On Monday 7 April, Security & Defence PLuS and UNSW Canberra will host the third instalment of the Athena Series: Women in Strategy Conference. This one-day conference, held at UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy, will shine a light on the expertise and leadership of women in the fields of strategy, security and defence, drawing from the military, government, industry and academic domains.
Discussions will explore topics such as inclusive leadership and the impact of gender on decision-making, geopolitics and gender perspectives in the Indo-Pacific, inclusive military reform, and women's leadership in addressing critical challenges of our time, including climate change and cybersecurity.
We encourage in-person attendance if possible, however, if you are unable to travel to Canberra, the event will be live-streamed on YouTube. There is no need to register for remote participation - please follow the link and select 'Notify Me':
Livestream - The Athena Series: Women in Strategy Conference, Canberra.
Speakers include:
- Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, Australia's National Cyber Security Coordinator
- Justine Greig, Deputy Secretary Defence People
- Rear Admiral Letitia Van Stralen AM, CSC, RAN, Head of Military Personnel
- Brigadier Caitlin Langford, Director General, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Department of Defence
- Cheryl Durrant, Executive Member, Australian Security Leader's Climate Group, Former Director of Preparedness and Mobilisation, Department of Defence
- Mikaela James, Assistant Director General, Policy, Strategy and Engagement Division, Australian Submarine Agency
- Jacinta Carroll, Assistant Secretary, Strategy and Governance, Headquarters Joint Capabilities Group
- Professor Emma Sparks, Rector, UNSW Canberra
- Professor Verity Firth AM, Vice-President Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement, UNSW Sydney
- Dr Cathy Moloney, Australia Vice President, The Asia Group
- Dr Marigold Black, Director Research, Norfolk Advisory
- Karen Schilling, ACT Defence and Advanced Technology Industry Advocate
- Danielle Cave, Director of Executive, Strategy & Research, Australian Strategic Policy Institute
- Dr Raji Pillai Rajagopalan, Resident Senior Fellow, Australian Strategic Policy Institute
- Professor Debi Ashenden, Director, Institute for Cyber Security, UNSW
- Professor Bec Strating, Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University
- Jennifer Parker, Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University; Adjunct Fellow, UNSW Canberra
- Susan Hutchinson, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, ANU
- Dr Sally Burt, Lecturer, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra
- Dr Miranda Booth, Lecturer, Contemporary Defence and Strategic Studies, UNSW Canberra
Conference Agenda:
- 09:00 Registration / Coffee
- 09:30 Introduction
- 10:00 Panel 1 - Pioneering Leadership in Strategy, Security, and Defence
- 11:00 Coffee
- 11:15 Panel 2 - Geopolitics, Grand Strategy, and Gender Perspectives in the Indo-Pacific
- 12:15 Lunch
- 13:15 Industry Fireside Chat
- 14:00 Panel 3 - Women’s Pathways into Defence and Inclusive Military Reform
- 15:00 Coffee
- 15:30 Panel 4 - Women’s Leadership and the Critical Challenges of our Time
- 16:30 Closing Remarks
FULL AGENDA AVAILABLE HERE
This is a ticketed event and capacity is limited, please reach out to [email protected] for more information.
You can read about the inaugural Athena Series event, co-hosted with the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre at King’s College London in October 2024 here: Athena Series launched at King's to celebrate exceptional women in strategy. The second event took place on March 11 in Phoenix, Arizona (Athena Series: Women in Strategy Conference, Phoenix).
