Explore the astounding work of Western researchers in our Thought Leadership series.
Our series highlights research supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are proud to be ranked #1 globally in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings for Sustainability for four consecutive years, celebrating our commitment to sustainability. This series is part of the Western Sydney University Sustainability and Resilience Decadal Strategy 2030.
These free public events are open to everyone.
Register to attend in person or via Zoom.
Browse our Event Archive for recordings of past events.
If you would like to get involved with presenting, please contact the Library Research Engagement team.
Upcoming Events
April:
Migration, Refugee Experiences and Social Cohesion (Policy Co-design Workshops) by Dr. Valentina Baú
These interactive workshops explore migration, refugee experiences, and social cohesion through facilitated discussion and collaborative policy co-design. Participants will work together to develop practical policy recommendations informed by shared insights and lived experience.
Dr. Valentina Baú is Co-Director of the Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI) at Western Sydney University and Associate Research Fellow with the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Diversity and Social Justice at Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation.
Workshop 1: Facilitated Discussion on Migration, Refugee Experiences and Social Cohesion
This session features facilitated discussion on migration, refugee experiences, and social cohesion. Participants will share perspectives and identify key themes and challenges that can inform constructive community and policy responses.
Date: Thursday 16 April 2026
Time: 10:00am–12:00pm
Duration: 2 hours
Planned Activities:
- Facilitated discussions on migration, refugee experiences, and social cohesion
- Collaborative development of policy recommendations
Registration: link
Workshop 2: Policy Co-design: Developing Recommendations for Social Cohesion
Date: Thursday 30 April 2026
Time: 10:00am–12:00pm
Duration: 2 hours
Building on Workshop 1, this session focuses on collaboratively shaping and refining policy recommendations. Participants will work together to prioritise actionable ideas and produce a set of recommendations grounded in workshop discussions.
Planned Activities:
- Facilitated discussions on migration, refugee experiences, and social cohesion
- Collaborative development of policy recommendations
Registration: link
May:
Debriefing Session: Insights from Community Consultation Workshops on Migration, Refugee Experiences and Social Cohesion
Join this debriefing session to hear key insights and reflections emerging from two community consultation workshops, Migration, Refugee Experiences and Social Cohesion, facilitated by Dr Valentina Baú.
The session will synthesise learnings from:
Workshop 1: Facilitated Discussion on Migration, Refugee Experiences and Social Cohesion
A values led discussion that centred lived experiences and community perspectives on inclusion, belonging, and participation.
Workshop 2: Policy Co design – Developing Recommendations for Social Cohesion
A collaborative workshop focused on translating community insights into practical, community-informed policy directions.
This debriefing session will highlight key themes, tensions, and opportunities identified across both workshops and outline how these insights can inform future policy and practice.
Date: May 21 from 3:30pm to 4pm
Registration: link
June:
CO2 Concrete
Abstract: Construction and demolition waste is a major contributor to landfill, yet its use in concrete remains limited due to inconsistent quality and performance concerns. CO2 Concrete addresses this by injecting carbon dioxide into recycled aggregate before mixing, triggering mineral carbonation that improves aggregate strength and bonding with cement. Testing shows CO2 Concrete can deliver mechanical and durability performance comparable to conventional concrete made with virgin aggregate. The process also permanently stores CO₂, reducing the embodied carbon of concrete while increasing confidence in recycled materials. CO2 Concrete offers a practical, scalable solution to support low-carbon construction and wider construction and demolition waste reuse.
https://www.co2concrete.com.au/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/18578057/admin/dashboard/
Distinguished Professor Vivian W. Y. Tam FTSE is a world‑leading researcher in construction engineering and management, renowned for her contributions to green buildings and recycled concrete in addressing climate‑change challenges. She is Director of the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Digital Platforms for Net‑Zero Building Ecosystem Lifecycle (NØBEL) at Western Sydney University.
Professor Tam has served as a College of Experts member for the Australian Research Council (2018–2021, 2025– ). She is Editor‑in‑Chief of the International Journal of Construction Management and has published more than 330 refereed journal articles, including eight highly cited papers. Her work has attracted over 42,000 citations with an h‑index above 108 and has been supported by nine ARC projects.
Her achievements include winning the 2025 NSW Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Engineering or ICT and being recognised among the Top 2% of scientists globally since 2017. She was also Runner‑Up for the 2019 Scopus Researcher of the Year Award (Sustainable Future) and led the team awarded the Gold Prize at the 2021 GISU Urban Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.
From: 11:00am Wednesday, June 3, 2026
To: 12:00pm Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Registration: link
July:
Sunburnt country: managing Australian landscapes for production, climate and nature goals
Abstract: Climate and land-use change are exerting ever-increasing pressure on our rural, urban and protected landscapes. Across Australia, species, habitats, carbon, water and nutrient resources are strained by human impacts leading to lost productivity, disruption of ecosystem services, and increasing rates of extinction. Far from being solely an environmentalist’s concern, the steady loss of this ‘natural capital’ undermines agriculture, recreation and tourism, and other land-dependent activities on which our society and economy rely. Strategic landscape management offers the potential for synergistic outcomes that combine sustained land productivity with positive contributions to decarbonisation, nature repair and a reversal of natural capital loss. New legislation and emerging policy instruments, such as the Nature Repair Act, reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and the NSW Nature Strategy, are setting the scene for meaningful change. Realising their potential to reverse the trajectory of landscape degradation and biodiversity decline will depend on collaborating broadly across disciplines. To design successful strategies, we need to harness our best understanding of the soil, vegetation and landscape processes that govern our land ecosystems and their trajectory under evolving climate and land use. Three short talks will highlight with examples the capability science can bring to the strategic management of our landscapes at the nexus of food, energy, climate action and nature repair.
Prof Ben Smith
Director of Research, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Ben is an ecologist and ecosystem modeller interested in the structural and functional dynamics of the world’s major ecosystem types, or biomes. He has led the development of widely-used tools for exploring the interactions of vegetation and ecosystems with climate change, rising CO2 concentrations and land use. As Director of Research for Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, he oversees a diverse program of research and engagement around the sustainable management of ecosystems and land-based natural resources.
Prof Rachael Gallagher
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
ARC Future Fellow
Sustainable Futures Global Challenge Program Lead
Rachael is a plant ecologist and conservation scientist working to ensure that plants are protected and recognised for their vital contribution to society. She runs a research program investigating plant diversity and adaptation, including experimental and field studies of plant responses to key threatening processes such as climate change. Rachael’s research draws on national and international initiatives on plant traits and ranges, several of which she contributes to directly as co-curator of the national AusTraits database. Rachael is a member of the Commonwealth of Australia’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow.
Prof Uffe Nielsen
Theme Lead, Soil Biology & Genomics,
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Network Lead, Land & Primary Industries Network, NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub
Uffe is a soil and ecosystem ecologist who conducts research in pristine and managed ecosystems to address fundamental questions, with a strong focus on management of our natural resources. Uffe’s overarching goal is to use this knowledge to better manage Earth's ecosystems to protect and preserve biodiversity, whilst also developing and implementing evidence-based sustainable land use management practices. Uffe’s research increasingly focus on biodiversity and carbon co-benefits given scope for synergistic outcomes in a time where decarbonisation is critical. Uffe is the Theme Lead for Soil Biology & Genomics with the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (WSU) and the Lead for the Land and Primary Industries Network with the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub.
From: 12:00pm Wednesday, July 29, 2026
To: 12:00pm Wednesday, July 3, 2026
Registration: link
