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Afeeya Akhand (Researcher at Australian Strategic Policy Institute)

Afeeya Akhand

Researcher at Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Afeeya Akhand is a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute where she focuses on Indo-Pacific security, Australia-South Korea relations and climate change. Afeeya is a keen advocate for diverse inclusion in international affairs and national security with a focus on racial and gender equity. She is the Secretary of Women in International Security - Australia and sits on ANU's National Security College Youth Council. Afeeya’s work has been featured in outlets including SBS News, The Mandarin and The Strategist and she has spoken at a range of international and domestic conferences. Afeeya graduated with a Masters in International Security specialising in Korean language at the University of Sydney.

Julie Ballangarry (Lecturer in Political Science and Indigenous Politics at Griffith University)

Julie Ballangarry

Lecturer in Political Science and Indigenous Politics at Griffith University

Julie Ballangarry is a proud Gumbaynggirr/Dunghutti woman and lecturer in Political Science and Indigenous Politics at the School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University. Prior to commencing her PhD and lecturer position, Julie completed a Bachelor of Education with Honours (Class 1) and spent several years working in Remote and Low SES community schools. Julie is passionate about Indigenous rights and issues and how Indigenous voices, including ways of being, knowing and doing, can help to strengthen policy and outcomes in key policy domains. In 2022, Julie co-authored a paper "Indigenous Foreign Policy: A new way forward"; which was presented at a round table with Senator Penny Wong and the Australian Feminist Foreign Policy Coalition, of which she is a member. Julie has since written a number of pieces about Indigenous Foreign Policy and presented on panels around the subject matter. Recently, Julie, in partnership with the International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA), released a podcast series F! It! Which explores Feminist and First Nations approaches to Foreign Policy. Julie designed and hosted the series to bring these two approaches to the heart of foreign policy conversations. Julie recently submitted her PhD in January 2024 and looks forward to continuing focusing on policy that is inclusive of Indigenous voices, knowledges, perspectives and rights.

Helen Berents (Senior Lecturer at Griffith University)

Helen Berents

Senior Lecturer at Griffith University

Helen Berents is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Queensland. She has recently completed a four-year Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship on youth leadership and the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, and is currently an expert, invited member of the Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy’s International Research Working Group on Youth, Peace and Security. Her research draws on peace studies, feminist international relations, and critical security studies to consider representations of children and youth in crises and conflicts, and engagements with lived experiences of violence-affected young people. In addition to various journal articles and chapters, she is the author of Young People and Everyday Peace (Routledge, 2018), and co-editor of Children, Childhoods and Global Politics (with J Marshall Beier, Bristol University Press 2023) and Youth and Sustainable Peacebuilding (with Catherine Bolten and Siobhan McEvoy-Levy, Manchester University Press, 2024). She is motivated by a genuine belief in the importance of recognising the contributions and capacities of children and youth in navigating violence and building peace.

Zoe Keath (Youth Advocate and Founder)

Zoe Keath

Youth Advocate and Founder

Zoe is a policy officer, youth advocate, and founder of #SubmissionsSunday, an initiative aimed at supporting youth participation in the parliamentary and government decision-making process. Zoe is the Submissions Coordinator with Voices of Influence Australia and a Youth Advisor on numerous youth advisory councils. Zoe has also been recognised as one of the top 20 Women in Sustainable Development (2022) and as a Young Women to Watch in International Affairs (2023)

Se Youn Park (PhD Candidate at University of Queensland)

Se Youn Park

PhD Candidate at University of Queensland

Se Youn Park is a final year PhD candidate in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on the regulation of ISIS women returnees in the UK and Australia, exploring how legislation, narratives, and practices shape distinct gendered outcomes for these women. Additionally, Se Youn’s secondary research focus on South Korean politics, particularly the security implications of misogyny and feminist backlash in the region.
Se Youn currently serves as Director of Research at Women in International Security (WIIS) Australia, where she oversees the internship programme and the development of research initiatives. In this role, Se Youn is dedicated to advancing the participation and leadership of women in international security, with a strong commitment to increasing the participation of women of colour in the field.