The University of Melbourne has launched a six-part web series delving into major issues the world is facing at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Hosted and moderated by Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Health) and Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Dean Professor Shitij Kapur, The Life Beyond Coronavirus – The Expert View series will feature academics from across the University, community leaders and other expert guests.
Professor Kapur said the series aims to provide important information about current issues related to the pandemic, how the world is responding, and its effects to our way of life.
“The series will look beyond the virus itself to how it’s affecting the world – from its impact on the economy to how people are coping with the measures enacted to stop its spread,” he said.
Each episode will tackle a different topic and convene a discussion with experts in various fields, where questions from University students and staff, and the general public will be addressed.
Professor Duncan Maskell said the University is committed to engaging with the community and contributing to public knowledge.
“The University of Melbourne takes a great deal of pride in the work of our researchers, who are all highly respected academics in their various fields, and in their commitment to informing and helping the community while making significant contributions and a real difference in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis,” he said.
“As we work collectively to fight COVID-19 and map out what’s required for the future, this series will provide a unique forum for discussion of the issues that have emerged as a result of the pandemic.”
The series kicked off with a discussion about “flattening the curve” joined by panellists Sharon Lewin, the Director of the Peter Doherty Institute and Professor of Medicine, James McCaw, Professor of Mathematical Biology in the Faculty of Science, Ian Harper, the Dean of the Melbourne Business School and Professor of Economics, and Joy Damousi, Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts.
The hour-long episodes will run fortnightly and can be viewed on the University’s YouTube channel.