Jess Carniel

Associate Professor Jess Carniel holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and is affiliated with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). She serves as Chair of the USQ Human Research Ethics Committee and Executive Member of the Centre for Heritage and Culture. Her research focuses on cultural studies, multiculturalism, soft power, and the Eurovision Song Contest’s role in global politics. She teaches courses like Soft Power Politics and Popular Culture & Identity, and supervises doctoral research in cultural and international studies. Notable works include Understanding the Eurovision Song Contest in Multicultural Australia (2018) and co-editing Eurovision and Australia (2019). She is a non-residential Research Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Center for Public Diplomacy (2024–2026) and co-editor of the Journal of Australian Studies.

Research interests span Eurovision’s cultural diplomacy, gender studies, and migration narratives. Teaching experience includes roles at the University of Melbourne and Monash University. Professional memberships include the International Australian Studies Association and the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia.