Original Thought

The past two days have been extremely gratifying and reminds me why I chose to work within a University. I have just spent the past couple of days with brilliant people whose thoughts are changing the way in which they perceive the world and how those thoughts impact on the discourse of their chosen careers. It was an amazing learning process for me and I feel totally privileged to be invited to such a mind altering workshop. And mind altering it was. The participants of this workshop were from universities around the world, some were distinguished professors of UWA, and all are fully aware of the impact of the public domain and the attribution of the evolution of dissemination into the public domain. Technology is changing the way in which we view the world and with it has brought a host of issues that have direct impact on the discourse of Anthropology and Sociology, and has increased Intellectual Property Law, internationally, to the point where it is growing like a virus as more and more information infiltrates the public domain. 

These scholars workshopped a topic of discussion in the most incredibly polite way, even agreeing to disagree, and not actually resolving anything, yet leaving the discussion topic open for expanding thought. It was like assisting one to broaden the thinking and encourage the continuation of this process extensively once back in their own environment. It was incredible. 

Today I discovered what being an academic is really about. Today I discovered original thought. This discovery has led me to the possibility that my thesis process may be a little malnourished and that I need to re-evaluate. 

Over the past couple of days I sat in on a discussion that was not based on criticising theories, but on critiquing theories and expanding the thought process of those theories. It was incredibly enlightening.

Today I came to the conclusion that my thought process has been localised, therefore limited. This awareness came to me at the end of the two day workshop and it has altered the way in which I have decided to go about researching my PHD. Participating in this workshop has altered my perception. I feel honoured and privileged to engage in such a wonderful thing commonly know as a think tank yet in academic terms is called a workshop on a discussion topic. And discuss we did. Everyone was encouraged to offer up their thoughts. No thought process was ridiculed and all thought processes were analysed and critiqued to identify the positive aspects of that thought process where possible. It was incredibly inspirational and I am feeling humbled to have been a participant in such a wonderful way in which to create practical changes for Indigenous cultures around the world in such a positive forum.

I am overwhelmed and a little lost for words.

Life is good.