The Leadership Emerging from Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Gender in Australia and the EU project is delivered by the Centre of Excellence on Intersectional Leadership. It examines the challenges and opportunities of intersectional leadership in Australia and the European Union, with a particular focus on political institutions and civil society.
The project explores how race, gender, migration and ethnicity shape leadership in contemporary democratic societies. It considers how these experiences influence leadership pathways, leadership styles, institutional cultures, civic participation and democratic representation. By bringing together Australian and European perspectives, the project aims to deepen understanding of how more inclusive forms of leadership can emerge across different social and institutional contexts.
This research is important at a time of political instability, increasing pressure on democratic institutions and growing concern about social cohesion. Leaders from migrant, ethnic minority, racialised and gender-diverse backgrounds often bring different experiences of institutions, communities and public life. The project explores how these experiences matter for leadership and how they may contribute to more inclusive and responsive democratic practice.
The Centre brings together academic research and real-world policy questions. It works with researchers, practitioners, community leaders and public institutions to better understand how diverse lived experiences shape leadership and representation. The project aims to generate knowledge that can support more inclusive, fair and forward-looking approaches to leadership in Australia and the EU.
The project is especially interested in how leaders understand their own role and responsibilities. One of its key questions is how leaders balance leadership and representation: how they develop their own leadership approach, how they navigate institutional expectations, and how their personal and social backgrounds shape their work in public and civic life.
The project also seeks to strengthen dialogue between academia and society. This includes engagement with policy-makers, civil servants, civil society actors, educators, media representatives and community organisations. By creating space for exchange across these groups, the project aims to connect research on leadership and representation with practical questions facing democratic institutions and civil society.
A further aim is to develop evidence-based knowledge about practices that support inclusive leadership. The project will draw on interviews, case studies and comparative analysis to examine how different institutional and civic settings shape leadership experiences. These insights may help identify barriers, opportunities and examples of practice that are relevant for policy-makers, public institutions and civil society organisations in both Australia and Europe.
The project also has an educational and public engagement dimension. It seeks to support younger generations in understanding and addressing racial, ethnic, migrant and gendered barriers to participation in public and civic life. Through research, teaching and dialogue, the Centre aims to contribute to more informed discussion about democratic participation, inclusion and social cohesion.
By documenting the experiences and contributions of leaders from migrant, ethnic minority, racialised and gender-diverse backgrounds, including those working in political institutions, civil society and community organisations, the research will show how leadership is shaped by lived experience and why representation matters for democratic life.