Huamn Problems & Teamwork

Adelaide University Graduation Speech

31 July 2007

Presented by

Mr Brian Cunningham

Chief Executive Officer

Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology

The Deputy Chancellor Mr Ross Adler AC

The Vice Chancellor Professor James McWha

Distinguished Guests

Members of Staff

And especially Graduands

Thank you for the invitation to be here to share this occasion with you.

I would like to acknowledge that the land we meet on today is the traditional land of the Kaurna people and that we respect their continuing spiritual relationship with the country.

The University of Adelaide has a long and hard earned reputation as a learning institution of the highest standard.

As a graduate and with a daughter who graduated here in this very hall yesterday I have a great deal of pride in being invited to come to talk briefly with you today.

As graduands, you arrive here today after a number of years of hard work and in many cases significant sacrifice.

As a result of your time here you have a qualification that is universally recognized and held in the highest regard.

As graduates in business, economics and law you leave with very important skills, skills that we hope will help us find solutions, to many of the biggest challenges that we face as a community.

Let me illustrate.

In 1961, US President John Kennedy in one of his famous speeches said he hoped for two things. Firstly, by the end of the 1960’s to put a man on the moon, and secondly, to eliminate poverty in American cities.

While I was too young in 1961 to remember much about John Kennedy, I do remember sitting in awe in front of the television eight years later in 1969 along with many millions around the world as we marveled at the technology of a scratchy black and white live coverage of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon.

However, in 2007, poverty is still as big a problem as it’s ever been – perhaps bigger!

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