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HE Mr. Gabriele Visentin
EU Ambassador to AustraliaHE Mr Gabriele Visentin has been the European Union Ambassador to Australia since September 2022, and was appointed EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific in September 2021. Prior to his arrival in Australia, Mr. Visentin served as Head of the Parliamentary Affairs Division in the European External Action Service for several years. Earlier in his career, Mr. Visentin was an official of the European Commission and served in the Directorate General for External Relations. Mr. Visentin was also Head of Cabinet to the last President of the ECSC (European Community for Steel and Coal) and Advisor on European affairs to the Italian Minister of Industry, Energy and International Trade. He holds a degree in law and is specialised in International and Community law.
Nishant Shandilya
EURAXESS WorldwideNishant Shandilya is the Regional Coordinator of EURAXESS Australia and New Zealand, an initiative of the European Commission that addresses barriers to the mobility of researchers and seeks to enhance scientific collaboration between Europe and the rest of the world. He has prominently led strategy, innovation, and international research projects – including European Commission funded grants (FP7 & Horizon 2020) and tenders, specifically in the fields of ICT, Internationalisation and Social Innovation. He has also led-wrote evaluation studies and impact assessment reports for several EC DGs. In addition to helping run several 'Centres of Excellence’ in different parts of the world, he has advised private and public sector clients in different areas, including innovation, R&D support mechanisms and economic development.
Dr Rebecca Allen
Swinburne University of TechnologyDr Rebecca Allen completed her PhD in astrophysics at Swinburne University of Technology where her research focused on understanding the evolution and growth of galaxies over time, going all the way back to when the Universe was barely a billion years old. Now the Co Director of Swinburne's Space Technology and Industry Institute, she applies her scientific expertise to help support Australia's growing space industry. She is focused on how space can be used to build climate change resilient communities and empowering learners by obtaining critical skills and experience through hands-on projects. When she’s not studying space or sending things there, she’s sharing her enthusiasm for space by communicating the wonders of the Universe to others and creating inspiring learning experiences.
Dr. Chetan Arora
Monash Universityis a Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering at Monash University. His research focuses on developing human-centred solutions at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and software engineering (SE), with a specific focus on enhancing software trustworthiness and responsible AI. In addition to his academic work, Dr Arora has extensive industry and collaboration experience and has worked with organisations such as the Australian DSTG and European Space Agency. Prior to his academic career, he worked in innovation management at SES Satellites in Luxembourg. He received his PhD from the University of Luxembourg and his Masters in Computer Science from Technisché Universität Kaiserslautern in Germany. His research in SE4AI and AI4SE has been published in high-impact journals and conference proceedings.
Dr. Emma Shortis
RMIT University EU CentreDr Emma Shortis is a Lecturer in the European Union Centre of Excellence at RMIT University. She is a nationally recognised expert in the history and politics of the United States and global environmental politics. Emma co-hosts RMIT's popular history podcast, "Barely Gettin' By". She writes regularly for mainstream media including The Conversation. Before joining RMIT, Emma spent a year in the United States as the Fox-Zucker International Fellow at Yale University, where she finished writing her PhD in History. She is the author of "Our Exceptional Friend: Australia's fatal alliance with the United States" (Hardie Grant Books, 2021).