Dr Olav Muurlink

Biography

I am a social and health psychologist, with a focus on working time (including overwork/workaholism, shift work, evening and night work, unusual working hours or weekend work hours) and counterattitudinal behaviour.  My non-academic background took me into manufacturing (both in China and Australia), media (newspapers and radio), and agriculture (as a fruit and vegetable farmer on the Granite Belt).  I am also closely involved with developing world education, and am chair of the management committee/head of country of one of the largest educational charities in Bangladesh, Co-operation in Development, founded by Fred Hyde AM.  My work in Bangladesh has extended my research interests into public health issues, climate impacts on health and welfare and demographics.

Research Interest

My business background is in manufacturing and media, working in my family business, with an export-oriented paint accessory manufacturing firm Wyco International, that exported chiefly to Denmark, Switzerland, Greece and the UK, and a publishing and printing firm I founded, Free Media.   Free Media had newspaper, magazine and radio interests.   Before that, I also established a firm manufacturing neon light installations in Foshan, China.  As a psychologist, I've worked as a consultant or researcher on projects for the British, New Zealand and Queensland governments.  I am also chair of the management committee of the Bangladesh-Australian charity Co-operation in Development, which focuses on free education for landless and poor children living in the delta region, specifically Bhola Island.