Anna Maria Arabia

Anna Maria, Arabia.

Science is the only universal language we have left.

It is the language that goes across borders, goes across religion, goes across conflict, goes across a range of things that divide us and can be polarizing.

And if we ever lose sight of that, and if we allow science to not remain the universal language, there is a risk that there is very little that unites us.

When I then reflect that back to science in Australia, you're right, it could have been very different.

I mean, in many ways, our scientific endeavour in this country is very young.

It really only prospered after World War II.

So much of Australian scientific history started in the UK and in other countries where Australians had to travel.

to undertake their work.

And a great case in point is Sir Mark Oliphant, the first president of the Australian Academy of Science, who did all of his work in the UK.

Radar technology enabled those jet planes to see the Germans and take down their planes before they were struck themselves.

And that technology went on to change this world quite significantly.

And Sir Mark Oliphant came to Australia.

And he remained here.

And I think all of the fellows who are fellows of this academy, my own journey in science, looks at those individuals and what they built.

And it is something very special.

So science in Australia is on every measure of the highest quality.

It competes with international scientific endeavour.

I sometimes think we've got more fire in our belly and a fair bit of determination because we have to reach out to the rest of the world to collaborate and doing that is that little bit harder sometimes.

The story of science in Australia is about international research collaboration and we must hold on to that and not put up walls around it.