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Curtin University of Technology

2007 - The 13th Annual PRRES Conference in Fremantle, Western Australia

Challenges and Opportunities for Property Education
January 21 - 24, 2007
Curtin University of Technology

Conference Summary

This year our conference theme is “Challenges and Opportunities for Property Education”. Our keynote speakers, Professors Graeme Newell and Spike Boydell will focus on contemporary issues impacting on property education in their keynote addresses. Increasingly, our universities in the region are moving to funding mechanisms that place considerable emphasis on publications in refereed journals.

We would like to emphasise to delegates the value of our own PRRES journal. The Pacific Rim Property Research Journal (PRPRJ), provides members with a valuable forum to publish their research in an international refereed journal, published quarterly.

Potential Topics

Housing Economics and Policy; Green Buildings & Environmental Policies; Impact of pandemics upon the built environment; Corporate Real Estate; Asset, Property & Facility Management; IT and Real Estate; International Real Estate; Marketing & Communication in Property; Market Research, Analysis &Forecasting; PPF, PPP & Infrastructures; Performance and Risk Management; Property Development; Property & Urban Economics; Real Estate Finance & Investment; Property Education; Property Valuation; Real Estate Portfolio Management; Tax and Legal Issues in Property; Special Interest Topics - Big Data, PropTech, the Ageing Population; Other topics broadly synergising with the property discipline will be considered.

2007 Conference Gallery

Peer Review

PRRES 2007 is offering double blind review of full papers. These papers will be published on the PRRES Inc. website

Thank you to our conference organisers

Proceedings from the 13th Annual Conference PRRES Conference

Delegate Papers

Papers shown as "refereed" have been refereed through a peer review process involving an expert international board of referees headed by Dr Dulani Halvitigala. Full papers were refereed with authors being required to make any changes prior to presentation at the conference and subsequent publication as a refereed paper in these proceedings.   Non-refereed presentations may be presented at the conference without a full paper and hence not all non-refereed presentations and/or papers appear in these proceedings.  All authors retain the copyright in their individual papers.

Keynote Speakers

Professor Graeme Newell, University of Western Sydney

Graeme Newell is Professor of Property Investment at the University of Western Sydney. He has published extensively in the leading property research journals in the areas of property risk, Listed Property Trusts, international property and the role of property in portfolios. Graeme has received numerous excellence awards for his property research and property education contributions over many years. Graeme has strong links to the property industry, both in Australia and internationally. He is currently editor of the Pacific Rim Property Research Journal, as well as editor of the international section in Journal of Real Estate Literature. Graeme’s keynote address is on “Challenges and opportunities for property academics”.

Abstract of keynote address
The university sector landscape has changed considerably in recent years. Declining university budgets, re-positioning of property departments, and significantly higher salaries for better property graduates in the capital markets have all placed pressure on the development of the next generation of property academics. Despite these pressures, this also presents opportunities for property academics to review their profiles to significantly enhance their property academic career opportunities. This paper will assess the strategies available for property academics to further develop their academic career prospects; in particular, career strategies for new property research agendas, enhanced international recognition and strong academic leadership will be discussed.

Professor Spike Boydell, University of Technology, Sydney

Dr Spike Boydell took up his new role as Professor of the Built Environment at the University of Technology Sydney in February 2006. Spike is taking a leading role in developing the research directions and achievements of the construction, property, urban planning and project management disciplines in the School of the Built Environment. The major thrust of his appointment is to build success in attracting research grants and industry collaborations, increasing research degree enrolments and building the supervisory capacity of academics within the School. After an early high profile career in the property industry, Professor Boydell has held academic positions in Australia, the UK and the South Pacific. His doctoral research investigated the investment appraisal of enclosed regional shopping centres in Australia. He has been actively involved in environmental and sustainable aspects of the built environment as well as being a United Nations Visiting Expert on land tenure and property rights issues. His current research agenda is focused on the City as Common Property, Sustainable Urbanism and leading the multi-disciplinary Centre for the Creative City within the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building. Spike’s keynote address is titled “Disillusion, Dilemma and Direction: the role of the University in Property Education”

Abstract of keynote address
At a time when academics in the vocational built environment disciplines find themselves in an employment environment with an increasing emphasis on research output and impact, there is conflicting push for ‘reality’ from the industry that our graduates will serve. There is resultant disillusionment from both academe and industry. Add to this the expectation from our accreditation bodies that lecturing staff, including part-time faculty with extensive industry expertise, must have a strong research profile and the dilemma is compounded. In a short and provoking keynote address, Professor Spike Boydell will challenge industry, academe and our professional institutions to come together and find consensus on how we best balance the multiple expectations on our university faculties to best serve society in the built environment arena.