October 25, 2022

UOW expert commentary (25 - 29 October)

UOW academics provide expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing and breaking news stories

Federal Budget

Dr Mona Nikidehaghani is an expert in the relationship between accounting and public policies. She is a Lecturer in the School of Business, Faculty of Business and Law. Dr Nikidehaghani is particularly interested in the area of accounting, social welfare and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. 

Associate Professor Martin O’Brien is an economist who can discuss the labour market, skills shortages and household budgets. Associate Professor O’Brien is from the Centre of Human and Social Capital Research in the Faculty of Business and Law. 

Associate Professor Tam Ha is an expert in public health and says socio-economic factors such as income, employment, housing and education were the highest contributing influences on a person's health, making up about 40 per cent of their overall health and well-being outcomes. Associate Professor Ha is from the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. 

Dr Betty Frino can discuss the labour market, wages policy, income tax, superannuation, childcare and family concessions. Dr Frino is an expert in Human Resources, Employment Relations and Organisational Psychology. She is from the Faculty of Business and Law. 

What should rich countries do with spare masks and gloves? 

Dr Spring Zhou is a supply chain management expert who can talk about the serious expiration problem in medical reserve stocks. In an article she co-authored in The Conversation, Dr Zhou says most developed countries hold significant quantities of medical supplies in reserve to respond in an emergency, and if they’re not used in time they are sent to landfill. She writes: 

This expiration and waste is in sharp contrast to the situation in some developing countries. Some are forced to reuse normally disposable items, such as surgical gloves, masks and syringes. 

While donation of surplus stock seems an obvious solution, donations of dated medical supplies are typically discouraged. 

Dr Zhou is a lecturer in the School of Business. 

UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.