Dr. François Soyer is an Associate Professor at the University of New England's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, specializing in Early Modern History. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (2007) and has held academic positions at the University of Southampton and the University of Adelaide. His research focuses on anti-Semitism, the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, gender/sexuality history, and colonial empires. He has authored multiple books and articles, including Popularizing anti-Semitism in early modern Spain and its empire (2014) and Antisemitic conspiracy theories in the early modern Iberian world (2019). His work often examines how religious persecution intersected with medical, artistic, and legal practices. Education: PhD in History, University of Cambridge (2007) MPhil in History, University of Cambridge (2003) MA Honours, University of St. Andrews (2002) Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of Southampton (2011) Research Interests: Anti-Semitic propaganda and conspiracy theories Inquisitorial archives and legal practices Gender transgression and queer histories Censorship of art and religious imagery His recent publications explore the Blood Libel legend, the trial of Catalan cross-dresser Maria Duran, and the emotional dimensions of religious conversion. He has been awarded fellowships from the Royal Historical Society and the Parkes Institute. His current projects include tracing the origins of anti-Jewish iconography in colonial Peru and analyzing the role of emotion in early modern religious trials.
Deborah Fox is Associate Professor in Midwifery at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Faculty of Health, and a core member of the Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health. She serves as Co-lead of the Maridulu Budyari Gumal SPHERE Maternal and Women's Clinical Theme and Chair of the National Publicly Funded Homebirth Consortium. In 2024, she received the Faculty of Health Dean's Academic Excellence Award for Research (Mid Career Researcher), following her 2021 award as Highest Performing Early Career Researcher from the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Her research focuses on optimizing physiological processes and positive experiences for women with complex pregnancies, with particular emphasis on the mediation of technology in midwifery practice. Current projects include evaluation of non-invasive fetal ECG beltless and wireless fetal monitoring in labor and birth, and examining the social, economic and environmental impacts of telemonitoring and telehealth in pregnancy and postpartum care. Dr. Fox's scholarly work demonstrates consistent focus on technology's role in maternity care, women's experiences of monitoring during labor, and innovative approaches to midwifery practice. Her recent publications show increasing emphasis on digital health solutions, AI applications in women's health, and pandemic impacts on maternal care systems globally. Faculty of Health Dean's Academic Excellence Award for Research (Mid Career Researcher) 2024 Highest Performing Early Career Researcher award from School of Nursing and Midwifery 2021 Editorial Board Member, Women and Birth journal Dr. Fox is actively involved in higher degree research supervision and has developed innovative teaching resources, including an Objective Structured Clinical Examination for perinatal mental healthcare. She is scheduled to spend three months as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford in 2025.
Dr Borge Bakken is a Researcher affiliated with the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences at The Australian National University. His work focuses on Chinese governance, criminology, and socio-legal systems with particular emphasis on corruption dynamics, criminal justice reforms, and socio-political structures in modern China. He has conducted extensive research on topics including wrongful convictions, rural criminal networks, and institutional corruption mechanisms. Research Interests: Dr Bakken's expertise spans Chinese legal frameworks, socio-political governance, and criminological studies. His work critically examines how social norms intersect with punitive measures in contemporary China, particularly in areas like anti-corruption policies and judicial transparency. Recent studies include analyses of 'criminal villages' and evolving corruption forms within state-owned enterprises. Publications: His 2021 article on corruption in China explores land management and state asset misappropriation. Earlier works address wrongful convictions and the socio-legal challenges in rural crime networks. His research demonstrates a focus on institutional accountability and systemic governance issues. Labs/Teams: Not explicitly mentioned, but his collaborative work with co-author Wang, J. (2021) suggests interdisciplinary engagements within ANU's China studies networks.
Professor Marilyn Pittard is a leading academic in the Faculty of Law at Monash University, currently serving as Associate Dean Engagement. She has held numerous leadership roles including Interim Dean, LLM Director, and Associate Dean (Research), with a career spanning over two decades in academic administration and legal scholarship. Her research focuses on Labour Law, Employment Rights, and Human Rights, with significant contributions to understanding workplace relations, vulnerable workers, and the intersection of criminal records with employment access. She has secured grants from the Australian Research Council and other institutions for projects like The Other Side of Security and Living Down the Past . Recent publications highlight trends in employment law, including anti-slavery practices, redundancy frameworks, and digital-era workplace challenges. She chairs the Victorian Legal Admissions Board’s Academic Course Appraisal Committee and contributes to the Australian Labour Law Journal and Employment Law Bulletin .
Marcus Smith is an Associate Professor in Law at the Charles Sturt University , where he teaches LAW222 Technology Law and directs the Bachelor of Laws program. He holds advanced degrees from the Australian National University (PhD, LLM) and the University of Cambridge (MPhil). His research spans technology law and regulation , focusing on genomic data governance biometric identification AI ethics blockchain policy cybersecurity surveillance law He leads the Contemporary Threats to Australian Security research group and serves as Chief Investigator on an NHMRC-funded project (MRF2015531) addressing genomic dataset governance. His recent work analyzes algorithmic bias in facial recognition AI in healthcare blockchain's regulatory challenges post-pandemic cybercrime surveillance ethics data security frameworks He actively supervises PhD and honours students in technology law and contributes to law reform through submissions to international bodies like the UN Human Rights Council .
Matteo Bonotti is an Associate Professor of Politics & International Relations at Monash University, previously teaching at Cardiff University, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on democratic theory, political liberalism, linguistic justice, free speech, civility, and food justice, addressing ethical pluralism and cultural diversity in modern societies. He has published in journals like the American Political Science Review and authored/co-authored books including Partisanship and Political Liberalism in Diverse Societies (Oxford UP, 2017) and Healthy Eating Policy and Political Philosophy: A Public Reason Approach (Oxford UP, 2022). Bonotti leads projects on disinformation in Southeast Asia, linguistic justice among Italian-Australians, and civic education. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to justice, peace, and sustainable consumption. Education: Previous academic roles at Cardiff, Queen’s Belfast, and Edinburgh universities. Research Themes: Ethical pluralism, democratic legitimacy, public reason, and policy narratives. Recent Projects: ASEAN Disinformation Index, Language & Political Participation in Australia, and Civic Virtue in Polarized Societies. His articles explore topics like civility in environmental politics, far-right network dynamics, and gastrospaces as ethical spaces. Collaborations span international scholars across political theory, sociology, and philosophy. Bonotti actively engages with public discourse through media commentaries on civility, pandemic narratives, and free speech debates.
Neil Selwyn is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University with over 30 years of research experience focusing on the integration of digital technology into educational settings. His work centers on the 'real-life' constraints and problems faced when implementing technology-based education, with expertise in AI, automation, data-driven education, and digital degrowth. His primary research interests span digital technology and society, the use of digital technologies in educational settings, digital sociology of education, and environmental sustainability issues associated with digital technology use. Professor Selwyn is recognized internationally for his critical approach to educational technology and has led numerous nationally-funded projects examining educational data, learning analytics, and AI technologies. His recent publications reflect a growing focus on the environmental implications of AI in education, digital degrowth, and the practical challenges teachers face when implementing AI tools in classrooms. This work demonstrates a shift toward examining the sustainability and ethical dimensions of educational technology. Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (2024) Professor Selwyn serves as a media commentator for major outlets including the NYT, WSJ, CNN, Guardian, BBC, and ABC, and hosts the 'Education Technology Society' podcast. He maintains significant international collaborations, currently holding visiting positions at Lund University (2025), University of Oxford (2023-2027), and previously at the University of Gothenburg (2016-2017).
Dr. Aditya Joshi is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He specializes in Natural Language Processing (NLP), with a focus on sarcasm detection, dialectal NLP, and ethical AI applications in public health and cybersecurity. He joined UNSW in 2023 following industry roles at SEEK, Notiv, and Fractal Analytics, where he developed NLP systems for recommendation engines and meeting analytics. His research has garnered over 3,000 citations (h-index 26) and secured $3.1M in grants, including Defence Trailblazer and Google exploreCSR awards. Education: Joint PhD (2018) from IIT Bombay (India) and Monash University (Australia); MTech in CSE (2011) from IIT Bombay. Research Interests: Making NLP models robust for non-native English speakers and the LGBTI+ community, algorithmic enhancements to transformers, and applications in public health, cybersecurity, and societal issues. His work spans epidemic intelligence (collaborations with EPIWATCH and IFCYBER), cybersecurity tools like AuditNet, and inclusive AI initiatives such as queer-inclusive workshops funded by Google. He designed UNSW's new NLP course (COMP6713) and co-authored a Wiley textbook on NLP. Notable grants include the A$1.4M 'Comprehensive Defence Data Platform' (Lead CI) and A$92K Google exploreCSR grant for benchmarking dialectal sentiment. His awards include the Best PhD Thesis from IITB-Monash and Best Paper accolades at FAccT 2023 and MoMM 2020. He supervises projects on kernel-based attention reformulation, prompt-based sarcasm detection, and multilingual small-scale LLMs. His service roles include Executive Committee Member at ALTA and arXiv moderator for computational linguistics.
Dr Juliet Bennett is a Research Fellow at the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies (SCHS) and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney. Her work bridges process philosophy with systemic interventions for social and ecological wellbeing. She holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies, focusing on paradigm shifts from static to process thinking. Previously, she managed collaborative research at Sydney Policy Lab and directed the Sydney Peace Foundation. Education: PhD (Peace and Conflict Studies), MPhil/MA (Peace and Conflict Studies). Teaching includes units on peace studies, narratology, and structural violence at the University of Sydney and Lenoir Rhyne University. Research interests center on mitigating social/ecological injustice, structural violence, and climate change through critical sociology, contextual economics, and participatory methods. Current projects examine food systems and ultra-processed foods via critical social theory. Awards: 2020 Excellence in Teaching for 'Key Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies'. Memberships include Sydney Policy Lab, New Economic Networks Australia, and the International Peace Research Association. Publications span process philosophy applications, climate policy, and participatory research methods. Her work advocates for systemic transformations toward ecological civilization through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Professor Will Bateman is a distinguished academic at the Australian National University (ANU) College of Law, where he serves as a Professor and recently completed his term as Associate Dean (Research) from 2021 to 2024. He is also a Chief Investigator for the ANU Grand Challenge project "Humanising Machine Intelligence" and a Fellow at the Gradient Institute, a leading ethical AI research organization based in Sydney. Professor Bateman's educational background is impressive, having earned a PhD and LLM (Hons) from the University of Cambridge and a BA/LLB (Hons) from the Australian National University. Prior to his academic career, he worked in appellate litigation, commercial disputes, and banking as a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills, and served as an associate to Justice Stephen Gageler AC of the High Court of Australia and Justice Steven Rares of the Federal Court of Australia. Professor Bateman's research spans two major interdisciplinary domains that sit at the intersection of law with finance and technology. His work on financial regulation focuses on the legal aspects of central banking, sovereign debt markets, digital currencies, and sustainable investing. He has provided expert evidence to the UK Parliament's House of Lords Inquiry into Quantitative Easing, and has collaborated with major financial institutions including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Bank of England. His research on artificial intelligence examines regulatory frameworks for AI in the public sector, with collaborations including the Minderoo Foundation and the Gradient Institute. His recent publications demonstrate a remarkable breadth across legal theory, financial regulation, and AI governance. The articles reveal a consistent theme of examining how traditional legal frameworks adapt to new financial technologies and monetary policy challenges. His work bridges theoretical legal scholarship with practical policy implications, as evidenced by his numerous government consultations and collaborations with central banks worldwide. 2020 Yorke Prize by the University of Cambridge for his work on public finance and constitutionalism Top 10 all-time most downloaded SSRN paper on central banking ("Central Bank Money: Liability, Asset, or Equity of the Nation?") Professor Bateman actively supervises research students, currently mentoring Benjamin Ettinger who is pursuing a PhD on "Legal Method, Cartels and Public Monopolies: A View From the High Court 1908 - 1948." He has secured significant research funding, including projects funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), and The Minderoo Foundation. His "Rebuilding Macroeconomics Initiative: Legal and Economic Conceptions of Money" received £245,000, while the "FA Mann" project was funded with €620,000 (approximately A$1,012,500). He leads the "Humanising Machine Intelligence" project, an ambitious interdisciplinary initiative involving computer scientists, mathematicians, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, and lawyers aimed at developing democratically legitimate machine intelligence. He also co-led a major project with the University of Western Australia to formulate model legal frameworks for AI regulation in the public sector, funded by The Minderoo Foundation.
Dr Luke Hespanhol is a Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation at the University of Sydney's School of Architecture, Design and Planning. He is affiliated with the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre and Sydney Nano Institute, and previously served as a guest researcher at Aarhus University's Department of Aesthetics and Communication. His work focuses on interactive media installations that foster reflection on human-environment relationships, blending urban design, technology, and social engagement. He holds a PhD in interactive media architecture from the University of Sydney's Design Lab, with research exploring user-centred hybrid urban environments. His doctoral work laid the foundation for his current interests in digital placemaking, urban informatics, and smart cities. Research Interests: - Designing technology-infused public spaces - Media architecture as a tool for inclusive urban development - Ethical implications of AI and blockchain in cultural contexts - Temporal and spatial dimensions of urban interaction design - HCI methodologies for multiperspectival cultural heritage interpretation - Antifragile city frameworks integrating citizen participation His recent publications highlight trends in reimagining urban futures through speculative design, ethical AI systems, and autonomous vehicle interaction paradigms. While no specific scientific awards are listed, his work often addresses critical societal issues like decolonization in technology and climate-resilient infrastructure. Grants and Collaborations: - 2025: 'Waste to Resilience: Sanitation Against Stunting and Climate Vulnerability in Informal Coastal Areas' (Sydney Southeast Asia Centre) - 2022: 'The Metaverse as Vehicle for Aboriginal Digital Inclusion, Wellness and Self-Determination' (Facebook Research) Dr Hespanhol is actively involved in the Media Architecture Institute and contributes to cross-disciplinary initiatives uniting technology, art, and urban planning. His research emphasizes co-creation processes with communities to ensure equitable technological integration in urban systems.
Associate Professor Madeline Taylor is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Early Career Industry Fellow at Macquarie Law School and Co-Lead of the Energy, Communities, and Market Regulation Stream at the Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre. She specializes in socio-legal aspects of energy transition, focusing on regulatory frameworks, energy justice, and land-use conflicts between energy developers and communities. Her work bridges property law, commercial law, and comparative law to address challenges in renewable energy integration and resource governance. Affiliations: Honorary Associate at Sydney Environment Institute, Member of Sydney Institute of Agriculture Industry Partners: NSW Department of Primary Industries and Spark Renewables (FAARM Project) Research Interests: Energy law and policy, agricultural-legal synergies, renewable energy siting, and just transition principles. She co-edits the Oil, Gas and Energy Law Journal and contributes to the LexisNexis Energy and Resources Law in Australia . Recent Articles Highlight Key Themes: Offshore wind governance, agrivoltaics regulatory systems, hydrogen licensing, and energy justice frameworks. These works emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to balancing economic, environmental, and social dimensions of energy transitions. Awards: 2023 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Academic/Researcher of the Year, 2024 AFR Higher Education Awards Finalist, Clean Energy Council Transformational Leadership Scholarship Teaching and Engagement: Embeds climate justice in commercial law education; advises governments and NGOs on energy policy. Active in RE-Alliance Management Committee and IUCN Climate Change Law initiatives.
Professor Jacqueline Manuel is a Professor of English Education and Curriculum Coordinator for Secondary English at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD (UNE), DipEd (UNE), and BA (Hons I) from the University of New England. Her research focuses on secondary English education, curriculum history, teacher development, and teenage reading practices. She coordinates the English curriculum methodology for the Master of Teaching (Secondary) program and advises multiple PhD students. Current projects include co-editing volumes on English teacher development and leading international collaborations like the Professional Lives of English Language Arts Teachers Project. She has held significant roles in curriculum committees and boards, including chairing NSW Board of Studies committees and serving on AITSL panels. Key research interests span educational history, teacher professional identity, creativity in arts education, and early career teacher support. Notable publications include Reimagining Shakespeare Education (2023) and Teenagers and Reading (2012). Awards include the 2018 Alan Laughlin Award for Educational Leadership and 2016 Outstanding Service Award. Professor Manuel collaborates with institutions like the International Federation for the Teaching of English (IFTE) and chairs multiple editorial boards. Her work integrates international perspectives, emphasizing English as an emancipatory subject promoting social justice.
Dr. Farzana Aman Tanima is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School’s Accounting, Governance, and Regulation department. She previously held roles at the University of Wollongong (2017–2023). Her research focuses on critical and dialogic accounting, social justice, and challenging neoliberal frameworks through participatory approaches. Born in Bangladesh, she earned her PhD in 2015 from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, with a thesis on dialogic accounting practices for marginalized women. Education: PhD in Accounting, Victoria University of Wellington, 2015 Undergraduate Honours Degree, Victoria University of Wellington Research Interests: Dr. Tanima’s work centers on dialogic accounting to democratize accounting practices, with focus on NGOs, microfinance, Indigenous education, and race. She employs participatory action research and autoethnography to address systemic inequalities. Key areas include: Accounting’s role in empowerment and development Decolonizing accounting education through Jindaola Critical race theory and counter-accounting Awards: 2024 Mary Parker Follet Award (AAAJ Journal) 2020 VC OCTAL Teaching Award 2015 AFAANZ Best PhD Award Teaching & Mentorship: She leads pedagogical initiatives embedding Indigenous perspectives into curricula and fosters dialogic learning. Supervised two completed PhDs, with co-authored publications. Active in mentoring early-career researchers through invited talks and workshops. Labs/Teams: Part of the Alternative Accounting Research Network and editorial boards for CPA Journal and Financial Accountability & Management . Co-leads special issues on critical dialogics and publicness in accounting.
Nick Abel is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University. With a distinguished international career spanning Africa and Australia, he has worked in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana, Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Australia. His academic credentials include a Ph.D., M.Sc., and B.Sc.(Hons.), reflecting a strong foundation in environmental sciences and complex systems thinking. Abel's research program centers on the critical challenge of human adaptation to climate change, with particular focus on why adaptation efforts are insufficient to prevent environmental and social tipping points. He critically examines Australia's role as the world's third largest exporter of fossil fuels while facing escalating climate impacts, investigating how fossil fuel companies have maintained influence over public policy. His work integrates social-ecological systems theory, resilience thinking, and practical governance frameworks to address climate adaptation challenges. His publication record demonstrates a clear evolution from foundational work in rangeland management and complex adaptive systems toward urgent climate policy interventions. Early research established theoretical frameworks for understanding resilience in dryland ecosystems, while recent work focuses on transformation pathways, Indigenous engagement, and community-based adaptation strategies. A consistent thread throughout his career is the integration of diverse knowledge systems and the development of practical approaches for environmental governance in rapidly changing conditions. Abel has registered to supervise research students at ANU and participates in significant collaborative projects, including the current 'Partnering with local communities in regional Australia to increase resilience to flood events' (2022-2025). His high-impact publications, including the highly cited 'Resilience management in social-ecological systems' (1,120 Scopus citations) and 'From Metaphor to Measurement: Resilience of What to What?' (2,596 Scopus citations), demonstrate his foundational contributions to the field. Through his work with various research groups and projects, Abel has helped establish frameworks for understanding social-ecological systems and climate adaptation. His contributions to the Fenner School include advancing methodologies for integrating scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems, developing practical approaches to environmental governance, and critically examining the political economy of climate policy in Australia.
