PhD title: Unconscious bias in the Australian Public Service: implications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment
Craig joined the Department of Human Services in 2016, having worked in four other APS departments and agencies and the ACT Government over a period of 20 years. With experience across policy, program administration and human resources in central, state and regional roles, Craig has purposely remained in Indigenous Affairs throughout his career.
Craig combined his professional experience, qualifications in strategic HR, and interest in cultural proficiency in his PhD research. Craig’s research used a mixed methods approach to investigate where unconscious bias impacts practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment in the Australian Public Service. With his research, Craig aimed to turn the organisational focus inward by investigating how Australian Government bureaucracy functions from a culturally proficient perspective.
Leon, C 2022, 'Insights for Indigenous employment into a case study of unconscious bias in the Australian Public Service', Australian Journal of Social Issues, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.221.
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Australian National University
PhD title: Banking on Paris: Public investment governance and evaluation in the transition to net zero emissions
Michelle has spent the past decade working on climate change policy for the Australian Government. She most recently worked in the International Climate Change Branch of the Department of the Environment and Energy, where she led the global analytics function and supported Australia’s involvement in the G20 Climate and Sustainability Working Group. She was an emerging leader at the 2017 EU-Australia Leadership Forum and an inaugural recipient of the 2019 JWLand research fellowship for the ANU Grand Challenge Zero Carbon Energy in the Asia-Pacific.
Meeting the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement requires massive public and private investments to facilitate rapid decarbonisation, accelerate electrification, and develop negative emissions technologies in hard-to-decarbonise sectors. New kinds of investment governance are required to facilitate this transition. Through her PhD research, Michelle will explore different dimensions of this governance, including the development of an international benchmarking framework for Green Banks, models for green investment governance in the Asia-Pacific, and the roles of Public Banks in the transition to net zero emissions.
PhD title: Governing energy transitions in Southeast Asia: the role of regional power trading
Since joining the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2012, Hannah has worked in a variety of foreign policy and international development roles focusing on Southeast Asia and climate change. A three-year posting to Laos sparked Hannah’s interest in energy policy in Asia, where she was responsible for political and economic reporting and managed several Australian aid programs. Since 2018, Hannah has been part of Australia’s delegation to UN climate change negotiations, leading on gender and climate finance reporting issues.
Hannah’s research aims to improve understanding of energy policy and governance in East Asia, in the context of the transition to a net zero emissions energy system to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This will help Australian diplomats and policy-makers, as well as Australian business looking to invest in low-emissions export industries, to respond to the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly evolving regional energy sector.
PhD title: Japan’s economic security strategies: lessons for Australia
Genna’s policy experience has focused on geostrategic issues in our region, including advising on Australia’s relationship with ASEAN and the Quad, and a posting to Bangkok. She also has trade policy experience, including in the Office of the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Her combination of expertise sparked her interest in the increasing intersection between trade, foreign and security policy. She speaks Thai and Japanese.
Genna’s PhD thesis aims to draw lessons for Australia on ways our close partner, Japan, is managing geoeconomic dynamics. Her thesis will examine how Japanese industry has responded to geopolitical risks and the Japanese Government’s economic security policies. She plans to evaluate policy options for Australia to manage geoeconomic risks and will identify opportunities for Australia and Japan to enhance cooperation on geoeconomic issues.
The Sir Roland Wilson Foundation is a partnership between The Australian National University, Charles Darwin University and the Australian Public Service.
