David McKewan
David McEwen is a Director at Adaptive Capability, providing climate risk and net-zero strategy, program and project management. He works with businesses, community leaders, policy makers, designers and engineers to deliver impactful change. His book, Navigating the Adaptive Economy, was released in 2016.
Guanie Lim
Guanie Lim is an Assistant Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan.
Adrian Beaumont
Adrian Beaumont Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
Michael Fox
Michael Fox AM, is an Australian architect, planner and human rights advocate. He was actively involved in the drafting, adoption and 2008 ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) and has traveled extensively in the Middle East and worldwide.
Harry Armstrong-Thawley
Harry is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University researching optimisation of electricity systems. His focus is on identification and characterisation of near-optimal systems. Near-optimal systems be easier to achieve and more realistic than the mathematically optimal solution.
He graduated from the Australian National University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Engineering, Research and Development and first-class honours majoring in renewable energy systems.
Chandra Muzaffar
Chandra Muzaffar, Former Professor of Global Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang; President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST)
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar is a Convenor of Saving Humanity and Planet Earth (SHAPE) and the President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST). Chandra was Professor and Director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, University of Malaya (1997-1999) and Professor of Global Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia (2007-2012).
Steve Posselt
Steve Posselt FIE AustImmediate past chair of Sustainable Engineering Society, Civil Engineer specialising in Climate Change and how it relates to Engineering Risk, Sustainability Educator, adventurer and author of two books furthering education on climate change.
Madison Cartwright
Madison Cartwright is a Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy and the convenor for the Politics and International Relations undergraduate programme at UNSW. My research interests include the political economy of intellectual property, trade, and the economic-security nexus.
Robert Hinkley
Robert C. Hinkley is a former corporate partner in one of America’s largest law firms and the author of “Time to Change Corporations: Closing the Citizenship Gap.” He was also the principal advisor to the US Department of Justice in its investigation of the fraud in the residential mortgage backed securities that caused the global financial crisis of 2008. He now resides in Berry, NSW.
Geoffrey Whitehead
Geoffrey Whitehead was the first Managing Director and Board member of the ABC under its 1983 Act, from 1984-86. He has a Diploma in International Affairs (London) and a Masters Degree (merit) in International Relations (University of Victoria, Wellington). He is the author of Inside the ABC (Penguin 1988) and of Tending the flame of democracy (iUniverse 2004).
Ingrid Burfurd
Ingrid Burfurd is a Senior Associate in Grattan Institutes Cities and Transport Program. Ingrid has a background in public policy and academic research, with experience in environmental, transport, and procurement policy.
Ingrid previously worked as a Senior Economist in the Victorian Public Service. She served as a Senior Expert Advisor on the UNFCCCs High-Level Panel reviewing the Clean Development Mechanism.
Ingrid has a PhD in Economics and an honours degree in Arts and Commerce (Economics), both from the University of Melbourne. Her research has been published in highly-ranked journals including Experimental Economics and the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.
Jeffrey Braithwaite
Jeffrey Braithwaite Professor, Health Systems Research and Founding Director, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University
Richard Falk
Richard Falkis Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University,Chair of Global law, Queen Mary University London, and Research Associate, Orfalea Center of Global Studies, UCSB.
Anne E. McLaren
Anne E. McLaren is Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne
Peter Hibbert
Peter Hibbert Honorary Professor, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University
Zhiqun Zhu
Zhiqun Zhu is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bucknell University. He is also a Fulbright Scholar at Griffith University.
Gerard Noonan
Gerard Noonan is a former editor of The Australian Financial Review. He is a Walkley award winning journalist, former Chair of Media Super and previously a board member of the Federal Government’s Innovation Australia,
Martin Hardie
Martin Hardie has had a global career spanning law, academia, journalism, and cultural advocacy. Born in Australia, he holds a Law Degree with Honours (Northern Territory University) and a PhD in Legal Anthropology (Deakin University). He has lived and worked in Australia, the UK, Timor-Leste, Panama, Mozambique, and Spain, blending legal practice with social impact. As a lawyer, Hardie pioneered the Aboriginal copyright cases in the 1980s–90s and served in landmark cases like the Timor Gap and the NT Euthanasia disputes. He has advised Timor-Leste’s resistance and political leaders from 1992 until the present time. Academically, he’s taught law and society at universities worldwide, including Deakin, NTU, Florida State, UNPAZ and UNDIL.Beyond law, Hardie has managed bands (e.g., The Laughing Clowns and Warumpi Band), ran Aboriginal art centres, and has written for El País and cycling magazines. His book, Governing the Society of Competition examines law and sovereignty in neoliberalism through the lens on pro-cycling’s war on doping. Now based in Aileu, Timor-Leste, he is currently the Principal Research Officer for President José Ramos-Horta and runs with his family Dili Vanilli and Posada Txiriboga, merging his interdisciplinary expertise to shape law, culture, and development.
John Sutton
I commenced working for the Building Workers Industrial Union (BWIU) as an organizer in 1980. After 11 years in the NSW Branch I was elected as the National Assistant Secretary of the BWIU. In 1993 I was the first National Secretary of the Construction Division of the newly formed Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). After 13 years in this role I became the National Secretary of the entire union. From 2007 -2010 I was a Vice President of the ACTU. From 2002 -2010 I was the International President of a world wide Building Workers Federation. After leaving the union at the end of 2010 I worked as an Associate Commissioner at the Productivity Commission, taught Industrial Relations/Law at UNSW, worked on government boards and been a Director of the Industry Superannuation Property Trust (ISPT). I am now retired.
Sindra Sharma
Dr Sindra Sharma is the International Policy Lead at the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN). She has a background in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, economics and international development. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics. Hailing from Fiji, her work has always centred on climate justice with a focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and developing countries.
James Wood
James Wood is a British-Australian IT professional specialising in artificial intelligence and cyber security, currently living in China. With a career rooted in the technology sector, he is passionate about geopolitics, particularly China’s evolving role on the global stage, offers him a unique perspective that bridges technology and global security matters. An avid creative writer and photographer, he enjoys capturing the beauty of the world and stays active through hiking and fitness. Living in China has allowed James to experience the country firsthand, free from Western preconceptions, enriching his appreciation for Chinese culture and viewpoints. His open-minded approach directly results from his time living in China.
Pearls and Irritations guest David Bell
David Bell, Senior Scholar at Brownstone Institute, is a public health physician and biotech consultant in global health. He is the former Program Head for malaria and febrile diseases at the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Bill Calcutt
Bill has been involved in complex social research in government and academic settings for over three decades, with areas of study including governance, accountability, ethics, risk management and counter-terrorism.
Adelajda Soltysik
Adelajda Soltysik has been working with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, peak bodies, non-profits, and government organisations for over 10 years, focusing on early childhood, justice, health, and child protection law reform and policy. She is currently Senior Policy Advisor at the Centre for Policy Development.
Susan Dirgham
Susan Dirgham is a retired ESL teacher. She taught at the British Council in Damascus from September 2003 to January 2006. She is editor of the magazine Beloved Syria - Considering Syrian Perspectives. She was the national coordinator of Australians for Reconciliation in Syria.In 2023, Susan co-founded Australians for Reconciliation and Truth Towards Syria (Artts), whose main aims were to lobby the government to lift the sanctions on Syria and to establish ties between Australians and Syrians, particularly in the arts.