Social Cohesion Symposium: Belonging, Resilience, and Democratic Participation (a Social Sciences Week Event)

Lineup

• More details about Distinguished Professor George Williams AO - Vice-Chancellor and President, Western Sydney University

  Distinguished Professor George Williams AO - Vice-Chancellor and President, Western Sydney University

  Distinguished Professor George Williams AO is the Vice-Chancellor and President at Western Sydney University. He is proud to lead an institution renowned for providing broad access to higher education and for achieving real-world impact through positive social, environmental and economic change in Western Sydney and globally. Professor Williams commenced as Western Sydney University’s fifth Vice-Chancellor in July 2024, bringing decades of experience as a constitutional law scholar and teacher, senior leader in higher education, barrister and as a national thought leader. He began his academic career at the Australian National University before joining the University of New South Wales as the Anthony Mason Professor and later a Scientia Professor. He was the first legal academic selected as an Australian Laureate Fellow, the nation’s top research award, and has held visiting positions at Columbia University, Durham University, Osgoode Hall Law School and University College London. Professor Williams’ 43 books include Australian Constitutional Law and Theory, The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia and Human Rights under the Australian Constitution. As one of Australia’s pre-eminent experts in constitutional law, he has made significant contributions both nationally and internationally in the areas of human rights, federalism, Indigenous justice, electoral law and national security. Professor Williams’ passion for providing opportunities for students and a quality education is evidenced through many years of teaching constitutional law and having authored the leading student text in this field. As Dean of Law and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Transformation, Planning and Assurance) at UNSW, Professor Williams instituted innovation and reform through student digital literacy, global engagement, the pioneering of industry and community partnerships, and by driving high performance and integrity through planning, prioritisation, organisational transformation and strategic development. He has been instrumental in supporting Indigenous advancement, having led the first Australian law school to graduate over 100 Indigenous students. Outside of academia Professor Williams practised as a barrister for over 25 years, advising government, business and community organisations and has appeared in the High Court of Australia on matters relating to freedom of speech, freedom from racial discrimination, Indigenous rights and the rule of law. Internationally, he has appeared in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Fiji, most notably on the legality of the 2000 coup. Professor Williams’ contributions to public policy include serving as chair of the Victorian Human Rights Consultation Committee that led to Australia’s first State bill of rights and chairing the NSW Government inquiry into Options for a New National Industrial Relations System that produced the historic referral of State industrial power over the private sector to the Commonwealth. He also served on a High-Level Advisory Group on Federal-State Relations to a former Prime Minister, was a member of the NSW Government’s Panel to Examine Recall Elections and assisted the Northern Territory in its attempt to become Australia’s seventh State. As a member of the Australian Government’s Constitutional Expert Group, Professor Williams played an important role in providing advice on the Voice Referendum. Professor Williams has a long and respected record of thought leadership on public policy and constitutional law. For over two decades, he was a regular newspaper columnist for The Australian, The Canberra Times, and The Sydney Morning Herald. In 2011, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the law in the fields of anti-terrorism, human rights and constitutional law as an academic, author, adviser and public commentator.

• More details about Professor Kevin Dunn - Western Sydney University

  Professor Kevin Dunn - Western Sydney University

  Professor Kevin Dunn is a prominent academic at Western Sydney University, specializing in Human Geography and Urban Studies, and is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts, Business, Education and Law at Western Sydney University (SABEL). He has been involved in significant research projects, including the Challenging Racism Project, and has authored several books and articles on topics such as racism, immigration, and multiculturalism. His leadership roles and academic contributions have made him a respected figure in the field of geography and social sciences.

• More details about Professor Adam Possamai - Western Sydney University

  Professor Adam Possamai - Western Sydney University

  Professor Adam Possamai is Associate Dean Global, Partnerships and Advancement at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts, Buisiness, and Law (SABEL) at Western Sydney University, and the International Secretary of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He is renowned internationally for his work on popular religion, social theory, contemporary religion and Australian Aboriginal Peoples, and Muslim laws and society. He is a former President of the International Sociological Association's Research Committee 22 (RC22) on the sociology of religion, and of the Australian Association for the Study of Religions. He was a visiting Professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Partis, the Summer Institute of Hokkaido University, Japan (in remote), and Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta. He is also a SFF writer.

• More details about Professor Azadeh Dastyari - Centre for Western Sydney at Western Sydney University

  Professor Azadeh Dastyari - Centre for Western Sydney at Western Sydney University

  Professor Azadeh Dastyari is the Director of the Centre for Western Sydney at Western Sydney University. Professor Dastyari is a leading scholar in human rights law, dedicated to challenging systemic inequality and transforming the conditions that silence and marginalise communities. Her work focuses on dismantling structural barriers and amplifying community-led solutions through rigorous research, deep collaboration, and strong public engagement. She has been a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School (as the highest ranked postgraduate Fulbright scholar in Australia and as a Lionel Murphy scholar), the European University Institute, Georgetown University, and the University of Bologna. Her legal and policy expertise has been sought by Australian parliamentary committees, Members of the European Parliament, and United Nations bodies. Before joining the Centre, Professor Dastyari was Director of Research and Policy at the Whitlam Institute, where she led a broad portfolio of high-impact, equity-focused initiatives. Her work spanned civic participation, digital inclusion for First Nations communities and the people of Western Sydney, and the advancement of social, political, and human rights. She has published widely in the areas of international human rights law, anti-discrimination law, and constitutional law.

• More details about Professor Neil Perry - Centre for Western Sydney at Western Sydney University

  Professor Neil Perry - Centre for Western Sydney at Western Sydney University

  Professor Perry is the Chief Economist at the Centre for Western Sydney and the School of Business at Western Sydney University. He brings expertise in housing economics, environmental natural resource economics, and transitioning economies, using tools such as cost-benefit analysis and economic impact modelling to inform policy and planning. His applied work has included assessing the economic benefits of Sydney Metro North West, cooperative housing models, and the transitioning economies of the Hunter, and Lithgow regions under progressive climate policy. Professor Perry’s research integrates social, cultural and ecological values into economic modelling, and has been published in leading journals such as Ecological Economics, Journal of Economic Perspectives and Wildlife Research. He has served on several advisory bodies, including the Advisory Committee of the Maldhan Ngurr Ngurra – Lithgow Transformation Hub, the Strategic Reference Group for the Lithgow Emerging Economy Plan, and the NSW Government’s Regional Expert Panel for the Central West. At the Centre for Western Sydney, Professor Perry leads economic analysis across key projects such as Unlimited Potential: An Economic Plan for Western Sydney, and Unlocking Women’s Potential, to shape a more inclusive and sustainable economic future for the region.

• More details about Professor Nida Denson - Western Sydney University

  Professor Nida Denson - Western Sydney University

  Professor Nida Denson is a Professor in Social Sciences at Western Sydney University. She received her PhD in 2007 from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) while she worked as a researcher at the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI), one of America's oldest and largest higher education research institutes. Her research focuses on the impact of diversity at multiple levels. At the individual level, she examines the positive benefits of engagement with diversity-related activities such as programmatic efforts that expose students to diversity and contact with diverse peers. At the group level (e.g., classroom, university), she examines the unique effects of being in a diverse educational context. Her research also aims to identify the cognitive processes through which the benefits of diversity occur, and the individual and situational factors that maximise the benefits of diversity on social and cognitive development.

• More details about Professor Tanya Notley - Western Sydney University

  Professor Tanya Notley - Western Sydney University

  Professor Tanya Notley is Professor of Digital Media in Western Sydney University's School of Arts and a member of the Institute for Culture and Society. Her research examines media literacy, digital inclusion, media justice, misinformation and digital inequality. She has more than 20 years' experience working with governments, NGOs, cultural institutions and the United Nations on communication and social change initiatives and is a founding member of the Australian Media Literacy Alliance.

• More details about Professor Gaven Morris - Western Sydney University

  Professor Gaven Morris - Western Sydney University

  Professor Gaven Morris is Industry Professor in the School of Arts at Western Sydney University. A highly respected journalist and media executive, he was formerly Director of News, Analysis and Investigations at the ABC, where he led a workforce of more than 1,300 staff. His career spans more than 30 years and includes senior leadership roles with the ABC, CNN and Al Jazeera, as well as expertise in digital transformation and media innovation.

• More details about Professor Farida Fozdar - Curtin University

  Professor Farida Fozdar - Curtin University

  Professor Farida Fozdar is a sociologist in Curtin University's School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry. Her research focuses on migration, diversity, racism, belonging, religion, gender and social inclusion. She is widely published in the fields of migration studies and multiculturalism and has led numerous nationally significant research projects examining social cohesion and diversity in Australia.

• More details about Associate Professor Gerhard Hoffstaedter - The University of Queensland

  Associate Professor Gerhard Hoffstaedter - The University of Queensland

  Associate Professor Gerhard Hoffstaedter is an anthropologist at The University of Queensland whose research explores migration, refugees, religion, citizenship, identity and belonging in Southeast Asia and Australia. He is particularly known for his work on refugee communities, Muslim identities and transnational migration.

• More details about Associate Professor Leo Robba - Western Sydney University

  Associate Professor Leo Robba - Western Sydney University

  Associate Professor Leo Robba is a designer, artist and academic in Western Sydney University's School of Arts. His career spans visual journalism, graphic design, fine art and higher education. A former senior designer and art director with major Australian media organisations including Fairfax Media and Australian Consolidated Press, he is also known for the Painted River Project, an interdisciplinary initiative connecting art, science and environmental stewardship.

• More details about Dr Joshua Bird, Western Sydney Community Forum

  Dr Joshua Bird, Western Sydney Community Forum

  Joshua is a Director of Policy & Programs at the Western Sydney Community Forum, where he drives Forum, where strategy, oversees complex initiatives, and works closely with partners across government, academia and the community sector. He is passionate about working at the intersection of policy and practice to create meaningful, lasting impact, whether through shaping systems, supporting organisations or empowering communities. With over 20 years’ experience across government, international development, and the not-for-profit sector, Joshua specialises in strengthening communities through policy, strategy, and collaboration. His work focuses on building more inclusive, resilient communities—particularly through initiatives related to housing, disability inclusion, and culturally diverse populations. Throughout his career, he has worked across the Asia-Pacific in roles spanning human rights, community development, and international programming. This includes leading policy development in the NSW and Federal public sectors, delivering capacity-building programs for refugee communities, and managing large-scale development and human rights projects in Asia and the Pacific. Joshua is a qualified lawyer with degrees in Law (Honours) and Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Master of Asia-Pacific Studies from the Australian National University. In 2016, he graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Government and International Relations from the University of Sydney.

• More details about Dr Alison Guo - Western Sydney University

  Dr Alison Guo - Western Sydney University

  Dr. Alison Guo is a prominent figure in the field of education and social sciences, with a PhD in Education from Western Sydney University. Her research focuses on migration, race, gender, sexuality, and community wellbeing, and she has contributed to academic books and media platforms. Dr. Guo has extensive frontline experience in community engagement, health advocacy, and social justice, particularly at the intersection of feminism, anti-racism, and equitable healthcare. She is also a Community Engagement Officer at ACON, where she played a key role in advancing the national Own It cervical screening campaign. Dr. Guo is committed to producing community-informed research and advancing anti-racism, bringing her insights back into academia and policy conversations.

• More details about Dr David Tittensor - University of Melbourne

  Dr David Tittensor - University of Melbourne

  Dr. David Tittensor is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on the intersection of religion and development, the allocation of aid, the impact of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) policies on Muslim communities, migration in the Global South, and Turkish politics and society. He has authored several works, including "The House of Service: The Gülen Movement and Islam's Third Way" and "Religion and Change in Australia." Dr. Tittensor has also co-authored and co-edited several books, contributing to the field of Islamic Studies in Australia.

• More details about Danielle McInness - Western Sydney University

  Danielle McInness - Western Sydney University

  Danielle McInness is a communications and public affairs professional and researcher. She has held a range of senior communications and management roles at Western Sydney University, including Public Affairs and Communications Manager in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Centre Manager for the Centre for Western Sydney. She is currently undertaking research on mainstream media representations of Western Sydney through a Master of Research project.

• More details about Paula Kruger - Media Diversity Australia

  Paula Kruger - Media Diversity Australia

  Paula Kruger is Chief Executive Officer of Media Diversity Australia and a media leader with more than 30 years' experience in journalism, broadcasting, management, talent development and media training. Before joining Media Diversity Australia, she was Managing Director of Sydney community radio station 2SER and previously held a range of senior editorial and on-air roles with the ABC. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and representation in Australian media.