Alana Ford is the Senior Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre where she leads the Centre’s work on critical and emerging foreign policy issues, with a particular focus on cyber and tech policy, defence, and democratic resilience. 

 

Prior to joining the Perth USAsia Centre, Alana served as the Attorney General Department’s representative to the United States in Washington D.C. In this role, she led the Australian Government’s efforts to address online harms and criminal exploitation of technology, as well as other high profile national security, law enforcement and criminal justice matters.

 

Previously, she served in the Department of Home Affairs, where she led work on a broad range of national security issues, including cyber and digital technology policy, law enforcement policy, countering online terrorism, child exploitation, and intelligence.

 

Alana currently sits on the Board of Directors at the Data Federation Lab, is part of the United States’ Studies Centre’s prestigious 2025 Women in the Alliance Network, and was a 2024 affiliate with All Tech Is Human.

 

Alana holds a BA in Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies and a BA in Politics and International Studies from Murdoch University, and a Professional Certification in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Aster Haile is the Alumni Engagement Coordinator at the Australian Consortium for ‘In Country’ Indonesian Studies (Acicis), where she leads initiatives to connect and support alumni of the program, building their long-term engagement in Australia-Indonesia relations. 

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Previously, Aster was the Program Manager and Generation Asia lead at Asia Society Australia, driving programs that support young leaders in Australia-Asia relations. Prior to that, Aster was the Program and Engagement Manager for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, where she played a pivotal role in expanding the reach of the world’s leading youth development program. Her experience in Indonesia under Australian government-supported initiatives focused on regional security, international development, and migration.

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Aster is deeply committed to cross-cultural understanding and youth development, evident in her professional and extracurricular pursuits in international relations and development.

 

With advanced Indonesian and learning Spanish, Aster brings a multilingual and global perspective to her work. She holds a Master of Development Studies from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from RMIT University.

Elina is an international representative and early-career professional shaping global governance, policy, and research. A multicultural young woman, she advocates for culturally sensitive, intergenerational policies that reflect the diverse needs of all communities. Through global research teams, Elina contributes to analysis on planetary health, climate change, and migration, working with intergovernmental organisations and academic institutions to drive impactful policy change. She was recently appointed co-coordinator for a report on refugee movement in the Asia-Pacific under the UN Major Group for Children and Youth.

 

In 2024, Elina served as Australia’s Head Delegate to the G20 Youth Forum in Rio de Janeiro, advocating for young Australians' perspectives on global governance reform. After consulting youth across the country, she led negotiations with international delegates to create the Y20 Communique, presenting policy recommendations to G20 leaders. As one of only four women in her track, Elina championed gender-inclusive perspectives.

 

As a Global Voices National Scholar, Elina is authoring a policy paper on youth-driven policy influence in Australia. She has also been a Youth Ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation and Oaktree Foundation, and was recognised as Group Leader and Australian Delegate for the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program. Elina is in her final semester of a Bachelor of Arts (Human Rights & International Relations) and Bachelor of Criminology at Monash University.

Hannah is a current graduate at Austrade and the Editor in Chief of Latam Link, the Australia Latam Emerging Leaders Dialogue’s (ALELD) burgeoning publications platform. She holds a Bachelor of International Relations from the University of Adelaide, with minors in Geography and Spanish. 

 

Hannah completed her final semester at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 2023, sparking her interest in Latin America. Since then, she has written extensively about Latin American affairs and her experiences living in a region often branded as “unsafe” by Australian media on platforms including Young Diplomats Society, Gen Z Abroad, and ALELD. She also served as the Latin America Fellow in 2024 for Young Australians in International Affairs. Her fluency in Spanish and studies in Portuguese demonstrate her commitment to the region, as well as her cross-cultural communication skills. These skills were utilised as a volunteer English teacher at her university in Chile. 

 

Prior to commencing at Austrade, Hannah worked for a federal member of parliament, advocating strongly for the community she grew up in. She also has experience in sustainability and environmental management, having worked as a research assistant under Associate Professor Cassandra Star at the Climate and Sustainability Policy Research Group.

Jemma is Youth Vice-President at the Australian Institute of International Affairs Queensland

Branch and an Alumni Consultative Group Member for the New Colombo Plan. She

advocates for diversity, inclusion, and peacebuilding through cross-cultural diplomacy,

focusing on empowering youth through a “colleagues, not competitors” approach.

 

As an alumnus of the New Colombo Plan (2023) in Hong Kong, Jemma has worked on

grassroots initiatives aimed at sustainable development, intersectionality, refugee

empowerment, and climate action in vulnerable Asia-Pacific communities. She has also

represented Griffith University at The Humanitarian Affairs Asia University Scholars Forum

at United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok and

contributed to climate action projects for Unite2030 at United Nations Headquarters in New

York.

 

Previously, Jemma has held board governance positions with the United States Consul

General’s Youth Advisory Department and Griffith University. As a regional correspondent

for South and Central Asia for the Young Diplomats Society, she currently raises awareness

of the region’s complex socio-political issues.

 

Jemma holds a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Government

and International Relations from Griffith University, and is currently pursuing a Master of

Peace and Conflict Studies at The University of Queensland.

Kupakwashe Matangira is a human rights advocate and the founder of Socially Conscious Youth. Her social enterprise promotes civic engagement among young Australians, directing proceeds to support girls' education in Zimbabwe.

 

Kupakwashe was a youth worker in communities impacted by the 2020 bushfires and Lismore floods. She connected young people with decision-makers and empowered them to participate in rebuilding efforts following climate emergencies. As Australia’s second-ever Freya Phillips National Scholar, she developed a policy paper from her community work and joined the 2022 Australian delegation to the United Nations Convention on the Status of Women. In 2023 and 2024, Kupakwashe represented Australian youth at COP28 and COP29, advocating for greater youth inclusion in climate negotiations. She supported the development of Plan International’s climate finance negotiations and advocated for gender-responsive climate programs in the Pacific before Governments and multilateral stakeholders.

 

Whilst at the Australian Human Rights Commission, she worked on Australia’s national anti-racism campaign, community sports guidelines and education resources on racism. In 2022, she supported the development of a landmark youth crime policy informed by young people in contact with the justice system.

 

For her outstanding work in social justice, Kupakwashe was awarded the Diana Award, NSW Premier’s Youth Medal, the Create Change Award and was a finalist for the NSW Young Woman of the Year. She has a Bachelor’s in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from UNSW and Oxford (Exchange).

Rhiannon is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in International Security at the City University of New York (CUNY). Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, she is proud to teach at a “majority-minority” public university in the heart of Manhattan. Rhiannon’s research examines how cyber-operations and AI can help prevent genocides, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Her book, Algorithms & Atrocities (forthcoming, Oxford University Press) introduces ‘cyber humanitarian interventions’.

 

Previously, Rhiannon was the Cyber Security Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National University. She was a Research Consultant and Visiting Student at the University of Oxford (supported by the Australian Federation of Graduate Women’s Barbara Hale Award), and a Visiting Fellow at the NATO Cyber Centre in Estonia. She has published articles, book chapters, and public-policy pieces. 

 

Rhiannon volunteered at the UN Australian Association and has delivered talks at, for instance, Chatham House, UN’s Global Forum Against Genocide, UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, and the US Holocaust Museum. Rhiannon received her Bachelors of International Studies from UQ (with a Future Leaders Award), and her MPhil and PhD from UNSW (as a Scientia Scholar and with the De Groot Prize and Dean’s PhD Award).

Alyssa recently joined OCRT Consulting in Canberra as a Graduate Consultant, where she supports critical government client engagements in the national security space. In this role, she conducts open-source intelligence collection and analysis focused on terrorist and violent extremist content.

 

Prior to this, Alyssa served as President of the ANU Association for Defence and Security Studies, where she demonstrated strong leadership, transforming the society’s career development programs and wargaming initiatives. Her strategic vision and execution led to unprecedented engagement with over thirty private and public sector stakeholders, creating valuable opportunities for students interested in national security-focused careers nationwide.

 

As a neurodivergent Asian-Australian woman, Alyssa has seen the necessity of a more balanced national security workforce. Her commitment to this vision has driven her to establish robust networks between universities and the national security sector while actively mentoring emerging professionals in the field. This dedication extends through her involvement in several prestigious initiatives, where she continues to make meaningful contributions to shaping the future of the sector.

 

Recognising her achievements and emerging voice in the field, Alyssa was awarded the distinguished Coral Bell Scholarship at the ANU, where she completed her Bachelor of International Security Studies and Minor in Political Science.

Clare Beaton-Wells is a social impact leader specialising in systems change and intergenerational collaboration. As Head of Government Relations at Foundations for Tomorrow (FFT), a youth-driven non-profit advancing protections for future generations in Australia, Clare fosters collaboration among political and civil society leaders through networks like the Parliamentary Group for Future Generations and Intergenerational Fairness Coalition to drive future-focussed governance innovations. Previously, she has served as an electorate officer for the Australian government and a Director at UN Youth Australia, supporting the Youth Representative Program.

 

Clare’s work, including authoring the For Our Future Policy Brief and coordinating the 2024 Intergenerational Fairness Summit, has shaped Australia’s historic Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill, requiring policymakers to consider long-term impacts. As FFT’s strategic partnerships lead, Clare has also brokered international alliances with organisations like UNESCO and WHO advancing Australia’s implementation of the UN Pact for the Future.  

 

At 21, Clare has been a Special Representative to the UN Summit of the Future and spoken at prominent forums like the School of International Futures’ Building Hopeful Futures Festival and the Roundtable on Long-Term Governance. Passionate about sustainable development, she has facilitated English workshops for marginalised youth in rural Cambodia with the FutureSense Foundation and undertaken research in French Polynesia under DFAT’s New Colombo Plan.

 

She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies and Politics, alongside a Diploma in French at the University of Melbourne.

Grace Mackley is committed to advancing health, sustainability, and development, particularly gender equality and global health initiatives. Currently, Grace is in Sweden playing a key role in coordinating Feministisk Festival, an event that brings together academics, advocates, and community-based organisations to pursue climate justice and feminism.

 

Grace has experience with UNESCO Bangkok, supporting health and well-being projects across the Asia-Pacific region. She co-led research to evaluate child marriage prevention programs with the Regional Child Protection Agency and the Islamic State University of Mataram in Lombok. Grace completed her thesis on menstrual health education, where she researched the language and imagery in online menstrual health education in Indonesia, examining how the medicalisation of menstruation can shape perceptions of the body and influence young people’s responses to menstruation. She has shared her research in Australia, Indonesia, and Copenhagen, contributing to global discussions on menstrual health education and associated stigma. Additionally, she supported a grass-roots menstrual health education program to provide education and menstrual products to 200+ girls and women in Arusha and Moshi. 

 

Grace holds a Master of Public Health (Global Health) from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Humanitarian Aid and Development from Charles Darwin University. She is a 2021 New Colombo Plan Fellow, awarded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a 2022 Melbourne Global Scholars Award recipient. Grace is eager to continue her impactful work in global health and gender equality.

Hannah Oates is a PhD candidate in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University, researching the role of social media and emerging technologies in shifting right-wing election campaigns and political strategies. In particular, she specialises in analysing the role of young people in influencing political landscapes. Additionally, Hannah is a fellow at the Global Peace & Security Centre at Monash University.

 

She is also the Lead Editor of AMPLIFY Afghan Women, and works to support the educational development and political representation of Afghan women and girls. By fostering participant-led research projects, her primary role is to platform the perspectives of young Afghan women and girls at global political conferences, throughout academic networks, and within domestic Australian politics. She is a strong advocate for the role of grassroots research in emancipating marginalised groups, and runs online workshops and classes, and organises academic opportunities for Afghan women and girls who have been denied education due to Taliban policy. 

 

Hannah holds Bachelor's degrees in Science (Astrophysics) and Arts (International Relations and Politics), and Master's degrees in both Journalism and International Relations.

At 18, Jess Stone is an award-winning youth advocate whose work in international relations and Pacific collaboration has been featured in The Brisbane Times, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and ABC Radio Brisbane. She serves as Queensland State Secretary and sits on the National Data Committee at United Nations Youth Australia, where she has championed global dialogue and youth engagement in policymaking for five years.

 

As Youth Member for Nudgee in Queensland Youth Parliament, Jess played a key role in the Youth Bill advocating for the international repatriation of over 65 ancestral remains from the Queensland Museum to South Sea Island nations. The Bill passed unanimously, inspiring the introduction of the Arts (Statutory Bodies) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 by Minister Enoch, which adopted many of its objectives.

 

Jess is also a member of the Pacific-Australia Youth Association and a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum. In 2024, she received the 7NEWS Local Legend Community Achievement Award and will commence a Bachelor of Humanities and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the University of Queensland in 2025.

Nicole is currently working as a Research Assistant at Melbourne Law School, where she conducts research into the factors behind contract enforcement issues in Indonesia and its implications on Australian and other foreign investment. Alongside this, she is also volunteering at an Indonesian legal aid institute supporting marginalised communities, and as a co-founder at Stint, leads a dedicated team in supporting thousands of international students build a career in Australia.

 

Nicole has participated in various international programs as a delegate, from the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations’ Asia Conference in New Delhi, to the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program and most recently, the ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting (AFMAM) Plus Australia in Jakarta, where she received the Best Delegation Award.

 

Nicole is currently in the second year of her Juris Doctor at Melbourne Law School. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Melbourne, graduating with First-Class Honours, where she double majored in Asian Studies and Politics and International Studies.

 

With a strong passion for the Asia-Pacific, Nicole hopes to build a career working at the intersection of the law, human rights and sustainable development in the region.

Taylah Bland is a Senior Program Officer at the China Climate Hub, Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), and Fellow on Climate Energy and the Environment, Centre for China Analysis, ASPI. Based in New York, her work focuses on international environmental law, climate diplomacy, adaptation and resilience, and China’s domestic climate policies.

 

In her first year at ASPI, Taylah worked alongside the Hon Dr Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister, across economics, politics, international relations, and climate. 

 

Taylah has been quoted in international media outlets, produced her own original research, and authored numerous op-eds published in the Diplomat, Channel NewsAsia, 9DashLine, ChinaFile, Dialogue Earth, South China Morning Post, China Project, and more. 

 

Taylah was an inaugural “Women in the Alliance” network member at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre. She was also a BP scholarship delegate to the AFS Youth Assembly at the United Nations and a Schwarzman delegate to the One Young World Summit in Manchester, United Kingdom. 

 

During university, Taylah was avidly involved in student government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she twice served as student body president, leading, supporting, and assisting students across 14 time zones. She received university service awards in recognition of her leadership. 

 

She holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Comparative Law) and Mandarin from New York University, Shanghai, and a Master of Management Science (Global Affairs) from Tsinghua University, Beijing, as a Schwarzman Scholar.