March 2010 - Swinburne University of Technology
March 2010 - Swinburne University of Technology
March 2010 - Swinburne University of Technology
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swinburne <strong>March</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
social inclusion<br />
knowledge<br />
as a way<br />
<strong>of</strong> being<br />
6<br />
A new centre for Indigenous<br />
knowledge and design<br />
anthropology is set to shape the<br />
way knowledge is shared<br />
in Western universities<br />
By Karin Derkley<br />
How do you work with or for people unless<br />
you understand how they see and experience<br />
the world? How do you create products,<br />
design systems and provide services unless<br />
you have an insight into what is meaningful<br />
or relevant?<br />
For a designer, these are basic questions<br />
if design and function are to meet. The<br />
same questions are also fundamental when<br />
reaching across cultures, particularly when<br />
working with Indigenous communities.<br />
For Dr Norman Sheehan, it makes sense<br />
to bring the two aspirations together and<br />
provide a way for Indigenous knowledge<br />
– <strong>of</strong>ten more holistic than prescriptive – to<br />
influence teaching in Western universities.<br />
To this end, Dr Sheehan has been engaged<br />
by <strong>Swinburne</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Technology</strong>’s<br />
Faculty <strong>of</strong> Design to establish the Centre<br />
for Indigenous Knowledge and Design<br />
Dr Norman Sheehan