Tag: University of South Australia

The University of South Australia in Adelaide, Australia has partnered with the University of Exeter (UK) and Carnegie Mellon University (USA) to launch the Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space, the first program of its kind to meet the challenges facing the sectors.

In response to increasing global geopolitical instability and the establishment of the AUKUS alliance, the University of South Australia (UniSA) introduced the Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space (GEMBA).

The AUKUS security pact presents significant opportunities for those working in and servicing the defence and space sectors. Skills development will be crucial to the ongoing development of the defence and space ecosystems. While technical skills are required under Pillar 1 of AUKUS to build the submarine infrastructure, sustainment and construction, developing advanced cooperation between the three partners as outlined under Pillar 2 will be required across the supply chain.

This presents significant opportunities to develop cutting-edge capabilities that are underpinned by work to promote tri-lateral information and technology sharing to accelerate defence and space innovation enterprises.

The AUKUS arrangement means working with different cultures, agencies, organisations, and teams. This requires technical understanding as well as future-focussed capabilities such as communication, teamwork and problem solving.

UniSA has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and the University of Exeter (UK) to launch the Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space (September 2023) , the first program of its kind tailored to meet the most pressing challenges facing the two sectors.

The program is designed for uniformed and non-uniformed personnel from small and large defence companies, government, and adjacent industries from AUKUS and other allied nations to develop speed to capabilities.

The GEMBA model delivers three main innovations. First, driven by the demand for speed to capabilities under Pillar 2 AUKUS, we designed a tailored program to address critical gaps in cyber security, space systems, geopolitics and defence procurement to help future-proof the workforce and build innovative leadership capabilities across the defence and space sectors for the new era.

Second, we partnered with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Exeter in presenting an 18-month cohort-based program delivered across three countries – Australia, the UK and the US – to reflect the tri-lateral AUKUS alliance. The program features 12 courses covering the organisational functional requirements of an MBA contextualised in the defence and space sectors. Students undertake three in-country residentials in Adelaide, Washington DC, and London, interspersed with online learning.

Third, we partnered with industry to cocreate the curriculum to ensure relevancy and currency. For example, for the capstone, we partnered with the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG). CASG is the key delivery agency for the Department of Defence and exists to meet the Australian Defence Force’s military equipment and supply requirements. Students will be assigned a non-classified project as issued by CASG for the capstone. We have also partnered with Accenture who will supply an advisory coach to each group as they work on their capstone challenge.

Working in coopetition and not in competition, allows pockets of expertise to be leveraged and efficiency realisation gains to produce innovative learning experiences on a global scale. The three-way partnership between UniSA, CMU, and Exeter reflects the cross-cultural collaboration behaviours required for complex defence and space projects under AUKUS. It sets a precedence in creating the infrastructure and team-based cultures required to develop workforce speed to capabilities.

This new ecosystem looks to continuous innovation through a shared appreciation of the lifelong learning discourse and the need for providers to offer end-to-end learning solutions to meet evolving learner requirements. Future iterations of the program include short course offerings and industry-specific courses as either discrete learning options or pathway options into the GEMBA.

In its first year of introduction, the GEMBA expects to deliver global impact by developing leaders who can navigate complex geopolitical relationships and work across different cultural and institutional contexts.

Glen Gallagher, Operations Manager at Boeing Defence Australia, one of the inaugural students undertaking the program, says he expects the program will help him be at the forefront of AI and space weaponisation and the ethical use of autonomous systems which he suggests pose unique moral dilemmas. “We must navigate the delicate balance between innovation, effectiveness and conscience,” he says.

“The program will also help act as catalysts for those of us in the defence and space sector, to drive us forward to make informed decisions using the visionary leadership skills gained throughout the course”.

Join the sophisticated technological innovation, globalisation and shifting power balances all changing the face of the defence and space industries. The Global Executive Master of Business Administration (Defence and Space) is designed to meet the workforce development needs of these rapidly expanding sectors.

Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide, affecting thinking and behaviours as you age. But what if you could stop this degenerative disease in its tracks?

A world-first study from the University of South Australia could make this a reality as new genetic research shows a direct link between dementia and a lack of vitamin D.

Investigating the association between vitamin D, neuroimaging features, and the risk of dementia and stroke, the study found:

• low levels of vitamin D were associated with lower brain volumes and an increased risk of dementia and stroke,
• genetic analyses supported a causal effect of vitamin D deficiency and dementia,
• in some populations as much as 17 per cent of dementia cases might be prevented by increasing everyone to normal levels of vitamin D (50 nmol/L).

Dementia is a chronic or progressive syndrome that leads to deterioration in cognitive function. About 487,500 Australians live with dementia and it is the country’s second leading cause of death. Globally, more than 55 million people have dementia with 10 million new cases diagnosed every year.

Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the genetic study analysed data from 294,514 participants from the UK Biobank, examining the impact of low levels of vitamin D (25 nmol/L) and the risk of dementia and stroke. Nonlinear Mendelian randomisation (MR) – a method of using measured variation in genes to examine the causal effect of a modifiable exposure on disease – were used to test for underlying causality for neuroimaging outcomes, dementia, and stroke.

Senior investigator and Director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, Professor Elina Hyppönen, says the findings are important for the prevention of dementia and appreciating the need to abolish vitamin D deficiency.

“Vitamin D is a hormone precursor that is increasingly recognised for widespread effects, including on brain health, but until now it has been very difficult to examine what would happen if we were able to prevent vitamin D deficiency,” Prof Hyppönen says.

“Our study is the first to examine the effect of very low levels of vitamin D on the risks of dementia and stroke, using robust genetic analyses among a large population.

“In some contexts, where vitamin D deficiency is relatively common, our findings have important implications for dementia risks. Indeed, in this UK population, we observed that up to 17 per cent of dementia cases might have been avoided by boosting vitamin D levels to be within a normal range.”

The findings are incredibly significant given the high prevalence of dementia around the world.
“Dementia is a progressive and debilitating disease that can devastate individuals and families alike,” Prof Hyppönen says.

“If we’re able to change this reality through ensuring that none of us is severely vitamin D deficient, it would also have further benefits and we could change the health and wellbeing of thousands.”

Long black, espresso, or latte, whatever your coffee preference, drink too much and you could be in hot water, especially when it comes to heart health.

In a world-first genetic study, researchers from the Australian Centre for Precision Health at the University of South Australia found that long-term, heavy coffee consumption – six or more cups a day – can increase the amount of lipids (fats) in your blood to significantly heighten your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Importantly, this correlation is both positive and dose-dependent, meaning that the more coffee you drink, the greater the risk of CVD.

It’s a bitter pill, especially for lovers of coffee, but according to UniSA researcher, Professor Elina Hyppönen, it’s one we must swallow if we want to keep our hearts healthy.

“There’s certainly a lot of scientific debate about the pros and cons of coffee, but while it may seem like we’re going over old ground, it’s essential to fully understand how one of the world’s most widely consumed drinks can impact our health,” Prof Hyppönen says.

“In this study, we looked at genetic and phenotypic associations between coffee intake and plasma lipid profiles – the cholesterols and fats in your blood – finding causal evidence that habitual coffee consumption contributes to an adverse lipid profile which can increase your risk of heart disease.

“High levels of blood lipids are a known risk factor for heart disease, and interestingly, as coffee beans contain a very potent cholesterol-elevating compound (cafestol), it was valuable to examine them together.

“Cafestol is mainly present in unfiltered brews, such as French press, Turkish and Greek coffees, but it’s also in espressos, which is the base for most barista-made coffees, including lattes and cappuccinos.

“There is no or very little cafestol in filtered and instant coffee, so with respect to effects on lipids, those are good coffee choices.

“The implications of this study are potentially broad reaching. In my opinion, it is especially important for people with high cholesterol or who are worried about getting heart disease to carefully choose what type of coffee they drink.

“Importantly, the coffee-lipid association is dose-dependent – the more you drink unfiltered coffee the more it raises your blood lipids, putting you at greater risk of heart disease.”

Globally, an estimated 3 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year.

The study used data from 362,571 UK Biobank participants, aged 37-73 years, using a triangulation of phenotypic and genetic approaches to conduct comprehensive analyses.

While the jury still may be out on the health impacts of coffee, Prof Hyppönen says it is always wise to choose filtered coffee when possible and be wary of overindulging, especially when it comes to a stimulant such as coffee.

“Our research shows, excess coffee is clearly not good for cardiovascular health, which certainly has implications for those already at risk.”