When Australia's top public servant talks contemporary federalism and its relevance, people listen.

Speaking at an Eidos National Address, delivered at the Brisbane Convention Centre, June 8 2011, Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Terry Moran told a crowd of over 300 guests that despite holding a number of benefits in the form of economic and policy reforms, contemporary federalism remained flawed.

Reshaping Australian federalism following the gradual transferal of powers from the States to a more centralised Federal system is a topic of conversation influencing a growing number of policy concerns. As questions of the balance of power between state and Commonwealth remain high on the Australian political agenda, Eidos Institute is pleased to act as an independent platform for debate in this important area of political discourse.

On Wednesday 23rd of February 2011, The Eidos Institute Board hosted an event with Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. As one of the nations most esteemed and respected voices for the advocacy of Indigenous rights, Mick Gooda cuts a unique figure on the Australian cultural landscape.

Following his appointment to the federal government’s expert panel on constitutional change, Mick was invited by Eidos to address an audience gathered at the State Library of Queensland on issues relating to constitutional evolution, Indigenous advocacy and pathways to diplomatic change. With political momentum for a constitutional referendum continuing to swell, the issue is shaping up as a critical plank in future conceptions of the nature of reconciliation in our country.

On Monday 21st of November 2011, The Eidos Institute Board hosted an event with Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG, former Justice of the High Court of Australia.

Outspoken supporter of human rights, highly esteemed legal visionary and long time anti-discrimination campaigner, as Australia's longest serving High Court judge Mr. Kirby has emerged as an iconic 21st century legal and intellectual reformist.

Supporter of free speech and defender of the marginalized, Mr. Kirby was hosted by Eidos as part of its extended campaign to raise awareness of the importance of creating independent platforms for political debate and discourse which encourages participation in politics through the medium of face-to-face, publicly visible conversation.

On Monday the 13th December 2010, Eidos Institute hosted a special evening FORUM@ANN with the Honourable Peter Beattie, Queensland Premier 1998 - 2007.

As a large, geographically and geologically diverse country with a broad range of industries, is Australia always likley to experience a certain amount of economic difference by state and region? Is the so-called 'two-speed economy' an overhyped improbability? What does Australia need to do to continue to maintain an integrated national economy? And what happens when demand for iron ore and coal cools?

John Howard was one of Australia’s most controversial Prime Ministers, leading the Liberal Party to victory over four elections and becoming the second-longest-serving PM in the nation’s history.

On Tuesday the 16th of November, 2010 Eidos co-hosted Mr Howard who held a Q&A for his new autobiography Lazarus Rising. This book looks back over 30 years in politics, and at the changes Howard has seen both inside and outside the Government during that time.

On Sunday the 18^th of July Prime Minister Julia Gillard launched her election campaign in front of a full house gathered at the offices of public policy think-tank the Eidos Institute.

In a half-hour speech outlining Labour’s vision for a more ‘sustainable’ Australia, Ms. Gillard unveiled a $200 million dollar initiative to boost housing in regional cities by promising infrastructure funding to local councils.

The Prime Minister singled out the Eidos Institute as worthy of praise within the field of public policy and research.

On Wednesday the 15th of September Eidos Institute hosted a roundtable discussion with Ms Ann Harrap, Australian High Commissioner to South Africa.

The event was staged in partnership with Trade Queensland and examined the future of South African and Australian engagement.

The Eidos Institute International Innovation Series attracts leading international speakers with a focus on innovation in public policy. On May 6th 2010, the Eidos Institute Board hosted lunch with Charles Leadbeater and Professor David Hogan.

With a focus on health policy and innovation, Charles Leadbeater - leading international authority on innovation and creativity - discussed key policy implementation arguments from what will be his next book, For By and With.

The Eidos Institute International Innovation Series attracts leading international speakers with a focus on innovation in public policy. On May 6th 2010, the Eidos Institute Board hosted lunch with Charles Leadbeater and Professor David Hogan.

Professor David Hogan - Principal Research Scientist at the National Institute of Education, Singapore - gave a presentation titled Working Pasteur's Quadrant: Knowledge Production and Implementation in Education.

On April 14th 2010 the Eidos Institute Board hosted a luncheon with the Shadow Treasurer, Honourable Joe Hockey MP.

Minister Hockey's presentation, In Defence of Enterprise, was a significant contribution to public policy in this election year. Mr Hockey outlined why individual and free enterprise - economic, social and scientific - has been the foundation of modern western civilization.

On April 23rd 2010 the Eidos Institute Board, in partnership with the State Library of Queensland, hosted breakfast with John Daley, CEO of Grattan Institute and past Managing Director of E*TRADE.

John's presentation, Adapting the Australian Economy to Emit Less Carbon, looked at Grattan Institute's report that analysed the impact of carbon pricing on Australian competitiveness, and assessed what should be done to help communities, companies and individuals to be part of a low-carbon economy.

On the 3rd September 2009, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with the Right Honourable Alan Milburn. Alan is a British politician, Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Darlington.

Throughout his presentation Alan discussed how supply-side reforms including greater diversity in provision need to be coupled with demand-side drivers such as choice for users in order to make modern services better attuned to the needs of the individual citizen.

On Monday the 21st September 2009, The Eidos Institute Board and Education City hosted a breakfast with Charles Leadbeater, a leading authority on innovation and strategy and one of the most influential creative people in the world.

Charlie discussed radical innovation in the public services, including the role of co-creation and user-generated services.

In April 2009, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a luncheon with the Head of Australia’s Public Service, Terry Moran.

Terry's varied career as a public servant has seen him working with successive Australian Federal and State governments, with roles in public policy and public sector management. During lunch, Mr Moran will discussed his thoughts on some of the most important policy decisions for Australia.

On Thursday the 12th November 2009, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a luncheon with the Honourable Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister, Australia.

Julia Gillard is the Minister for Education, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and also the Minister for Social Inclusion. She is the first woman to hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister. Through her presentation the Deputy Prime Minister discussed the role of transparency in education reform.

On May 29 2009, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Ken Smith, Director-General, Queensland Government Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

In his first public presentation on the new architecture of the Queensland Government, Ken outlined and Q&A'd the Queensland Public Service’s new vision for greater integration and effectiveness of service delivery. The most significant public sector reform in almost two decades, creating six clusters, was of interest to leaders in government, business and higher education.

In October 2010 Eidos Institute hosted Queensland Premier The Hon. Ms. Anna Bligh for a roundtable discussion which gathered industry participants and partners of the Eidos Institute and united them in discussion around a number of issues pertinent to the future of the network.

Eidos acknowledged the early contribution made by the Premier in launching Eidos in 2005 and the luncheon represented a timely opportunity to involve the private sector in a continual conversation with government and policy formulation.

On Tuesday the 17th July 2007, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Noel Pearson, Australian lawyer and activist.

Noel Pearson was born in Cooktown and grew up at Hope Vale, a Lutheran Mission in the southeast Cape York Peninsula area. He is a Bama Bagaarrmugu of the Guuguwarrra Nation from Kalpowa and Jeanie River area. He is a history and law graduate from the University of Sydney. He has devoted his life to the creation and development of Cape York Land Council and other Indigenous organisations.

On Wednesday 28th of May, 2008, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Professor Emeritus John Hay, AC, current chair of Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Chairman of Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees, and past Vice-Chancellor of The University of Queensland (1997-2007).

On Tuesday the 10th of June 2008 The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Carm Lawrence, Past Premier of Western Australia. In her Eidos presentation, Dr. Carmen Lawrence explored how we can stimulate the changes in human behaviour needed to forestall (or even adapt to) the predicted outcomes of global warming.

On Wednesday the 6th of August 2008 The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breafkast with Gary Banks, Chairman of the Productivity Commission. Gary discussed the concerning fact that Australia’s productivity surge of the 1990s has given way to mediocre or poor performance since then, and how policy can boos Australia's productivity.

On Wednesday the 17th of September 2008, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Karma Tshiteem, Secretary of Gross National Happiness, Bhutan. This talk provided a unique opportunity to hear about Gross National Happiness and the Bhutanese approach to understanding, measuring and strengthening happiness, prosperity and wellbeing.

On the 11th of August 2005, Eidos Institute hosted a symposium with Ira Harkavy, visiting Fulbright Scholar and Director of the Centre for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania. The symposium discussed a series of ideas/actions/checks to assist school and community leadres to create and/or strengthen school-community partnerships.

On Wednesday 13th of December 2006 the Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Frans Nauta, Professor of Innovation at Han University. Taking examples from Nokia and Apple Frans discussed innovation in the public sector and the premise of starting a new country and building the government from the ground up.

On Monday the 16th of October the Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Tom Bentley, Director of Demos, an influential UK public policy think tank. Tom is an expert in bridging policy, innovation and practice in fields from public services to global security, science policy and social innovation with a large array of partners ranging from Northern Europe to China and India.

On Friday the 11th of April 2008, the Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Professor Bruce Chapman. This presentation described, examined and promoted an exciting new role for the public sector as a manager of risk, and argues that ICLs had enormous potential to change the extent and nature of social and economic activities.

On Friday the 31st of August 2007, the Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Professor Geoff Gallop. This presentation examined the relationship between politics, leadership, service delivery and policy design. Professor Gallop made the case that principles such as accountability and sustainability are at the hearf of what shoud ne the end goal for government - the creation of healthy communities.

On Thursday the 24th of May 2007, The Eidos Institute Board hosted a breakfast with Professor Glyn Davis AC, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Melbourne.

Professor Davis has written widely on policy and governance. His most recent publications are a third edition of The Australian Policy Handbook (with Peter Bridgman, 2004), The Future of Australian Governance: Policy Choices (coedited with Michael Keating, 2000) and Are You Being Served? State, Citizens and Governance (co-edited with Patrick Weller, 2001)

The Hon. Tim Fischer, 14th Deputy Prime Minister, spoke about gross national happiness at the Eidos Group Launch on 24^th May 2007.

Former Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the National Party and Minister for Trade, The Hon. Tim Fischer has had a distinguished career. Mr Fischer has been the Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and the Federal Parliamentary National Party Liaison Officer for Western Australia. From 26 August to 1 September 1999, Mr Tim Fischer was Leader of the Official Australian Delegation which oversaw the popular consultation or ballot held on 30 August 1999 in East Timor.

On Friday the 19th September, 2008 Baroness Susan Greenfield announced the establishment of the RiAus to be housed in the refurbished historic stock exchange building in Adelaide. The RiAus is the first international sister body of the Royal Institution of Great Britain (RiGB), the flagship of science communication in the UK for over 200 years.

The brainchild of RiGB Director and former Adelaide Thinker in Residence, Baroness Professor Susan Greenfield, the RiAus will be a dynamic, contemporary and accessible home for science in Australia. A place for people to listen, talk and think about science in all its shapes and forms.

On Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st of August 2008, Professor Sir David Watson gave a series of presentations on behalf of the Eidos Institute in Townsville Queensland.The event series focused on achieving optimeal regional productivity and wellbeing.

David Watson is an historian and Professor of Higher Education Management at the Institute of Education,and was previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton between 1990 and 2005.

On Wednesday February 15th 2006 The Eidos Institute hosted The Honourable Tom Barton MP for a luncheon at Brisbane's Parliament House.

Minister Barton, who was Minister for Employment and Training, reflected on the challenges and opportunities for education and social research in the coming years. He discussed how a consortium of education and social researchers can position for relevance and influence. He also reflected on strategies for investing in our human capital and skills and learning and how we should learn in the new training and employment environment.

On Tuesday February 14th 2006 The Eidos Institute hosted The Honourable Rod Welford MP for a luncheon at QUT's Garden Theatre

Minister Welford, who was Minister for Education and the Arts, reflected on the challenges and opportunities for education and social research in the coming years. He discussed how a consortium of education and social researchers can position for relevance and influence. He also reflected on strategies for investing in our human capital and skills and learning and how we should learn in the new training and employment environment.

On Thursday the 1^st April 2010, The Eidos Institute hosted the inaugural Forum@Ann with international guest Adam Kahane and contributions from Andrew Barlett (The Greens) and Dennis Atkins (The Courier Mail).

Involving new organisations or procedures which change the way we operate or view ideas, the rise of social innovation represents a changing attitude amongst business entrepreneurs and organisations seeking to use their expertise to create positive social change.

With their specific set of resources, expertise and talent, businesses can be a powerful force in unlocking new ideas and driving innovation. In our current climate of rapid advancements in technology and the rise of online social networking as a medium for democratic conversation anything is possible and nothing is stagnant.

On Friday the 14th May 2010, The Eidos Institute hosted a Forum@Ann with the Minister for Disability Services and Multicultural Affairs Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP. The forum was facilitated by Dennis Atkins and included contributions from Ian Mull (Executive Manager, Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland), Dr Susan Forde (Griffith University) and Neroll Holmes (Anti-Discrimination Commissioner).

The recent and highly publicised attacks on Indian students have dragged the issue of racism within Australian society well and truly into the public spotlight. With Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes recently urging Australians to recognize the ‘persistent pockets of racism’ which continue to exist within Australian society, our multiculturalists’ credentials have come under serious fire in recent months.

On Wednesday the 23rd June 2010, the Eidos Institute will be hosting a Forum@Ann with the Minister for Women Hon. Karen Struthers MP. The forum will be facilitated by Dale Spender and will future the work of Dr Jane Hasler (Griffith Unviersity).

The gender order in contemporary Australia is manifested by a work/care regime that involves the interplay between three forces – beliefs, behaviours and institutions. This regime is underpinned by a ‘male breadwinner’ gender division of labour model which was embedded following the Second World War. Since this time, there has been radical change in womens lives with the dramatic increase in the number of them returning to the paid labour force. In contrast, there has been a minimal corresponding shift in mens lives during this same period.

On Tuesday the 14th of February 2006, The Eidos Institute Board hosted Professor Peter Andrews, Queensland Chief Scientist, at the Queensland University of Technology's Gardens Theatre.

During his presentation Professor Peter Andrews reflected on the importance of differentiating our research at the international level. He sought to explore his notion of building research expertise for the 50% of the world's population in the tropics.