Opening Ceremony
Tuesday, 3rd December 9.00AM AEST | Plenary session
Speaker
Dr Doug Hilton AO commenced as CSIRO Chief Executive in September 2023. Dr Hilton is a molecular and cellular biologist and previously Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI). At WEHI, his medical research focussed on understanding how blood cells communicate, using this knowledge to improve disease treatments. He and his team held more than 20 patents and translated their research through collaboration with venture capitalists and the biopharmaceutical industry. Through an honorary appointment in the Zoology Department at University of Melbourne, he also studies a family of tiny day-flying moths involved in the pollination of Australian plants.
Speaker
Tony Cook PSM is Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Education, having previously held the position of Deputy Secretary of the Higher Education, Research and International Group. Prior to commencing with the department, Tony was the Director General of the Department of Education, Queensland between April 2018 and September 2021. Tony previously held the role as Associate Secretary for Schools and Youth in the former Australian Government Department of Education and Training and has held senior executive positions within the Victorian public service. In October 2013, Tony was made Honorary Fellow of the Australian Council for Education Leaders. In January 2014, he was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in driving school policy and funding reform in Australia.
Speaker
Ondrej Hradil is research infrastructures manager at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, responsible for coordination of research infrastructures in various scientific fields (biomedicine, physics, chemistry, medicine, social sciences and humanities) operated by the university. He has passion for research infrastructures and core facilities that he likes to share with people from far and wide. This can be documented by his involvement in many activities on the Czech and European levels such as being part of Czech ESFRI delegation, membership of ESFRI Implementation Group or leading the research infrastructures activities of EDUC, one of the European University alliances.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters throughout Australia, and pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise the importance of connection to culture, land, kinship and community to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander families. We acknowledge the cultural practices and traditions still carried out today and being passed down to future generations.