biotech innovation
The contrast between perception and reality when it comes to the development of biotechnology clusters in Australia, as compared to the US, is being explored this week as part of the Centre’s Innovation Program.
Research associate, Dr Thomas Barlow has been leading the Innovation Program investigations, which have compared the development of biotech clusters in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and San Diego.
In a seminar at the Centre on September 3, he presents his findings about the differing practices with regard to industrial scale in biotechnology, research base in life sciences, access to capital, relevance of flagship companies and the role of government policy.
More information
The Campaign Tapes: Iowa’s man with multiple perspectives
Few political operatives have the specialist knowledge and breadth of experience in the crucial Iowa primaries as Eric Woolson, who shares his wisdom in the latest addition to The Campaign Tapes.
A political journalist turned campaign operative who has worked for both Democrat and Republican presidential bids, Woolson talks with Centre research associate John Barron about the changing nature of the Iowa competition, the importance of expectations and the small mid-western state’s influence on the final race.
“We may not pick the winner but certainly pick the losers – who is not going to get the attention and who is not going to go on,” says Woolson.
The transcript and video of the interview are on our website.
|
|
Coming up
6 September
Waiting for the Preacher: Centre visitor, religious affairs specialist and author Jack Miles discusses god in Obama's America.
University of Sydney
6.00-7.00pm
Read more 
9 September
America, Islam & the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’: Jack Miles looks at the global implications of debate over the location of the Mosque in lower Manhattan.
Australian National University, Canberra
5.30-6.30pm
Read more
11-25 September
Australia’s Silent Film Festival: a celebration of the movies, their music and fun.
Sydney CBD
Read more
|
| |
Commentary
With President Obama cautiously declaring the end of combat operations in Iraq, this week there has been much discussion of the implications for US and Middle East policy. On ABC 24 and ABC News Radio Centre head Professor Geoffrey Garrett notes that there was none of the Bush triumphalism in the president’s sober speech.
Online, Centre research associate Tom Switzer writes on ABC's The Drum Unleashed that the Iraq experience has shattered some dangerous neo-conservative illusions. Elsewhere, in The Australian Literary Review Switzer reviews two books about the Cold War and the influence of Henry Kissinger.
Meanwhile, Centre media officer Will Turner compares Australia's recent election campaign with the US campaign experience in an essay posted on On Line Opinion, and our postdoctoral fellows coordinator, Dr Rebecca Sheehan talks on Triple J's Hack program about the weekend's Glenn Beck-led rally in Washington D.C.
And in The Weekend Australian, recent visitor Peter Beinart is profiled by Miriam Cosic. Beinart is also the latest to feature in a series of videos of guest lectures for The US in the World undergraduate program now on our website.
|
