Bio

Stephen Hill is Emeritus Professor of Wollongong University. First Class Honours in Chemistry (Sydney), and Australia’s first MBA and PhD in Business Administration Melb) – working part time as research chemist in Unilever. Awarded Fulbright, Ford Foundation and Nuffield Fellowships, subsequently had cross-disciplinary appointments at Chicago’s Northwestern University, Sussex University and UNSW. Appointed Foundation Professor of Sociology at age 30, University of Wollongong, then founded three research institutes (including an ARC Centre of Excellence); worked in Australia, the UK, Germany, USA, Thailand and India. Published numerous books and other writings across 11 disciplines. Fellow of three international engineering Academies, the World Innovation Foundation and the Royal Society of NSW (founded 1821) (now, Council Member), has served as policy advisor to the UN Secretariat, key United Nations Agencies, 13 Asian nations, and Australia. Principal Director in UNESCO for over 10 years. Based in Indonesia and part-time in Paris, he served as UN Ambassador and Regional Director of the United Nations for Science for Asia and the Pacific. He was responsible for establishing UNESCO’s diplomatic relations with Timor Leste, Brunei and Singapore and their official Membership of UNESCO, was appointed to reform and decentralise UNESCO globally in the early 2000s, and led many UN strategies in education, science, environment, media freedom – in particular after the May 1998 Democracy Revolution in Indonesia, the 2004 Aceh Tsunami and in Southern Philippines war zones. Honours Stephen has received include Member of the Order of Australia (1997), Australia’s Centenary Medal (2001), State Awards and Medals from the Governments of Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, Tribute Ceremony from the West Papua Dani tribe and award of the name of Purba, the last king, by Sumatra’s Batak nation. He was a part-time professional rock musician in the 1970s-1980s.