Professor Margaret Alston, who heads Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Centre for Rural Social Research, will head to Melbourne’s Monash University for 12 months where she will continue her research into social work.

Despite moving to an urban centre, Prof Alston said her work for rural Australia would continue.

“The move won’t be affecting my work,” she said.

“It means I will be bringing rural issues to the city people, issues that will be driving this century.

“Things like climate change, agriculture and food security are going to be of enormous importance.”

Renowned internationally for her research into rural gender and rural social issues, Prof Alston was a delegate at the recent 2020 Summit in Canberra.

She also travelled to New York in February to discuss women’s issues as an advisor to the Australian delegation at the United Nations’ (UN) Commission for the Status of Women.

“I will be working on a large international project for the UN on gender and climate change and I’ll be working in five other countries in the next few years,” Prof Alston said.

After 21 years at CSU, Prof Alston said she would miss living and working in the region but looked forward to her new role.

Prof Alston has been a leading commentator in the Riverina on rural and regional issues for women.

In 2007 she was nominated for NSW Woman of the Year and in 2003 wrote a report on gender mainstreaming within the UN which was reviewed by the commission in March.