Last October, researchers from the UWA Centre for Agricultural Economics and Development travelled to Brisbane to meet other members of BITA — the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption – and to participate in a Research Showcase as well as other workshops and activities.
The UWA team that visited the Queensland-based BITA researchers included Prof Marit Kragt, A/Prof Fay Rola-Rubzen, Dr Germán Puga, Mr Mithun Ghosh, Ms Mahnaz Afsar, and Mr Yadav Padhyoti.
The first day kicked off with a welcome dinner, which served as a relaxed place to meet other BITA researchers.
The second day started with an ice-breaking session led by Dr Stephen Whyte. Then, after having lunch with Prof Louisa Coglan and her wonderful team, there was a lecture on ‘Creativity in Large Scale Contexts’ by Yale’s Prof Jonathan Feinstein.
In his lecture, Prof Feinstein gave a well-grounded explanation on how creativity works, providing useful insights into how to be more creative when doing research.
The third day was about the research performed at BITA. It included these presentations from UWA:
Dr Germán Puga talked: ‘The behavioural economics of technology adoption’
Mr Mithun Ghosh: ‘Integrating Renewable Energy Technologies into Australian Farming Systems: Exploring Economic Viability and Community Concerns’
Ms Mahnaz Afsar: ‘Improving the Performance of Extension Strategies by Including Behavioural Insights: Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies in South-West Western Australia’
Mr Yadav Padhyoti: ‘Are there inefficiencies in Australian agricultural markets? Understanding marketing channel choice and behavioural barriers on adopting online commodity trading platforms’.
The presentations were followed by a relaxed quiz night that — surprisingly — was not about behavioural economics nor technology adoption!
The last day of activities was a course on creativity facilitated by Prof Jonathan Feinstein.
Some quotes from the PhD students
Mr Mithun Ghosh:
"The highlight of the Brisbane trip was undoubtedly the research showcase. It provided an excellent platform to present my work, gain insights into cutting-edge research from peers, and receive valuable feedback from experts in the field. The diverse range of topics broadened my understanding of innovative approaches and sparked new ideas for my own research".
"A standout moment was Professor Feinstein's workshop on creativity and innovation. This session was particularly inspiring, as it demonstrated how design thinking can address complex problems by focusing on user needs, experimenting with novel ideas, and refining solutions. I learned that looking at challenges from a fresh perspective can lead to innovative solutions".
Ms Mahnaz Afsar:
"The research showcase was particularly valuable for my PhD as it broadened my understanding of behavioural dynamics in agricultural adoption. Presenting my research during the showcase was a pivotal moment. The opportunity to share my work with a diverse audience, including peers and experts, allowed me to receive constructive feedback and fresh perspectives. This exchange of ideas was both gratifying and motivating, inspiring me to refine and enhance my research approach".
"The networking sessions were incredibly enjoyable and beneficial. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to discuss shared challenges and potential collaborations. Engaging with this dynamic group of researchers and professionals fostered a sense of community and encouraged me to think about how my work fits into the broader context of behavioural science and agricultural extension".
Mr Yadav Padhyoti:
"The true highlight was listening to the research project and findings from fellow ARC BITA researchers. The diversity of the projects and ideas, ranging from health care, transport, and agriculture to technology and using behavioural lenses, was genuinely enriching. The methods of exploration of research questions and research communication skills brought about by the participants are of great importance for early career researchers like me".
"Another highlight of the visit was Prof. Jonathan Feinstein's creativity and innovation workshop. His explanation about making sense of ideas coming up and practising and managing creativity was significant. Learning about creativity and innovation management will assist me in my research journey".
For more information:
German Puga: german.puga@uwa.edu.au
Tammie Harold: tamara.harold@uwa.edu.au
ARC Training Centre for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption (BITA) website: ARC BITA
Centre for Agricultural Economics and Development: https://www.uwacaed.org/
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