Future leaders from across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Kenya, Bangladesh, India, and Fiji studied the effects of globalisation on local communities during visits to CQU Rockhampton and CQU Gladstone this week.

“CQU has vast experience with the realities of globalisation – the successes and the shortfalls – while serving the needs of our local communities. We hope this study tour gives them insight into leadership development and an enhanced awareness of the challenges that await them,” said CQU Vice Chancellor and President Glenice Hancock.

International team members participating in the 9th Commonwealth Study Conference – with backgrounds in retail, broadcasting, trade, insurance, law, trade union, journalism and manufacturing – experienced intensive sessions at CQU designed to broaden their understanding and enhance their decision-making skills.

“There are business, economic and technical issues of course, but our future leaders must also be sensitive to the hopes and fears of employees and community members when managing change or finding solutions to their own problems,” added Professor Hancock.

“The ability of members to make comparisons between the Queensland experience and their own country’s experiences will be critical,” explained Vanessa MacBean, a Study Tour Group leader.

Participants toured CQU Gladstone on Wednesday, specifically to review the University’s Process Engineering and Light Metals Centre (PELM).

“PELM is based in a regional centre with a strong international focus and will become an important link in a global network of advanced metal processing research centres. We want to share our start-up experiences with these people, especially those in manufacturing and government sectors,” explained CQU’s Professor Warren Thorpe, Foundation Professor of Process Engineering and Light Metals and PELM Director.

Team members returned to CQU Rockhampton this morning (Friday), to continue their discussions, focusing on the operational needs of multicultural organisations experiencing changes in technology, funding structures and customer expectations.

Thirteen other international teams, participating in the Ninth Commonwealth Study Conference across Australia and New Zeland this month, will visit a wide variety of organisations to get as broad a perspective as possible on social, environmental and economic issues. They will all report their findings during a final session to be held in Sydney on 28 and 29 October.

Conference Chairman, Sir William Deane, has urged members to look beyond the economic effects of globalisation. He said future global managers, were effectively being asked to take a moral stand and act in the interests of global communities – not just company profits or shareholder returns.

Photo above: Commonwelth leaders join in talks with CQU senior managers.

Photo left: Fiona Darwin, Lead Organiser, Health Services Union (Victoria) takes part in the discussion on-campus on Friday.