UNSW@ADFA launches new defence research centre

Senator the Honourable Sandy MacDonald, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, launched UNSW@ADFA's new Defence and Security Applications Research Centre (DSA) on Wednesday 16 May.

Lieutenant General Kenneth J. Gillespie, the Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, and Professor Les Field, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), welcomed guests to the launch ceremony.

Attendees included Major General David Morrison, the Commander of the Australian Defence College, Brigadier Brian Dawson, Commandant of ADFA, Professor John Baird, the Rector of UNSW@ADFA, academic staff and a number of government and industry representatives.

Director of the Centre, Associate Professor Hussein Abbass, said that the DSA's establishment is a continuation of UNSW's commitment to Defence.

“We are looking at both Military and Civilian security. Our definition of security is broad and covers a wide spectrum of areas including: safety issues in land, sea and air; crowd behaviour and dynamics; domestic stability; surveillance and intelligence; spread, management and control of epidemics and bushfires; and policies and standards.

We are looking forward to working closely and supporting activities in the defence and security industries,” said Associate Professor Abbass.

Professor John Baird said that UNSW@ADFA is uniquely positioned as a faculty of UNSW with expertise from a variety of areas in Science, Engineering, IT and Humanities.

"DSA will be a single point of entry to Defence and Security Applications Research on the UNSW@ADFA campus with a strategic aim to provide expertise that DSTO and other defence and government organisations can leverage," Professor Baird said.