The Oceanic Nutrition Leadership Platform
September 7, 2018
Our next blog is about the Oceanic Nutrition Leadership Platform (ONLP). Deakin University’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) recently enabled three of its early career researchers to attend ONLP in Cairns in July 2018. Dr Katherine Livingstone, Dr Phil Baker and Dr Rebecca Lindberg were invited to share their perspectives on this intensive leadership course on the Deakin Nutrition blogsite.
What is the Oceanic Nutrition Leadership Platform?
ONLP is an initiative of the Nutrition Society of Australia in partnership with the Nutrition Society of New Zealand and the Pacific islands. The aim of ONLP is to develop, inspire and
connect a new generation of innovative leaders with foresight and vision of the role of nutrition in Oceania (New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, the Cook Islands and Tonga).
ONLP 2018 brought together different sectors in nutrition, including academia, research, industry and government. Twenty-two early and mid-career professionals spent seven days working on a collaborative approach towards food and nutrition security in Oceania.
It is the second time that this leadership course has been run in our region, yet ONLP forms part of a Global Nutrition Leadership Platform (GNLP). GNLP has been delivering leadership course in Europe, Africa, South-East Asia, the Middle-East and Latin -America for many years. As a result, there is now a growing alumni network in Oceania, who are linking in with the strong and active international network comprised of GNLP alumni globally.
What were the lessons from ONLP 2018?
Teamwork, effective communication, human vulnerability, leadership styles, all these topics, and many more, were part of the intensive program. What made them special was the time and ability to practice what we learned, immediately, away from other distractions and in a supported environment. And, the highly skilled facilitators Yda Gray and Dr Kate Bowles.
Several masterclasses were also delivered to examine critical nutrition challenges including:
- Influencing policy with Dr Jacqui Webster
- Working with industry with Angela Rowan (Fonterra)
- Social responsibility with Professor Amanda Lee
- Industry and public health with Professor Boyd Swinburne
All facilitators, along with the leadership team of the ONLP 2018, were available at breakfast, lunch and dinner to network with and get to know. It was incredible to enjoy a cup of tea with some of the leading minds in nutrition – such a rare experience!
How do I get involved?
In 2020, there will another ONLP.
You can find out more about the application process and what’s involved here: http://www.onlp.org/about-us.
Thank you!
We thoroughly enjoyed our time away and learned a lot!
We are extremely thankful for the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition’s generous support for us to attend ONLP 2018.
Dr Katherine Livingstone (Lecturer Population Nutrition), Dr Phil Baker (Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow) and Dr Rebecca Lindberg (Lecturer Human Nutrition)
Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN)
School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Deakin University