Daniel Robinson

Professor Daniel Robinson is a distinguished academic at the University of New South Wales within the School of Humanities & Languages in the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture. He currently serves on the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts (2024-2026) and has been the Academic Lead for the Pacific at the UNSW Institute for Global Development since 2018, with this role extending through mid-2025.

His educational background includes a BSc Hons, Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law, and PhD, establishing his foundation in human geography, environmental science and environmental law.

Professor Robinson's research focuses on the regulation of nature and knowledge, with particular emphasis on biodiversity, access and benefit-sharing, biotrade value chains, Indigenous knowledge systems, and intellectual property frameworks. His work critically examines biopiracy and bioprospecting ethics within environmental contexts.

His scholarly contributions span numerous publications including 6 books, 49 book chapters, 42 journal articles, 7 reports, and various working papers and media contributions. His research demonstrates consistent focus on Indigenous knowledge protection, ethical biotrade, and the intersection of international trade rules with environmental concerns.

• Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) Dean's Award winner for Research Excellence (2023)
• Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) Dean's Award winner for Teaching Excellence (2023)
• Arts and Social Sciences Dean's Award winner for Research - Social Impact (2016)

Professor Robinson has supervised numerous PhD and Masters students, with current advisees working on topics ranging from bushfoods and environmental markets to climate-smart farming technologies and sustainable fashion. His current research portfolio includes significant DFAT-funded projects on Genetic Resources in ASEAN Countries (2025-26), Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property projects in Australia and Timor Leste (2024-26), and the ARC Discovery Project on Indigenous knowledge futures (2018-2025). Previously, he served as Pacific Regional Manager for the Access and Benefit-Sharing Capacity Development Initiative (2017-2022) implementing the Nagoya Protocol in the Pacific region.