معرفی
Samara Jane Hand is a Lecturer in the School of Law, Society and Criminology at UNSW Sydney and a PhD Candidate in the School of Global and Public Law. She is a Worimi/Biripi woman born on Awabakal Country with deep commitment to nation-building and advancing Indigenous peoples' right to education.
Her educational background includes:
- Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales
- Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales
- MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights from the University of London
Samara's research focuses on Indigenous rights and public policy, international law, and education, with her PhD project examining Indigenous Peoples' right to education within histories of assimilatory schooling. As an admitted lawyer to the Supreme Court of Victoria, she brings practical legal experience to her teaching in criminal law.
Her scholarly work demonstrates engagement with Indigenous education rights, human rights frameworks, and law's intersection with social justice, reflecting both theoretical and applied dimensions.
Samara has secured significant research funding:
- CAD$21,577 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection Grant (Canada) for the Global Forum on Hate and Bigotry (March 2025-March 2026) as Co-Investigator
- AUD$10,000 James Martin Institute Policy Fellowship for 'Addressing the school-to-prison nexus in NSW' (October 2024-April 2025) as Joint Principal Investigator
She previously taught at the University of Winnipeg, Canada, and co-founded the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition. Her professional experience spans the Aurora Education Foundation, NSW Department of Education, Australian Securities and Investment Commission, Department of Home Affairs, and Victorian Aboriginal Legal Aid, where she researched Indigenous language rights, genocide studies, and reconciliation processes.
