Cooper Schouten - Southern Cross University

Combining community with real impact: Why Cooper chooses SCU

Dr Cooper Schouten may be known as the “bee guy”, but underneath his apian expertise lies a deep-seated passion for helping people and the environment. As Senior Research Fellow and Director of SCU’s Bee Research and Extension Lab, Cooper is pursuing his passion to the fullest. He’s also become a leader in his field and a sought-after speaker. Learn more about his incredible journey with Southern Cross University.

The space to pursue his passion

When Dr Cooper Schouten visited villages in Timor-Leste on a scholarship as an undergraduate in 2014, he saw children as young as 10 wielding burning branches and shimmying up 50-metre trees to knock down the hives of giant Asian honeybees. The children knew the risks of gathering the rich honey - they’d seen or heard of others who’d fallen. But witnessing this as an outsider rocked Cooper to his core.

So, he started thinking about the role beekeeping can play in helping lift people out of poverty while avoiding damage to the natural environment.

“I got chatting with the communities, and at that stage, I’d done a bit of work with beekeepers in Australia,” Cooper says. “I didn’t have extensive knowledge, but based on what I knew, I thought, ‘There’s got to be a better way of doing this,’ and I just threw myself into that.”

Cooper hasn’t looked back since. As a Senior Research Fellow at SCU, he spends about six months each year overseas, working with smallholder beekeepers across the Indo-Pacific, most notably Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. A speaker at beekeeping industry conferences across Australia, he’s helping to drive real change in the industry at home and abroad, championing the significant economic contribution Australian beekeepers make to the nation’s food security and economy.

Cooper appreciates that at SCU, he is encouraged to pursue research that will help drive real impact.

“I’m given heaps of flexibility and support by SCU to apply for projects that are going to create positive change. I love that. If I have a project idea that represents an opportunity, the uni has always said, ‘Go for it.’”

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The SCU difference

Cooper’s connection with Southern Cross University runs deep. After growing up in Yamba on the north coast of New South Wales, he completed his undergraduate degrees and doctorate at SCU. Driven by a strong sense of purpose and belonging, he chose to build his career here, inspired to help drive change alongside people who challenge the status quo.

“I’ve been mentored by colleagues who were genuinely interested in policy change, in how we do things more efficiently and create impact through science. I think that’s a point of difference at SCU, and it’s what a university should exist for.”

For Cooper, it comes down to SCU’s culture of being bold, encouraging people’s ideas and providing the support to turn them into action.

“There’s a lot of pressure in academia to focus on how many other researchers are citing your work. That’s important, but not always what’s changing the world. There are other metrics for the impact I wish to make in the world - social, environmental and economic impacts - and SCU has been prepared to recognise the broader value of what I’m doing. That's a lovely and progressive thing to do.”

Connecting to the community

Cooper travels regularly, but when he’s home, you’ll often find him at the Bee Club. Each Wednesday, people gather at the bee lab at our Lismore campus to learn about the latest beekeeping research and techniques.

“We’ve just opened the club up to the community, too. Our experienced students are mentoring others and building friendships. Some people who attend have been beekeeping for 40 years. Others have never opened a beehive. It’s exciting to see who turns up.”

Cooper values that SCU enables him to provide opportunities like this to the wider community, all while mentoring his students and supporting their growth.

“I care about what I do and I care about my students. So, it’s being there when students need flexibility or an ear to listen. It’s being creative, it’s making it fun, having a laugh and getting on the level with them. It’s about enjoyment and learning at the same time.”

Are you searching for the opportunity to genuinely make a difference and grow your career? Cooper says you’ll find this and more at SCU.

“My journey with SCU has enabled me to create a career where it's not just about me and my work. It's about my team, the work they do and the people we’re working for. Whenever I give a speech at the uni, I can be sure the Vice-Chancellor is there in the audience. It’s actions like this that show me the uni cares. I can’t thank SCU enough for believing in me and having the courage to invest in what I see as valuable in the world.”