Welcome from the Dean
“Welcome to the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Arts.
We are Australia’s pre-eminent Arts Faculty, at the heart of the country’s second oldest and highest rated University. Our flagship Bachelor of Arts degree has been offered for over 160 years. It is the number one choice in Arts for generations of students engaging with Humanities, Social Sciences and Languages.
The Humanities and Social Sciences are needed now more than ever. Technology has transformed the world, and we face major global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, displacement of populations and misinformation. In this context strong critical thinkers are essential, along with those who ask questions, are good communicators, can navigate social, cultural and linguistic differences, and genuinely understand what it means to be human.
Today, our graduates’ analytical and creative skills, as well as their values and empathy, are their competitive advantage. The Humanities and Social Sciences are key to Australia’s future success."
Whatever path you choose I know that you will have an exciting and rewarding experience at Melbourne. I warmly welcome you to the Arts community. Professor Lesley Stirling, Dean – Faculty of Arts
Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership team, led by the Dean, provides leadership and management for the Faculty of Arts. The Executive Team includes the Deputy Dean, Faculty Executive Director, Associate Deans and Heads of School.
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Professor Lesley Stirling
Dean
Lesley Stirling teaches in Linguistics and Applied Linguists and is a distinguished scholar in the areas of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Psycholinguistics.
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Tony McKimmie
Faculty Executive Director
Tony joined the Faculty in 2019 from Oxfam Australia where he was Chief Operating Officer. He previously held executive management roles at Lonely Planet Publications Melbourne.
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Professor Mark Edele
Deputy Dean (People & Planning)
Mark Edele is a historian of the Soviet Union and its successor states, in particular Russia. A former Australian Research Council Future Fellow, he is the inaugural Hansen Professor in History as well as Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts.
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Professor Sara Wills
Deputy Dean (External Relations)
Sara is Head of Program for the Executive Master of Arts, Deputy Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and an Associate Professor in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies.
Heads of School
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Professor Vedi Hadiz
Director, Asia Institute
Vedi Hadiz is Director and Professor of Asian Studies at the Asia Institute and an Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor International, University of Melbourne.
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Professor Paul Rae
Head, School of Culture and Communication
Paul is a scholar of contemporary theatre, with a particular interest in the performance cultures of the Asia-Pacific region.
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Professor Margaret Cameron
Head, School of Historical & Philosophical Studies
Margaret is a distinguished philosopher with specialisations in Aristotle and in the Histories of Philosophy of Language and Mind, of Logic, and of Aesthetics.
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Professor John Hajek
Head, School of Language and Linguistics
John is a linguist and Italianist with a wide range of teaching and research interests including language education, European Studies. Sociolinguistics and phonetics.
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Professor Jennifer Balint
Head, School of Social and Political Sciences
Jennifer’s research focuses on state crime, genocide and access to justice, with a focus on the constitutive function of law in societies and transitional justice.
Faculty Associate Deans
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Associate Professor Ikuko Nakane
Associate Dean (Diversity and Inclusion)
Ikuko Nakane is Associate Professor at the Asia Institute. Ikuko's research interests include Japanese sociolinguistics, language and law (forensic linguistics), and Japanese language education.
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Associate Professor Beth Driscoll
Associate Dean (Education & Students)
Beth is Associate Professor in Publishing and Communications. Her research interests include fiction reading practices and the contemporary publishing industry.
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Professor Sandra Phillips
Associate Dean (Indigenous)
Sandra is a Professor in Publishing and Communications. Her research interests include Australian publishing and national and transnational Indigenous literature.
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Professor Kate McGregor
Associate Dean (International)
Kate McGregor is a historian of Indonesia. She has over 25 years’ experience of engagement with Indonesia and Indonesian universities and previously served as Deputy Associate Dean International Indonesia (2021-2023) for the Faculty and as President of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (2021-2022).
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Professor Sally Young
Associate Dean (Research)
Sally is a Professor in Australian Politics and Media. Her research is situated across the humanities and social sciences, from elections and political finance to media history, political history and journalism studies.
Deputy Associate Deans
Deputy Associate Dean Indigenous - Dr Arlie Alizzi
Deputy Associate Dean Research Grants - Professor Fiona Fidler
Deputy Associate Dean Research Impact - Dr Kate Williams
Deputy Associate Dean Partnerships - Associate Professor Rachel Diprose
Deputy Associate Dean Graduate Coursework & Director GSHSS - Associate Professor Delia Lin
Deputy Associate Dean Undergraduate & Director BA - Professor Véronique Duché
Deputy Associate Dean Graduate Research - Associate Professor Heather Benbow Deputy
Associate Dean International (China) - Associate Professor Anthony Spires
Deputy Associate Dean International (Indonesia) - Associate Professor Edwin Jurriens
Deputy Associate Dean International (India) - Dr Pradeep Taneja
Deputy Associate Dean Diversity & Inclusion - Dr Sheelagh Daniels-Mayes
Deputy Associate Dean Alumni & Public Programs - Professor Tim Parkin
Deputy Associate Dean Sustainability – Professor Chris Healy
Director, Digital Studio - Professor David Goodman
Head of Arts Discovery - Professor Jackie Dutton
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Faculty governance
The Arts Faculty Executive Committee (AFEC) chaired by the Dean is the key governance for the Faculty of Arts, with the Humanities Foundation Board established in 2013 to oversee the Faculty's fundraising efforts in support of the humanities disciplines.
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Faculty Forum
The Faculty Forum is open to all Faculty of Arts staff and invited students. The quarterly Forum is a means for more inclusive collegial engagement, a setting where we share thoughts and suggestions and address the concerns of all. It considers key matters of Faculty business for the purpose of wider collegial consultation.
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Faculty standing committees
- Faculty Management Committee
- Diversity & Inclusion Committee
- Education and Students Committee
- Indigenous Strategy Committee
- International Committee
- Occupational Health & Safety Committee
- Partnerships Committee
- Research Committee