Flinders University will have a prominent role when Adelaide is featured as the first in a new National Geographic television documentary series on the world’s smart cities.
Adelaide is one of only 17 cities chosen for the series, Global Smart Cities, and one of three in the Southern hemisphere.
The documentary on Adelaide will promote the city and South Australia to tourists and students overseas and showcase its credentials as a vibrant, creative and intelligent city.
The series, which will screen internationally later this year, was launched by Premier Jay Weatherill at an event at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.
The makers of the series said Adelaide was selected because of its education vision and universities, multiculturalism and its connectivity in a global environment.
Mr Weatherill said the acknowledgement recognises the exciting transformation that has occurred in Adelaide over the last decade as well as the “ingenuity, social intelligence and innovation which have allowed us to build one of the most civilised and tolerant societies anywhere in the world.”
The State Government, Adelaide City Council, Flinders University and the University of South Australia contributed to creating the film.
Flinders University Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor David Day said the documentary would provide an opportunity to showcase the central role of education as a driver of Adelaide’s intellectual, cultural and economic momentum.
“Flinders is at the forefront of generating the new ideas and new technologies crucial to establishing Adelaide’s role in the international knowledge-based economy and to developing the advanced industries that will create the jobs of the future.”
Featuring in the film will be Professor Jorg Hacker, Director of the University’s Airborne Research Australia, which operates a fleet of scientific aircraft based at Parafield Airport, and Dr Martin Luerssen and Ms Marissa Milne of the Thinking Head project.
The series will air on the National Geographic Channel in Australia, New Zealand, North America, South East Asia, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, China, UK and Germany during 2014.
Can’t wait to watch this!