The questions will be insightful. The questions will be challenging. The questions will be tricky. But what else would a former Prime Minister and sitting MP expect when faced by 80 Griffith University students in a lecture theatre?
Kevin Rudd MP will take questions from postgraduate students of Griffith University’s Politics of the Global Economy course on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Rudd will be in his Canberra office at Parliament House, the students will be in Brisbane on the Nathan campus. A Skype link will make the connection.
The one-hour Q&A session is the brainchild of Dr Tapan Sarker, a lecturer at the Department of International Business and Asian Studies.
“It is part of an initiative I’ve developed to introduce blended teaching and learning tools that help students to discuss and debate course-related and contemporary topics. It is a form of interactive learning,” he said.
“The main focus of the forum will be political economy and the topics raised by students are likely to include migration, international trade, climate change, energy and environmental security.
“The leadership of the Labor Party and the impact of the carbon tax could also be up for discussion, with students acutely focused on the forthcoming election.”
Mr Rudd’s term as Minister for Foreign Affairs is also likely to be called upon with students from China, India, Pakistan, Europe and Africa likely to push the discussion far beyond Australian borders.
The Politics of the Global Economy course covers key issues relevant to the global political economy, endeavouring to provide new insights and informative analysis.
“The students are excited to have this opportunity,” Dr Sarker said.
“This is a great chance for our students to learn about key policy issues surrounding Australia, but also in global politics and economy, particularly the rise of China.
“They recognise it as a fantastic example of relevant, practical education. The knowledge to be gained from this exercise is immense, and can be a platform to new studies, new approaches and new insights.
Dr Sarker paid tribute to Kevin Rudd for making himself available for the session, from 4pm to 5pm on Tuesday (June 4).
“Mr Rudd is an outstanding scholar in a range of areas including international politics, economy and trade.
“This is also a great example of the innovative and thoughtful approach we take at Griffith University to education.”