Previous Winners

In his field of research, several of Kim’s papers are still considered classics in the area of Implicit Memory, and in 1997, he was elected a Fellow in The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, an honour bestowed for scholarly distinction in research or the advancement of social sciences.

Outside of the University, Kim was instrumental, as a founding member of the Finding Sydney Foundation, in locating the wreck of the WW2 warship HMAS Sydney, an extraordinary achievement in that he employed techniques from cognitive science, rather than traditional shipwreck location techniques. Kim’s unique approach solved a decades-long mystery and helped many families finally understand what happened to their loved ones.

Professor Robert Lambert – Posthumous – was nominated by a group of colleagues with immense support from others in the labour movement globally.

Professor Lambert started his academic career in South Africa, before joining the Business School at UWA in 1990. His scholarship made a critical contribution to labour studies and his academic achievements in this area reflected his intellectual acumen. Rob earned an international reputation for the quality of his research and was also held in high esteem by both colleagues and students for his mentorship and teaching.

Outside UWA, Robert was passionate about trying to right the wrongs in our society and was unique in his use of scholarly tools in combination with social movement leadership.

Rob’s commitment to social justice stretched back to his involvement in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, but it was Rob’s concern for the status of workers in the South that motivated his most lasting activism.

His research had taken him to some of the nearby countries where he met and saw first-hand the status of workers. His scholarly understanding of neoliberalism combined with his concern for workers that he met, inspired him to become involved with the trade union movement as the International Affairs Officer for Unions WA and then as the WA representative on the Australian Council of Trade Union’s (ACTU) International Affairs Committee to raise awareness and foster action for workers in countries of the South. In 1991, he established SIGTUR, the Southern Initiative on Globalisation and Trade Union Rights, bringing together trade unions from across the world and showing his deep commitment to social justice and labour rights. Rob’s approach combined an understanding of the unique experiences of other people and contexts, with an ability to develop solutions based on his academic understanding.

Associate Professor Romit Dasgupta – Posthumous – Romit graduated from UWA in 1986, with a Masters in Japanese Studies in 1990 and a PhD from Curtin in 2005. He first taught here in 1992, and then took a tenured position in 2000, teaching units on Japanese language, society and popular culture in Asia. His research in Japanese masculinity is world-renowned and more recently, his research into the connection between Japan and Turkey and the positioning of the countries in Asian research was innovative. Romit learnt Turkish, spent time in Turkey as a visiting scholar, and became an active and loved friend of the Turkish community.

However, Romit was nominated for this award by numerous colleagues, both academic and professional staff, because of the person he was. Professional, highly organised and respectful to all, he was proactive and willing to help others in regard to any issues, consistently demonstrating his passion in supporting his colleagues and students, all of whom he considered senpai – a senior friend. He had genuine interest in people, taking time to talk and remembering everyone’s name, as well as that of their partner and children. A word that came up time and again in his supporting statements was ‘empathy’. It is clear that Romit was a truly kind and caring colleague and friend.

Romit had the ability to create a relaxed, easy-going and inclusive environment which did not discriminate by age, gender, race, religion or language.

“He made our staff and student community at UWA a much kinder and caring place to work and learn in”.

“I cannot speak highly enough of the memorable Romit Dasgupta as a thoughtful scholar, colleague, teacher, friend, author and mentor. Romit had a fine, inquiring, far-reaching and encouraging intellect that he was always willing to share with others in a very generous, supportive and self-effacing way. His contribution was not only to UWA and Asian Studies: Romit’s contribution was and is everywhere”.