10 minutes with… Flinders University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Ray Chan
Professor Ray Chan is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Flinders University. Business Insight spoke to the researcher about the institution’s new Wicked Problems Report.
Why did Flinders undertake the research to create the Wicked Problems Report?
Flinders exists to serve the community, and that starts by listening. Only by understanding what matters most to everyday Australians can our researchers uncover the root causes of big issues and help create solutions that make a real difference. The Wicked Problems Report is all about establishing a new approach to research where the community sets the agenda so we can focus on two core missions at Flinders:
- Conducting research that matters.
- Educating students to become change-makers.
The Wicked Problems Report is an ongoing initiative that will continue to shape our research and teaching, helping us train future leaders to tackle society’s most pressing challenges. Flinders’ 21st ranking globally in this year’s Times Higher Education Global Impact Rankings shows that our approach is working.
How was the report compiled, and who participated?
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Flinders University invited 30,000 people from across Australia to participate in a national survey. The respondents represented a broad cross-section of the Australian adult population, aligned with the 2021 Census in terms of age and geographic distribution.
Are South Australia’s top 15 wicked problems different from the rest of Australia’s?
South Australians share the nation’s top concerns—cost of living and housing affordability. However, their third-highest concern is access to health and community care, which ranks higher than the national average.
Can solutions to one problem, like housing affordability, conflict with solutions to others, like environmental protection?
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Not necessarily. In fact, we aim to address these wicked problems simultaneously. Australians told us they experience multiple challenges at once, so coming up with impactful solutions means breaking down scientific silos and embracing research that crosses different disciplines and contexts, allowing us to tackle multiple challenges simultaneously and from every angle.
For example, to address both cost of living and food insecurity, one solution our researchers are currently working on is providing affordable, healthy meals at schools—benefiting children and their families. These meals could also be packaged up and sent home with children to benefit their broader family unit. Our researchers are focused on developing solutions that address multiple problems concurrently.
Now that you know what Australians are concerned about, what’s next?
We’ll continue this national study annually, and every six months in in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Each survey will include timely, relevant questions to guide actionable solutions. Our research teams are already working with community, government, and non-government partners to address these issues and drive meaningful change.
Cost of living was the top concern. Does that make it a wicked problem or just a popular one?
It’s both. Beyond the numbers, we analysed over 90,000 open-text responses. Many families shared stories of difficult trade-offs—like choosing between owning a car or paying for extracurricular activities. Cost of living of course hits low-income households hard, but it was also clear that middle- and high-income families with larger mortgages are rating this as a significant issue as well. It’s a complex, deeply felt concern.
Were there generational differences in what people considered wicked problems?
Yes, there were notable generational contrasts:
- Gen Z is anxious about housing unaffordability, unemployment, and domestic violence, while Baby Boomers are more focused on healthcare, the environment, and global issues compared to the national average.
- Gen Y is most concerned about the cost of living and unaffordable housing and are less concerned about global crises.
- Gen X has concerns that are around the national average in all categories, with only slightly higher levels of concern about the cost of living and housing unaffordability than the national average.
- Baby Boomers are more focused on healthcare, the environment, and global issues. They are, relatively, less concerned about the cost of living and housing unaffordability than the national average.
- The Interwar generation is most concerned about crime and safety, access to health and social care, the environment, global crisis, and misinformation and digital safety compared to the national average. They are much less concerned about housing and cost of living than the national average than other generations.
Personally, what finding surprised or concerned you the most?
I was surprised that among those concerned about the environment, climate change and natural disasters were far more prominent than clean energy transition or nuclear power debates. This survey was conducted before the federal election, highlighting that political discourse doesn’t always reflect community concerns. Universities must balance the priorities of both the government and community, acting as facilitators and co-designers of solutions that truly serve the Australian people.
