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Collaborating with Monash students to promote Antarctic conservation

Antarctica is a faraway continent, so remote from our daily lives that it rarely enters most people’s thought bubbles, and when it does, the first pictures that often come to mind are ice and penguins. But Antarctica is much more than this, and it is actually crucial to our daily lives. It influences Australia’s weather, maintains sea levels and supports the health of our ocean and its ecosystems.

As the world collectively misses the target of limiting global warming to below 1.5°C, the challenge of rousing more people to care is growing ever more urgent. But in an age of information overload and short attention spans, how do we bring Antarctica to the people?

Monash University is full of bright young students, and they know they are the generation that will inherit a world altered by climate change. So, to generate ideas to address this challenge, SAEF recently collaborated with students enrolled in the Monash Master of Design and the Research, Experimentation and Discovery (RED) Program. 

Mastering the design of Antarctic solutions

The Monash Master of Design aims to develop creative and socially responsible designers skilled in creating design solutions that can help address global challenges, such as the climate crisis.

Throughout the first semester of 2024, SAEF’s Director Professor Steven Chown, and Senior Communications Adviser Anna Quinn worked jointly with Master of Design Coordinator Jeffrey Janet and Teaching Associate Dr Dave Trickey. The SAEF team performed the role of client, enabling the master students to have a realistic and meaningful experience of designing to a brief. For most of the students, it was the first time they’d worked for a client where they had to respond to a brief and client feedback, helping them to understand how the design industry works.

Steven presented a lecture on Antarctic science to all the students, while Anna attended briefings and was available to review work and provide feedback. The team also gave the students a list of reasons to care about Antarctica to use as a content prompt to inspire their designs. 

The team worked particularly closely with the third-year collaborative design studio students, Hedyeh Asoodeh, Ky Ha, and Andrew Wijaya, who designed an exhibition for the SAEF office foyer, promotional materials, and activities to engage kids. At the end of the semester, SAEF staff, researchers, and PhD students attended the third-year students’ final presentations and provided feedback. 

Masters student Hedyeh Asoodeh said she developed a range of skills throughout the experience that have helped make her workplace-ready. 

“I learned the importance of collaboration and effective communication to convey complex research through engaging and impactful installations. This project enhanced my creative problem-solving skills and adaptability, especially in designing a mobile exhibition to reach diverse audiences.”

Meanwhile, first and second-year students created animations and public information campaigns about why Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are important and what people can do to protect them. A selection of the videos has been chosen to share across SAEF’s social media channels.

By the end of the semester, Steven, Anna, and the team had encountered a broad range of highly creative and thought-provoking ideas. They will further develop a handful of these ideas in consultation with the participating students.

You can view a selection of the exhibition and pop-up exhibit designs, animations and communication campaigns here: 

Final Design Proposals

Exhibition concepts, communication campaigns and animations

View a selection of featured student work.

Research, Experimentation and Discovery (RED) Program

Research, Experimentation and Discovery (RED) is a three-week intensive unit that immerses students in Monash’s interdisciplinary research and aims to develop their capacity to create change through leadership, problem-solving and innovation. 

Students work in small teams to explore a research challenge set by collaborating research partners to develop solutions to address climate change, geopolitical security and foster thriving communities. 

As a participating research partner, the SAEF team posed two challenges. The first asked students to consider how to engage the public to create awareness about the urgent need to secure Antarctica’s environmental future. The second posed the challenge of how to preserve the Antarctic Treaty in the face of rising geopolitical tensions, conflict or war to ensure that the environment is protected and scientific research is promoted. 

RED program participant Ruhui Fu said that participating in the SAEF project was insightful and allowed them to learn firsthand how a research program operates and creates change. 

“Listening to all the panels and engaging in these thoughtful activities has deeply inspired my research pursuits and provided invaluable advice, not just for my studies but also in a broader societal context,” Ruhui said. 

Director of RED Dr Troy McGee said the participating students constantly inspire him. 

“Not only do they constantly surprise, challenge and inspire me – I know their participation in the program has a profound impact on their mindsets, attitudes and perspectives about research.”

“RED helps our students envision new professional futures for themselves. This rich and transformative educational experience is only ever made possible through the generosity of research partners like SAEF.”

You can view a selection of the RED participants’ ideas here:

Heal the Heartbreak

https://tngu0394.wixsite.com/saef-project1

Polar Pioneer Project

https://polar-pioneers.square.site/

Find out more about the RED program.