His Excellency Mr Scott Dewar
Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China
Scott commenced as Australian Ambassador to China in January 2024. Prior to taking up this role he was Deputy Secretary International and Security in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Previously Scott has served in the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has also worked in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Minister for Defence. His previous diplomatic postings were to Seoul, Beijing and as Consul-General in Honolulu.
Scott is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and has a master’s degree from Monash University. He is married with three adult sons.
His Excellency Mr Liu Jinsong
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Commonwealth of Australia
Liu Jinsong, male, was born in 1972 in Zhejiang, is from Jiangsu, and grew up in Xinjiang, China.
He holds a Bachelor of Economics from the Institute of Regional Economics at Renmin University of China, and a Master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States.
1993-2000 Staff Member, Attaché, Third Secretary, Deputy Division Director, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC
2000-2001 Deputy Division Director, Policy Research Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC
2001-2003 Second Secretary, Director of the Political Section, Spokesperson, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Kingdom of Thailand
2003-2004 First Secretary, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC
2004-2007 First Secretary, Political Counselor, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Japan
2007-2009 Political Counselor, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010-2011 Deputy Director-General, Department of Research, Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council
2011-2012 Deputy Director-General, Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC
2012-2012 Deputy Director-General, Policy Planning Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC
2012-2015 Deputy Director-General, Department of International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC; Member of the Board of Directors, the Silk Road Fund
2015-2017 Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of India
2017-2019 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
2019-2021 Director-General, Policy Planning Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC
2021-2026 Director-General, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC
2026- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Commonwealth of Australia
Married with one son.
Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC
30th Governor of Victoria
Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC is the 30th Governor of Victoria and the second woman to hold the office. Prior to her appointment in August 2023, she was the 9th and first woman President and Vice-Chancellor of Monash University from September 2014 until August 2023.
Prior to joining Monash, the Governor was Vice-Chancellor and President of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) from April 2005 until August 2014. She has extensive academic experience, having held various leadership positions in Australian universities throughout her career, including as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at The University of Queensland and Pro Vice-Chancellor at Griffith University in Queensland.
She attained a first-class honours degree in Economics and a PhD from the University of Sydney. In 1988, she was a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow, spending time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, New York, and the University of California, Berkeley. In 2018, she was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
The Governor was Chair of the Group of Eight Universities in Australia from 2020 to 2023. She was also a Director of Infrastructure Victoria from 2015 to 2023, the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) from 2015 to 2023 and Chair of CASE Asia-Pacific Regional Council from 2019 to 2023.
The Governor was Chair of Universities Australia from 2017 to 2019 and Museum Victoria from 2008 to 2016 and chaired the Strategic Advisory Committee and the Expert Panel of the Office of Learning and Teaching (Federal Government Department of Education and Training). She has also been a member of various other boards and committees, including the Australian-American Fulbright Commission, the ANZAC Centenary Advisory Board and the International Education Advisory Committee, which led to the Chaney Report.
In 2007, the Governor was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of service to tertiary education, particularly in the areas of university governance and gender equity, and to industrial relations. Subsequently in January 2020, the Governor was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for her eminent service to tertiary education through leadership and innovation in teaching and learning, research and financial sustainability.
In her inauguration speech, the Governor expressed a desire to listen to the voices of all Victorians, and to support and preserve the State’s democratic institutions.
Consul-General Fang Xinwen
Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne
Born in February 1972. Graduated with a B.A. degree. Member of the Communist Party of China.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece
Lord Mayor - City of Melbourne
Nick Reece was sworn in as Lord Mayor of Melbourne in July 2024 and re-elected in November 2024. He was first elected as a councillor at the City of Melbourne in 2016 and was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2020.
Nick serves as portfolio head of the City Infrastructure portfolio and deputy for the Finance, Governance and Risk portfolio – these cover a range of responsibilities and activities which are core to council business. As Deputy Lord Mayor, Nick helped steer the city through some of its darkest days during the Covid lockdowns and the subsequent recovery. With a long history of public service and experience in business, law and journalism, Nick brings a deep understanding of Melbourne life to the role of Lord Mayor.
Nick is one of the original “Mo Bros” and former chairman of global men’s health charity Movember. Founded in Melbourne, almost 10 million people have participated in Movember and raised almost $1.5 billion for prostate cancer and men’s mental health. For over 10 years, Nicholas was a director for the street newspaper The Big Issue, Australia’s most successful social enterprise for homeless and vulnerable people.
Nick has been a senior executive at the University of Melbourne. He has considerable experience in government having worked as a senior adviser to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Victorian premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby.
Nick lives in Carlton with his wife and three school age daughters. He is a paid up and passionate member of the Carlton Football Club and is dreaming of a flag for the Blues in 2027.
Mayor, Cr Thomas Prince
Mayor - City of Greater Bendigo
Cr Prince was elected Lake Weeroona Ward Councillor in October 2024 and elected Mayor for the 2025/2026 term.
He’s an advocate for waste management, recycling, road infrastructure and economic growth, and is committed to supporting a thriving and sustainable Greater Bendigo and serving its diverse and inclusive communities.
With more than 20 years of community volunteering experience, Cr Prince has made a significant contribution to local sport and community development.
His achievements include establishing the Bendigo Dragons Gridiron Club and supporting the delivery of school-based programs aimed at increasing participation in sport among young people. He is currently undertaking part-time studies at La Trobe University while balancing his duties as Mayor.
Nancy Gordon
CEO - National Foundation for Australia-China Relations
Nancy Gordon commenced as CEO of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations in May 2026. She is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and most recently served as Commissioner-General for Australia at the World Expo in Osaka (2025).
Nancy has also served overseas as Australia’s first Consul-General in Chengdu and earlier in roles in Australia’s missions in Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo.
In Canberra Nancy served as Assistant Secretary of the Northeast Asia Branch and the China Economic and Engagement Branch, where she was responsible for advancing Australia’s strategic and economic interests across the region. She also served as Acting Assistant Secretary in the Parliamentary and Media Branch.
Nancy holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Asian Studies, a Masters of Applied Japanese for Business from the University of Sydney and a Masters in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University. She spent time studying at Waseda University in Tokyo and speaks Mandarin and Japanese.
Dr Geoff Raby AO
Chairman and Founder - Geoff Raby and Associates
Dr Geoff Raby was Australia’s Ambassador to China from 2007-11, during which he visited all provinces in China officially.
He served in Beijing as First Secretary (Economic) and then Counsellor (Economic), 1986-91. He was Ambassador to the WTO in Geneva (1998-2001), Ambassador to APEC (2003-06), and Deputy Secretary, 2003-07. He was also head of the Trade Policy Issues Division of the OECD, Paris, 1993-95.
On leaving government service in August 2011, he established Geoff Raby and Associates, a Beijing-based corporate advisory specialising in strategic analysis with respect to China. He also served as an independent non-executive director with ASX-listed Fortescue Metals, OceanaGold as chair of the Health, Safety, and Community sub-committee, Yancoal also as chair of the Health, Safety, Environment and Community Committee sub-committee, Isentia, and as the Board Chair of Smarttrans.
His not-profit roles have included Chair of VisAsia at the NSW Gallery and as a member of the board of the Foundations at the Gavan Institute and National Gallery of Victoria. He is currently Chair of the Australia-China Arts Residency charity.
His most recent book, Great Game On: the contest for central Asia and global supremacy, was published by Melbourne University Press on 12 November 2024 and is now in its second print run. His previous book was China’s Grand Strategy and Australia’s Future in the World Order (MUP Nov 2020) and was reprinted five times; the second edition was released in May 2025. He regularly contributes op eds and travel writing to the Australian Financial Review. He holds a PhD in economics. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Federation University and also by La Trobe University.
He was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) in June 2019 for services to Australia-China bilateral relations and to multilateral trade. He was awarded Chile’s Order of Bernand O’Higgins, the highest non-military award for foreigners, for services to international trade, especially agricultural trade in 2002.
Professor Bec Strating
Director - La Trobe Centre for Global Security
Bec Strating is the Director of the La Trobe Centre for Global Security and a Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University, Melbourne. She has extensive experience working in the academia-policy-public engagement nexus in the fields of international diplomacy and security. She is currently the Australian Member Committee Co-Chair of the Council on Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific and serves as an Australian representative in the Expert and Eminent Persons Grouping in the ASEAN Regional Forum. She was Director of La Trobe Asia from 2020 to 2025. Her research focuses primarily on Asian regional security, maritime disputes, and Australian foreign and defence policy.
Tom Parker
Lead, Greater China and North Asia, Global Engagement - Global Victoria
Tom Parker is a dynamic leader with deep expertise in trade facilitation, investment attraction and collaboration between Australia and China. A Mandarin speaker, Tom has successfully led high-profile, cross border initiatives across government and the private sector, including trade missions, sports diplomacy, export development, and official visits programs. With proven leadership as a CEO, he has managed remote and culturally diverse teams and continues to build extensive networks with government and corporate leaders across Australia, and China. His strategic mindset, persistence and ability to negotiate outstanding results in complex, multi-stakeholder environments ensure practical outcomes aligned with economic and business priorities.
Professor Ligang Song
Professor of Economics, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics - Australian National University
Ligang Song is Professor of Economics in Arndt-Corden Department of Economics of Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. His research interests include international economics, development economics and policy studies, and the Chinese economy. He published widely in these research areas. He teaches graduate courses in development economics and institutional economics and supervises a number of PhD students in economics at Crawford School. He has been a convener for organising the annual China Update conferences at the Australian National University and has co-edited and published more than twenty China Update books with the ANU Press since 1999. He was named in the top 250 researchers (in Chinese Studies & History) across Australia in the Australian’s 2024 Research Magazine.
Uncle Andrew Gardiner
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder
Uncle Andrew is a proud descendant of the Wurundjeri clans of the Woi-wurrung people and a Muslim since 1995. He identifies as an Aboriginal Muslim Australian.
Uncle Andrew’s working life has been in the service of Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal community controlled health and self-determination.
In December 2019, Uncle Andrew was elected to the First Peoples Assembly Victoria. The Assembly has developed three Treaty structures in dealing with the State of Victoria and has represented the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people in one of the 10 reserved seats allocated for Traditional Owner groups. In May 2021, he was appointed as Co-Chair of the Interim Elders Voice on the Assembly, to engage with Elders across the state to inform and support their involvement in Treaty and help establish a Permanent Elders Voice who will provide cultural oversight to the work of the Assembly.
Dr Wesa Chau | ACYD ‘12
Executive Director - Per Capita
Dr Wesa Chau is executive director of Per Capita, an independent think tank focusing on inequality. She has dedicated her career to advancing progressive policy and system-level reform grounded in fairness, shared prosperity, inclusion and social justice. Her previous work has spanned policy areas including gender, multicultural, climate, disability, education, social innovation and aged care.
Wesa brings a unique blend of academic insight and practical experience to her work. She holds a PhD in Political Science, a Master of Business Management, and Bachelor degrees in both Software Engineering and Commerce. She has advised governments, corporations, and community organisations on inclusive policy and governance, with a particular focus on building pathways for people with intersectional diversity. Her broad policy interests centre on tackling inequality, spanning responsible technology, equitable housing, the future of the care economy, and a just transition to a post-carbon economy.
She has held board director roles at several community organisations including Advisory Board for the National Foundation of Australia-China Relations and currently serving on the Victorian Government Anti-Racism Taskforce. A recognised thought leader, Wesa has published reports, articles and opinion pieces on a wide range of public policy issues, and contributes to The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, ABC, SBS and commercial media. She has appeared as an expert witness before parliamentary inquiries and is often invited to speak at national and international conferences.
Chris Lethbridge
Trade Manager - Cherry Growers Australia
Chris is the Trade Manager for Cherry Growers Australia (CGA). In this role, he supports Australian cherry growers to export their cherries around the world, including through regulatory engagement with the Australian Government and support for an international promotional program for Australian cherries in key export markets.
Prior to joining CGA, Chris was the Director of Member Programmes at the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) in London. At CBBC, Chris worked with British businesses, providing market entry advice and government relations support for the export of products and services to China. He has also worked for the Australia China Business Council in Sydney.
Chris holds a Bachelor of International Relations from the Australian National University and a Master of Commerce (Finance) from the University of Sydney.
Jesse White
General Manager Asia - Berries Australia
Jesse White is the founder and principal of Syncret Advisory, a Melbourne-based consultancy specialising in horticulture international trade, market entry and business development, with deep expertise in China and Southeast Asia. He works professionally in Mandarin, has lived and worked in China, and brings an extensive industry network across Asian wholesale, retail and regulatory channels.
Syncret’s engagements span most of Australia’s major horticultural categories. Jesse is International Marketing Manager for the Australian Table Grape Association and General Manager Asia for Berries Australia, advises Apple and Pear Australia Limited on China market development and Avocados Australia on export strategy, and has advised Australia’s largest horticulture grower and exporter on China brand strategy. He also leads Australian industry engagement with Chinese counterpart bodies including the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-products (CFNA), and has spoken at horticulture industry forums such as the China International Fruit Conference (CIFC), the China International Blueberry Conference (CIBC), Australian Citrus Congress and AusMac2026.
Jesse is a member of the national advisory committees for the Table Grape and Summerfruit industries.
From March 2019 to June 2021 he was Project Director – International at Bastion Agency, leading international marketing and PR projects into Asia for Australian clients. Later, at Global Victoria, he led market access projects for skincare and cosmetics businesses seeking improved export pathways to China, alongside cross-border e-commerce and corporate advisory work for Australian businesses trading and investing in China.
He holds a Bachelor of Business and Commerce (Marketing) and a Master of Diplomacy and Trade from Monash University. He lived in Guangzhou from 2014 to 2016, where he founded and ran a business in the education sector, and in Singapore from 2018 to 2019.
Earl Jobling
Accounting/Finance Lecturer - La Trobe University
Earl Jobling is an Accounting/Finance Lecturer within the La Trobe Business School and has undertaken consultancy work on behalf of the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities (CSRC). Over and above teaching at La Trobe, he has taught at institutions in Singapore and Hong Kong. His research interests at present cover a number of areas including banking, financial services marketing and university-community engagement.
Amos Atkinson
Djakitj
Amos Atkinson is a Bangarang and Dja Dja Wurrung man of the Yung Balug clan living on and involved in revitalising and restoring Country in Victoria, Australia, including through the planting of key food and fibre species and cultural burning.
The Honourable John Brumby AO
Chancellor - La Trobe University
The Hon. John Brumby AO is Chancellor of La Trobe University and a Professor (Honorary) at the University of Melbourne. He is well known for his roles as the former Premier of Victoria (2007 to 2010) and Treasurer (2000 to 2007), as well as his time in Federal Parliament (1983 to 1990) during the Hawke Government.
Since retiring from politics in 2010, John Brumby has taken on a number of roles in the not-for-profit and business sectors, including as Chair of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, Citywide Service Solutions and the Fred Hollows Foundation. He is also the inaugural Chair of the Victorian Government's $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria Fund.
Mr Brumby was awarded an Order of Australia in 2017 for distinguished service to the Parliament of Victoria, to economic management and medical biotechnology innovation, to improved rural and regional infrastructure, and to the community.
He is the author of a number of articles and books, including the 2015 book The Long Haul: Lessons from Public Life (Melbourne University Publishing).
Professor Caroline Wang
Professor - UNSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE)
China Energy Transition Watcher and Translator: Leads strategic government and international engagement at UNSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, building cross-border exchange and partnerships to advance a just clean energy transition. Formerly China Lead at Climate Energy Finance, researching China’s clean energy manufacturing leadership, deployment scale, and green energy statecraft - widely cited in national and international media. Author of Rising Tide: China’s Outbound Cleantech Capital Surge Drives Global Collaboration Toward Net Zero. Former lawyer and international policy advisor with 9+ years across Australian federal and state government, specialising in multistakeholder policy initiatives and cross-border cooperation. Fluent in four languages. Focused on future-focussed education and training partnerships to build capability for the next generation.
Dr Christoph Nedopil Wang
Professor and Lead for APAC Industry Transitions - University of Queensland
Dr. Christoph Nedopil Wang is a Professor at University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He is also a Visiting Professor at FISF Fudan University, Shanghai, and a Professorial Research Associate at SOAS University of London.
Christoph regularly provides advisory to governments, financial institutions, enterprises, and civil society on green finance and industrial transitions. He is the lead author of the UNDP SDG Finance Taxonomy, the Innovative Climate Finance Solutions report for the G20 in Indonesia, and the Green Development Guidance of the BRI Green Development Coalition under the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment. He has authored four books and published articles in Science and other leading journals. Christoph serves as board director in scaling sustainability in businesses and finance.
Christoph is quoted regularly in Financial Times, The Economist, Reuters, Bloomberg, and other major outlets.
Before joining University of Queensland, he served as Director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University, he was the Founding Director of the Green Finance & Development Center and Associate Professor at the Fudan International School of Finance (FISF), Fudan University and previously as Founding Director for the Green BRI Center at the Central University of Economics in Beijing. He worked with the World Bank in over 15 countries and was a Director in the German development agency GIZ. Christoph holds a Master of Engineering and a PhD in Economics from the Technical University Berlin, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.
Dr Muyi Yang
Principal Energy Analyst - Ember
Muyi Yang is a Principal Energy Analyst at Ember, a global energy think tank, where he leads analysis of the clean energy transition in China and the broader Asia-Pacific region. He is also Secretary of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS), a Non-Resident Senior Policy Fellow at Asia Society Australia, and an Adjunct Fellow at the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney. His work combines a multidisciplinary perspective with a policy focus, examining how economic, political and geostrategic forces shape energy transitions.
Deidre Willmott AM
Strategic Advisor, Global Sustainability and External Affairs - Fortescue
Deidre Willmott is Strategic Advisor in the Global Sustainability and External Affairs team at Fortescue. She is working on decarbonisation of Fortescue’s Pilbara mining operations and the development of green industry in Australia with a focus on building a supportive policy environment.
Previous roles include CEO of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia, Director External Affairs at Fortescue and chief of staff to the WA Premier. She is a graduate in law from UWA and the University of Melbourne. In January 2026 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to business and the Parliament of Western Australia.
John Zhong
Australian Country Manager, International System Business Unit - Trina Solar
John has over 16 years of experience in the energy and resource industry with four years with Trinasolar ISBU. John holds a bachelor degree with a major in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Adelaide. Prior to joining Trina, John worked as Vice General Manager at Risen Energy Australia. Much earlier, John worked as a Senior Power Consultant in GHD, Power Consultant and Project Manager in Worley Parsons and ExxonMobil respectively. John has accumulated rich experience in managing and delivering projects in a variety of engineering industries, including concept and feasibility study, detailed design, (de)commissioning, project management and business development. John's main involvement is over 6GW development in Solar Farm and BESS with Trinasolar ISBU, 134MW Yarranlea Solar Farm, 132MW Merredin Solar Farm, 260MW Glenellen Solar Farm and 330MW Kemerton BESS.
Chell Lyons
Director, China, Japan and Climate Finance - Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Chell Lyons is Director of China, Japan and Special Advisor on Climate Finance at Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). In this role, she leads Australia’s bilateral climate and energy engagement with China and Japan and international climate finance engagement for DCCEEW under the COP31 Action Agenda.
Chell brings extensive experience across climate policy, international negotiations, and sustainable finance. During her career in the Australian Public Service, she has led work on international negotiations, including under the UNFCCC, APEC EWG, AZEC, G20 and IMO, as well as on Australia’s national emissions projections.
A Sir Roland Wilson Scholar, Chell completed her PhD at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy. Her research examined how public green banks can mobilise private capital to accelerate global decarbonisation, with a particular focus on emerging markets and small island developing states. She has also served as a Climate Change Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre, publishing widely on climate finance, development and climate policy.
Professor Sharon Lewin
Director - The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Professor Sharon Lewin is an infectious diseases physician and basic scientist, who is internationally renowned for her research into all aspects of HIV disease and specifically in strategies to achieve an HIV cure. Professor Lewin is the inaugural Director of the Doherty Institute and the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, a new centre at the Doherty Institute established by a philanthropic gift of $250 million from Canadian philanthropist Geoff Cumming and $75 million from the Victorian government. She is also a Melbourne Laureate Professor of Medicine at The University of Melbourne and the immediate Past President of the International AIDS Society (IAS) (2022 – 2024), the largest professional society representing people working in HIV medicine and has over 14,000 members. She is an Advisory Board member for the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR), a Board Director for Doherty Clinical Trials Ltd and President of the Scientific Advisory Board of the ANRS/MIE, the largest funder of all infectious diseases research in France.
She received her medical degree (1986) and PhD (1997) from Monash University and post doctoral training at the Rockefeller University, New York (1997-1999). She heads a laboratory of 25 scientists and clinicians working on basic and translational research and early phase clinical trials aimed at finding a cure for HIV, understanding how HIV interacts with hepatitis B and novel antiviral strategies for SARS-CoV2. Her laboratory is funded by the NHMRC, the Medical Research Future Fund, the National Institutes of Health, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, mRNA Victoria and multiple commercial partnerships and philanthropic grants. She is also the Chief Investigator of The Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Diseases Emergencies (APPRISE) funded by the Federal Government, that aims to bring together Australia’s leading experts in clinical, laboratory and public health research to address key challenges in managing COVID19, including long COVID and antiviral utilisation in both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
Dr Amanda Caples
Lead Scientist - Victorian Government
Dr Amanda Caples is Victoria’s Lead Scientist and a recognised leader in science, technology and innovation policy. She is focused on translating scientific capability into economic opportunity, public value and lasting community benefit by working across government, research and industry.
Her work centres on building the conditions for innovation to scale through stronger technology ecosystems, enabling infrastructure, research–industry collaboration, and pathways to investment, markets and customers. She is a strong advocate for innovation policy that is practical, connected and focused on capability, adoption and impact.
Amanda has played a leading role in the growth of Victoria’s biotechnology sector and life sciences ecosystem, including the development of biotechnology and mRNA capabilities. She is widely recognised for connecting science, technology and innovation policy with economic growth, industry development and community outcomes.
As Victoria’s Lead Scientist, she provides strategic advice on emerging technologies, research capability and innovation policy, with a commitment to bringing people, ideas and institutions together to create new industries, strengthen business competitiveness and deliver lasting benefits for Victoria.
Amanda is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Victoria, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP).
Professor Hong-Jian Zhu
Head - Cancer Signalling Research Laboratory, The University of Melbourne
Prof. Hong-Jian Zhu heads Cancer Signalling Research Laboratory in Department of Surgery (RMH), The University of Melbourne, Australia since 2006. He has been awarded the Boerhaave Medal/Chair Visiting Professorship with Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands in 2017. After obtaining PhD in Chemistry in 1994, he started his postdoc with Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research to be a cancer biologist, where the interest in growth factor signalling has been developed. His laboratory focuses on identifying fundamental molecular events underlying biological function, specializing in the field of growth factor/cytokine signalling with a particular focus on transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signalling in cancer development. He leads a vibrant, cohesive research team with proven track record of publishing in high impact journals such as Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, Molecular Cancer, J Clinical Investigation (H-index=49). He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed SCI articles, with an average of more than 110 citations per article (total>12000). His innovative research capacity has been demonstrated through obtaining open competitive research grants (as chief investigator obtaining grants totalling more than $12m including 7x NHMRC project grants). His international reputation is evidenced by ~30 fully financed international conference speaker invitations.
He is the first mainland Chinese served in NHMRC expert panel and is the current President of Australia-Chinese Association for Biomedical Sciences (ACABS), which he and others founded in 2004. He has established and headed the Australia-China Biomedical Translational Research Institute (Huagene) in Nanjing since 2019.