U21 Award Winners 2017

Award date
May 2017

Universitas 21 was delighted to present the two 2017 U21 Awards for Internationalisation to two star researchers, Professors Cora Burnett-Louw of the University of Johannesburg and Joseph Lo Bianco of the University of Melbourne. Both were recognised for their work during the Universitas 21 Annual Network Meetings and Presidential Symposium at a gala dinner at The University of Nottingham.

For the Awards' sixth year two exceptional researchers were honoured. They have a lot in common, in that their work has been taken and applied to improve the world in which we all live and both have undertaken work which has been taken up by the Olympic movement.

U21 Awards

Professor Cora Burnett-Louw has worked in the area of physical education for many years, spearheading the establishment of the first Olympic Studies Centre in Africa, one of 38 throughout the world. She is an established voice from the Global South in that field. She works closely with other scholars in Africa and beyond in the use of sport for development, following the United Nations declaration of Sport for Development and Peace in 2003.  Her work demonstrates the impact that academic work can have around the world.  On  hearing of her award, Professor Burnett-Louw said:

 

"Researchers from the Global South are obliged to unearth new ways of knowing with a voice that matters in academic discourse."

U21 Awards

Professor Joseph Lo Bianco holds the Chair of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Melbourne and, among many other achievements, he has pioneered a method of conflict mitigation in multi-ethnic states in which language issues are a source of tension.  These facilitated dialogues bring together antagonist groups in a process of collaborative writing applying research evidence and conflict reduction techniques to produce compromise, collaboration and new policy.  Applying these methods since 2012 Professor Lo Bianco has designed, coordinated and implemented peace building initiatives in language rights for indigenous people in conflict zones in South-east Asia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. 

Like Professor Burnett-Louw, he also has a connection with the Olympics, having provided advice on language policy to the Olympic movement.  Of particular note is his contribution to practical solutions for extreme language problems that provoke violent ethnic civil strife in multilingual states, working with UNICEF and UNESCO.  

Reacting to news of the award, Professor Lo Bianco said:

This is such a surprise!  It is a wonderful honour to receive recognition from such a prestigious and important body as Universitas 21. I thank those who nominated and selected me very sincerely for this Award.  Language rights and efforts at reconciliation in conflict affected zones are urgent questions and demand a greater investment in research and application, I believe this award will assist in attracting more attention to the cause.

By recognising these two researchers, Universitas 21 underlined its commitment to harnessing knowledge, improving the world in which we live and providing challenging and innovative environments in which new knowledge is created.  U21 Provost Professor Bairbre Redmond said:

Both of these outstanding academics continue to integrate their cutting-edge research into teaching and wider scholarship, ensuring that the flame of academic enquiry continues to burn bright. Congratulations to both.