Sciences at UWA is helping to address the biggest problems facing humanity

In 2003, Nobel Laureate Richard E. Smalley outlined Humanity's Top Ten Problems for the next 50 years, in a talk given for the MIT Enterprise Forum. According to Professor Smalley, the biggest problems facing humanity are:

• Energy
• Water
• Food
• Environment
• Poverty
• Terrorism and War
• Disease
• Education
• Democracy
• Population

The innovative teaching and research at UWA is helping to address the first four of these problems – energy, water, food and the environment.

Energy

The Geothermal Centre of Excellence is leading the development of geothermal heat in Western Australia, while other researchers are working on programs developing suitable crops for use as biofuels and producing biogas from solid waste.
Our research makes up a significant part of the UWA's research into Bioenergy.

Interested? We offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in geology, petroleum geoscience and earth science.

Water

The Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management is focused on promoting sustainable use of water resources, while other UWA science researchers are working on the development of drought-tolerant crops.

Interested? We offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in land and water management and natural resource management.

Food

The Institute of Agriculture is focused on the production of sustainable food crops for an increasing world population.

Interested? We offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in agricultural science, plant biology, agricultural economics, horticulture, soil science and animal biology.

Environment

The Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Initiative is helping to gain a better understanding human impact on the environment, while the Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy is addressing the business side of complex environmental problems. Science at UWA is a significant contributor to the University's efforts in addressing the issue of climate change.

Interested? We offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in climate studies, environmental economics, conservation biology, marine science and environmental management.