Prasad Rajen: Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Prasad Rajen: Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:673;Page:19425] 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
: 
 I am pleased to take a call on clause 6 of the Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill. It is a source of great pride that a social scientist like me who has spent a long period of time as a social scientist will see the day when the Royal Society—this eminent organisation which is historical and has all the bells and whistles any scientist would seek to achieve—includes his or her particular discipline in the object of that particular august body. As a social scientist I am really pleased that we are here although perhaps 30 years too late because indeed the humanities and social sciences have been around a long time. It has taken some time to convince that august body that it was time to include this major area of study. 
To now know that it will be the object of the Royal Society to enhance and promote this particular area is indeed a genuine source of great pleasure. But of course if I had it my way—and I invite the member in the chair Pete Hodgson to make some comments about this if he could—I would ask why we do not fix the problem properly and really signal that by using the nomenclature that is used outside; that is the humanities and the social sciences. At the moment the social sciences are not mentioned in the objects of the Royal Society. What is used out there and it has been used for the years in which I have been to university and practised is the composite term of the humanities and the social sciences. 
We have invited the Royal Society to contemplate that matter and I hope it will give us its thoughts on that so that we may move a little bit further. The member in the chair may want to comment on that and whether he has any thoughts about the reasons for not using the convention in this particular clause so that for once we would have it complete. We would know it would be the object of the society to advance and promote in New Zealand science technology the humanities and the social sciences. I think that would also give a great deal of comfort and confidence and help people a great deal to identify with the Royal Society and its objectives. I look forward to hearing some comments from the member in the chair. 
What will the Royal Society advance by including the humanities? What will it be advancing and promoting? Without wanting to go into the definition there is something particular about the discipline of the humanities and the subjects within that discipline that is brought to human thinking human endeavour human activities generally and human development as well. The humanities as one authority puts it introduce us to the people we have never met places we have never visited and ideas that may never have crossed our minds. This is a whole new area of thinking. To promote that area through the work of the Royal Society is indeed quite an important addition to the society’s work and to the particular professions that arise out of those disciplines. 
This move also does something else. It signals to any field of professional or other activity that there is a wide area of knowledge and information that can be utilised to enhance our professions how we think and how we operate. If I had my way I would use the American experience so that everybody would need to include the humanities and the social sciences. It does that as well. Later on when we talk about the functions of the Royal Society we will be in a much better place to talk a little bit more about what it is and how the functions will make this relationship come alive. Thank you.