Scroll down for the new Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Fellows.
Jacinda Ardern (yes, the former NZ PM) joins Uni Sydney as a Professor of Practice, in the School of Public Health. “Her work will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust.”
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The Australian Business Deans Council announces new members on its International Network Executive Committee; Suku Sukenesan is chair (Edith Cowan U), Bardo Fraunholz (Deakin U) joins.
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Karen Blackmore starts as PVC Innovation at Uni Newcastle. It is an internal appointment.
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Ashley Blom will become Uni Melbourne Provost in March – he will move from Uni Manchester, where he is now dean of medicine and health.
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The Australian Council of Graduate Research announces 2026 award winners. Lee Hickey (Uni Queensland): industry engagement. Kathryn Burdon (Uni Tasmania): student-centred approach. Udoy Saikia (Flinders U): mentorship.
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At Uni Sydney Hasham El Gamal is now Vice Provost AI (Implementation). He continues as Dean of Engineering.
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Rebecca Hall is now ED Policy for Universities Australia. She was head of government/industry engagement at Online Education Services.
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Ian Henderson will leave Uni Queensland and start in the new year as ED of science, medicine and health at Uni Wollongong.
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International Education Association of Australia’s 2026 Excellence Award winners are;
Leadership: Rongyu Li (Uni Queensland). Innovation: Emily O’Callaghan, Greg Gawinowski, Peter Muntz (miXabroad). Best Practice: Southern Cross U Academic Portfolio Office. PG Thesis: Alison Taylor (ARC Centre of Excellence in Quantum Computation and Communication Technology). Rising Star: Susan Schlinker (Study Queensland). Life Member: Chris Ziguras (RMIT).
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Renaud Joannes-Boyau is appointed PVC Research Innovation and Commercialisation at Southern Cross U. It is an internal appointment.
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Guy Littlefair starts in February as RMIT’s inaugural provost. He is now DVC E, at Uni WA.
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Marina Martiniello moves from UTS to become Associate Dean, Indigenous Learning and Teaching at Uni Canberra.
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Susan Sullivan is now Operations Director at the Queensland Brain Institute (Uni Q). She moves from a joint management role with the university and Metro North Health
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Winners of the 2026 Tracey Bretag Prize (from Studiosity) are, Middle East: ECAIU Student Board and Active Committee (UAE). UK and Europe: Technology Enhanced Learning Team (Uni Greenwich). North America: Laura Dumin (Uni Oklahoma). Asia-Pacific: Mollie Dollinger and Assessment 2030 Team (Curtin U).
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The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia announces its 2026 Fellows
Honorary: Governor General Sam Mostyn
Lisa Adkins (Uni Sydney), Shahram Akbarzadeh (Deakin U), Mario Alvarez-Jimenez (Uni Melbourne), Hannah Badland (RMIT), Sarah Bekessy (Uni Melbourne), Andy Bennett (Griffith U), Emma Baker (Adelaide U), Belinda Bennett (Uni Newcastle), Paula Brough (Griffith U), Lynda Cheshire (Uni Queensland), Carole Comerton-Forde (Uni Melbourne), Tegan Cruwys (ANU), Catherine de Fontenay (Productivity Commission), Greig de Zubicaray (QUT), Alan Duncan (Curtin U), Phillip Deery (Victoria U), Gary Edmond (Uni NSW), Jessica Grisham (Uni NSW)
Julia Horne (Uni Sydney), David Johnston (Monash U), Evan Kidd (ANU), Eóin Killackey (Uni Melbourne), Emma Lee (Federation U), Neil Levy (Macquarie U), Rosemary Lyster (Uni Sydney), Celia McMichael (Uni Melbourne), Hugh Mackay (ANU), Michael Mintrom (Monash U), John Murphy (Uni Melbourne), Jill Newby (Uni NSW), Anthony Okely (Uni Wollongong), Anne Poelina (Un Notre Dame Australia), Theunis Roux (Uni NSW), Jörgen Sandberg (Uni Queensland), Cameron Stewart (Uni Sydney), Gillian Triggs (Uni Melbourne)
Stewart Ward (ANU), Andrea Whitcombe (Deakin U), Ben White (QUT), Chris Wright (Uni Sydney), Ihsan Yilmaz (Deakin U), Yuting Zhan (Uni Melbourne)