David Suzuki accepts Wollongong invitation

Feb 21, 2005

Wollongong will play host to one of the world’s most prominent environmentalists, Dr David Suzuki, who will present the 6th Nortel Canadian Studies Lecture on Friday 4 March.

The renowned environmentalist, award-winning scientist, broadcaster and Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation will speak on the topic: The Challenge of the 21st Century – Setting the Real Bottom Line, at the University of Wollongong. Dr Suzuki will be introduced at the lecture by the Director of the Sustainability Centre, Dr Mark Diesendorf. UOW Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerard Sutton, will also officially welcome Dr Suzuki.

The current holder of 16 honorary doctorates and author or co-author of 42 books, Dr Suzuki is known to millions of people as the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s popular science television series, The Nature of Things. His eight-part series, A Planet for the Taking, won an award from the United Nations. His eight-part series, The Secret of Life, was praised internationally as was his five-part series, The Brain, for the Discovery Channel. For CBC Radio he founded the long-running series, Quirks and Quarks and has presented two influential documentary series on the environment, From Naked Ape to Superspecies and It’s a Matter of Survival.

The David Suzuki Foundation that he and his wife, Dr Tara Cullis, founded in 1990, is an environmental non-profit organisation dedicated to working towards balancing human needs with the Earth’s ability to sustain all life.

The lecture has been organised by UOW’s Centre for Canadian-Australian Studies and sponsored by Nortel and the Government of Canada with support from the Wollongong University Postgraduate Association.

Tickets to the lecture (costing $15 for adults and $10 concession) are available from Peter Vrahas on (02) 4221- 8173; via his email at vrahas@uow.edu.au or by visiting the following website http:www.uow.edu.au/arts/ccas

Time and venue for lecture: 5.30pm, Friday March 4 at the University of Wollongong Hall, UniCentre, (Bldg 11). A book signing will follow his lecture.

Media please note: For further information contact the Director of the Centre for Canadian-Australian Studies, Associate Professor Gerry Turcotte, on (02) 4221 4140. Dr Suzuki may be available before his scheduled 5.30pm lecture at the University of Wollongong Hall for media interviews/filming/photography. The Media Unit will issue a further release before his arrival in Wollongong to confirm what time he may be available for interviews on March 4.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128