A Darwin-based researcher from the Northern Australia Hub of the National Environmental Research Program has been selected as part of the 2012 Australian American Young Leadership Dialogue.
Vanessa Adams was selected as one of 35 young leaders around Australia who are in Washington and New York this week participating in the wider Australian American Leadership Dialogue.
“The forum will give me a much better understanding of international policy and shared business futures between Australia and America. I believe that these types of partnerships play a fundamental role in supporting national and global futures,” Vanessa said.
“As an early-career scientist heavily engaged in policy-based research I have placed an emphasis on building collaborative relationships with other researchers, government agencies and US-based international NGOs.
“These collaborative relationships are an integral part of good research, and I think my experience will be a unique and valuable contribution to the forum as we develop long-term research agendas that meet shared priorities for aid, development and conservation.
“I particularly enjoyed the climate change and energy discussion during the Washington DC program. My current research allowed me to share the cutting-edge thinking in science on these issues, and inform possible policy discussions.”
The Australian American Leadership Dialogue was established in 1992, with the purpose of enhancing relations between Australia and America by bringing together leaders from politics, business, academia and the public sector.
In 2007, the Young Leadership Dialogue was formed to help expose future leaders to a broad range of issues of common interest to Australia and America.
Vanessa is a Charles Darwin University Research Fellow and a James Cook University Adjunct Research Fellow. Her research focuses on how economic concepts and social consultation can be used to make onground conservation action more effective and equitable between groups of stakeholders.