“Wicked” problems are more than how the producers of the musical can possibly spend all their money.
In policy land, it refers to policy issues that can never be solved because there are never risk-free solutions and always unanticipated consequences, regardless of what action is taken.
So far, Flinders U has identified five wicked problems: cost of living, housing, crime, degraded environment and infrastructure-transport – but they are on the lookout for more, an a survey is now available online, providing more options for issues that need answers than even Peter Malinauskas could think he can fix.
But the university has found a good purpose for problems at least for its own interests – surveying Australians about the issues that need addressing.
“Flinders University is dedicated to a collaborative, community-driven research agenda, working alongside government, industry, and a diverse range of experts to find solutions to these critical challenges. Your voice can help shape the future of research and drive meaningful change,” is the pitch.
This is brilliant, it could be credible way for Flinders U to deliver on the community-service sell that every university promises but generally tries to deliver with research stories that are read by other academics. It is also a way to present Flinders as a resource for Adelaide, different to the behemoth to strut the world stage now stirring on North Terrace.
Of course, the university has got to deliver with a research program and comms strategy that delivers and delivers on the issues it adopts. This will not be easy. Academics will kick up about research being reduced to an intellectual utility. Progress on many issues maybe slight. But get the fundamentals right and Flinders can make a much stronger case for research funding. That might help with the internal messaging.
