3. Curriculum Vitae
Full Name: Zuber-Skerritt, Ortrun Dorothea
Address: 5506/15 Cansdale Street, Yeronga, Qld, 4104, Australia
Telephone: +61 418 150 183
Email: ortrun@mac.com
Academic Qualifications:
D (Hon) 2008, Global University for Lifelong Learning, USA
DLitt 1992, International Management Centre, Buckingham, UK
PhD 1987, Deakin University, Australia
PhD 1976, University of Queensland, Australia
Stud.Ass. - Assessorenexamen 1965, Kiel, Germany (Approximately equivalent to MEd in Australia)
Stud.Ref. - Staatsexamen 1963, Kiel, Germany (Approximately equivalent to BA (Hon) or MA in Australia)
Philosophicum 1960, University of Kiel, Germany (Approximately equivalent to Dip Ed in Australia)
Present Position:
Adjunct Professor, Griffith Institute of Educational Research, Griffith University, Brisbane, since 1997
Pro-Chancellor and Professor of Professional Studies, Global University for Lifelong Learning, California, since 2008
Professor Extraordinaire, Faculty of Education Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, since 2015
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Previous Positions:
Director of OZI (Ortrun Zuber International) – Own Consulting Business - 1997 - 2017
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies and Research, and Director of the Workplace Research, Learning and Development (WoRLD) Institute,
Faculty of Education, Work and Training, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia - 1996 - 1997
Director of the Centre for Action Learning and Action Research (CALAR), Graduate School of Management, Griffith University, Brisbane - 1995 - 1996
Associate Professor, Griffith Institute for Higher Education, Griffith University, Brisbane - 1993 - 1995
Associate Professor, Tertiary Education Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane - 1991 - 1993
Senior Lecturer, Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT), Griffith University, Brisbane - 1987 - 1991
Lecturer (CALT) - 1974 - 1986
Tutor, German Department, University of Queensland - 1972 - 1974
High School Teacher, Brisbane State High School - 1971 - 1972
High School Teacher in Germany (Kiel, Wiesbaden, Erlangen) - 1963 - 1971
Visiting Professor:
Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, University of Innsbruck, Austria - 1 October 1995 - 1 February 1996 (during study leave),
January 1997, May 1998, May 1999, May 2000, May 2001, January and October 2002, May and December 2003, June and December 2004, then yearly until 2015; and simultaneously once a year in the Management Centre Innsbruck, as well as the SAP Business School Vienna
University of Klagenfurt, Austria: October 1998 and June 1999
IFF - Interdisciplinäres Institut für Forschung und Fortbildung (Institute for Austrian Higher Education Research and Development), Vienna: January 2002, and June 2003
University of Stellenbosch, South Africa:
January 1997, April 1998, August 2001, September 2003, then once a year until about 2010, including other higher education institutions in all provinces of South Africa
Extraordinary Professor, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, 2000 - 2012; and North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2013 to present, South Africa
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Academic Distinctions:
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AO – Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia – 2018 (For distinguished service to tertiary education, in the field of action research and learning as an academic, author and mentor, and to professional bodies)
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Festschrift 2015, edited by J. Kearney and M. Todhunter and entitled: Lifelong Action Learning and Research: A Tribute to the Life and Pioneering Work of Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt (Rotterdam/Boston: Sense Publishers, 2015)
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„Ehrenbürgerin der Universität Innsbruck“ (Honorary Citizen), 2003
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"Master Teacher", Multinational Congregation 1993, International Management Centres (Headquarters in Buckingham, UK)
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Dean of the International Management Centre, Pacific Region, and Chairperson of the Academic Board, 1990
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International Cultural Diploma of Honour from the American Biographical Institute, 1989
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Fellow of the International Biographical Association (IBA) 1987 and Honorary Member of the IBA Council, Cambridge (UK), with mentions in:
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Dictionary of International Biography
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The World's Who's Who of Women
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International Leaders in Achievement
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Who's Who in Australasia and the Far East
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Who's Who in Australian Women
Research:
Ortrun has been involved in three main areas of research:
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Higher Education
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Management and Organisation Development
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Literature and Applied Linguistics but to a lesser degree in recent years (Second Language Learning and Teaching, Translation Science, Comparative Literature, Australian Drama).
Publications:
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About 50 books
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About 80 book chapters
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60+ refereed journal articles
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100+ professional articles, conference papers and research reports
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20+ other publications (manuals, resource books, newsletter articles)
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50+ educational video programs
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Editorial Boards:
After serving on many editorial boards of journals and newsletters, Ortrun reviewed articles, mainly for the international, refereed journals: Educational Action Research, Action Learning: Research and Practice, The Learning Organization, Quality Assurance in Education, Higher Education Research and Development, etc.
Grants:
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
(German Academic Research Grant) 1986 DM 2, 400
Griffith University Research Grant 1978 $ 1, 903
Griffith University Research Grant 1985 $ 4, 200
Griffith University Research Grant 1986 $ 800
Griffith University Research Grant 1987 $ 2, 000
CALT[1] Grant 1988 $ 5, 000
Australian Research Council (ARC) 1990 $ 9, 515
IMC[2] Evaluation Grant 1992 $ 29, 800
DEET[3] National Priority Reserve Fund, UQ 1992 $150, 000
DEET National Priority Reserve Fund, UQ 1993 $249, 600
DEET National Priority Reserve Fund, GU 1993 $100, 000
DEET Staff Development Fund 1992 $ 48, 800
DEET Staff Development Fund 1993 $103, 500
DEET Staff Development Fund 1994 $100, 000
DEET Staff Development Fund 1995 $151, 780
TAFE[4] National Staff Development Fund (team) 1992 $ 70, 000
Griffith University - ARC Development Fund 1995 $ 5, 310
Southern Cross University Research
Infrastructure Grant (team) 1996 $ 100, 000
AusAID: Australia-South Africa Links Project 1999 $173,300
AusAID: Seminar Support Scheme (team) 2007 $ 36,596
Total A$ 1,344,504
Membership of Professional Associations
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Life member: Action Learning and Action Research Association (ALARA)
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Life member: Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA)
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Member: Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN)
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Member: Literati Club of Emerald Insight, UK
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Teaching and Staff Professional Development
• Six years of experience as high school teacher in Germany (teaching English Language and Literature and Human Movement Studies) and half a year as a high school teacher in Brisbane State High School (teaching German and French).
• Three years of undergraduate teaching in German Language and Literature at the University of Queensland, where I was seconded to the Tertiary Education Institute for one semester in order to design and produce a package course in Advanced German Language and Culture, entitled Deutschland in Ton, Bild und Diskussion and consisting of a text book, eight video programs, and eight audio programs (language laboratory exercises).
• Twenty-five years of "teaching" in higher education, including academic staff/curriculum/leadership/organisation development – 22 years at Griffith University; two years at the University of Queensland; and one year at Southern Cross University.
• Introducing teaching innovations in the School of Modern Asian Studies (MAS), for example, a Learning-to-Learn program as an integral part of the Foundation Program; a workshop component on dissertation research and writing in the Master-by-Coursework Program and in the Honours course on 'Problems and Methods in Research'; action research on attrition in Asian languages; production of video programs and the use of video as an evaluative tool, etc.
• Teaching and supervising postgraduate students, mainly in action research groups. For example, from 1989-1993 Ortrun taught six groups of MBA associates in the International Management Centre (IMC), Pacific Region; and from 1989 - 1991 she conducted monthly one-day workshops (every third Saturday) for about 12 - 20 PhD students and supervisors from the three main universities in Brisbane, all engaged in action research projects in Organisation Development in industry, government or higher education. Ortrun also supervised and examined doctoral theses of postgraduates at the following universities: GU, UQ, QUT, University of Western Sydney, University of Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Waikato University, University of Innsbruck, Vienna and Klagenfurt.
From 1991 - 1993 Ortrun was in charge of Educational Development, including Academic Staff Development, at the University of Queensland. She initiated five major innovations which have made a significant impact on the quality of learning, teaching and management across the whole University. All five programs were funded by DEET. The first aimed to improve postgraduate research and supervision in all departments of the University and the second and third in all seven universities in Queensland. The fourth aimed at Departmental Excellence in University Education (DEUE) through action research projects, and the fifth aimed at Departmental Excellence in Managing Institutional Quality (DEMIQ), also through action research projects. The Queensland University Action Learning (QUAL) programs which Ortrun coordinated from 1991-1993 won a 'Certificate of High Recommendation' as part of the National Award for "Best Practice in Higher Education/Human Resource Development".
From 1993 - 1995 Ortrun conducted two major federal government-funded quality improvement programs via Griffith University. The first, in 1993, was aimed at Asian Languages Curriculum Design to meet industry needs, and the second at leadership development with community leaders in six African countries (in partnership with Stellenbosch University).
In 1995 Ortrun was seconded from the Griffith Institute for Higher Education (GIHE) to the Graduate School of Management (GSM) to develop a new Executive MBA by Action Learning which was approved by all relevant university committees. Due to unforeseen personnel and financial circumstances - unrelated to her personally - she decided to terminate her secondment and return to the GIHE. During her sabbatical leave (Outside Studies Program), she accepted a Visiting Professorship at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, where she initiated two major innovations. The first was a new course entitled "Qualitative Research Methods in the Social and Economic Sciences" for a group of 15 PhD students. Because of its great success (she got an overall rating of 1.0 on a five-point scale in the student evaluation - the best rating in the Faculty ever) Ortrun was invited again to conduct this course as an intensive one-week course once or twice every year from 1995 - 2013. The second innovation - a first in Austria - was the design of a five-day program on Postgraduate Supervision for Deans of Graduate Studies from all Austrian Universities - similar to the DEET programs above - but funded by the Austrian Ministry of Education.
In 1996, Ortrun was offered a chair at Southern Cross University. Her role was to assist her colleagues in the Faculty of Education, Work and Training in developing as researchers and supervisors of postgraduate students with a view to establish a stronger research culture. In open competition, she was appointed the Faculty Director of Graduate Studies and Research from 28 February 1996. Throughout the year, she led a team of colleagues who established the Institute for Workplace Research, Learning and Development (WoRLD) and were awarded an Infra-structure Grant of $100,000 from Southern Cross University, again in open competition. Ortrun also convened a fourth DEET-funded Academic Staff Development Program on Supervising Postgraduates - this time from Non-English-Speaking Backgrounds (NESB).
In January 1997, and again in April 1998, August 2001 and September 2003, Ortrun was invited by the University of Stellenbosch to conduct a three-day workshop program on Postgraduate Research Training and Supervision and on Action Learning and Action Research for university staff from all provinces in South Africa. In addition, Ortrun was invited to conduct one-day workshops at Technikon Pretoria and Vaal Triangle Technikon. In 2003, she was also invited to give a two-day workshop in September at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein and a four-day workshop in October in the Business School Netherland in Cape Town.
Since 1 August 1997 Ortrun has taken voluntary retirement from full-time university employment, in order to pursue her interests in workplace research, learning and development as a consultant to organisations in the private and public sectors, as well as an Adjunct and Visiting Professor, including postgraduate supervision of workplace-related projects.
Administration
Ortrun’s administrative tasks have been closely related to her educational development activities. At Griffith University, she served on the following University committees intermittently:
Griffith University Education Committee
Griffith University Research Committee
Griffith University Higher Degrees Committee
Griffith University Prizes and Awards Committee
Griffith University Working Party on Project 21
Mt Gravatt CAE-GU Joint Program Committee
GUFSA (Faculty Staff Association: on the executive and several Working Parties).
From 1976 - 1991 Ortrun was continuously on the following MAS/AIS Committees (Division of Asian and International Studies) as a representative of CALT:
Standing Committee
Asian Languages Program Committee
Honours Board
Postgraduate Coursework Board
Assessment Board
Foundation Program Committee
Main Study Program Committee
and various working parties (e.g., on Student Assessment of Participation in the Course; Asian Literature courses; the Role of Language in Modern Asian Studies; the Review of the Coursework Masters Program, etc.)
In CALT Ortrun served on the Operations Committee and Faculty Staff Committee. In her capacity as Acting Director of CALT, she attended meetings of the University's Academic Committee, its Steering Group and the Management Advisory Committee.
In the International Management Centre Ortrun was the Dean in 1990 (part-time) chairing the Academic Board meetings and supervising the administration of all degree programs in the Pacific Region. She was also a member and Director of the Council of the IMCB Ltd by Guarantee in Australia since 1989.
In The University of Queensland (1991 - 1993) Ortrun was a member of all advisory groups in the Tertiary Education Institute and chaired the Educational Development Advisory Group, the University's Staff Development Program Working Party, and the University's Teaching and Learning Committee's Working Parties on DEUE, DEMIQ and CAUT (Committee for the Advancement of University Teaching). As Acting Director, Ortrun chaired meetings of the Institute's Research Group, the General Purpose and Budget Group and the Internal Staff Development series.
In the Griffith Institute for Higher Education (1993-1994) Ortrun was at times Acting Director and represented GIHE on University and Faculty Committees in the Director's absence. She was also the GIHE representative on the Queensland Consortium for Staff Development.
At Southern Cross University (1996) Ortrun served on the University's Higher Degrees Committee, the Research Advisory Committee and the Graduate Research Committee. In the Faculty of Education, Work and Training she chaired the Graduate Studies and Research Advisory Committee. As Faculty Director of Graduate Studies and Research Ortrun administered all postgraduate research and scholarship applications, progress reports, change of enrolment (and of supervisors) forms, etc.
From 1997-1998 she was the Director of the Institute for Workplace Research, Learning and Development (WoRLD).
Invitation and Convenorship of Conferences
* International Symposium on “Action Research in Higher Education, Government and Industry”, Bardon Professional Centre, Brisbane, 20 – 23 March 1989, 30 invited participants from Australia, Austria, Thailand and UK.
* The First World Congress on “Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management” (ALARPM), Griffith University, 10 – 13 July 1990, 360 delegates from 15 different countries.
* A series of one-day workshops on “Process Management”, Griffith University, 1989 and 1990, for managers in industry, small business, government, community development, education and higher education in Queensland.
* Numerous workshops in the areas of academic staff development (since 1975) and postgraduate supervision (since 1980).
* Symposium on Action Research, National Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), Gold Coast, 26–30 November 1991.
* Symposium on "Action Research for Building Learning Organisations”, Second World Congress on Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management (ALARPM), The University of Queensland, 16 July 1992.
* Residential Staff Development Program on Postgraduate Supervision (for 80 women at the University of Queensland), Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 21–24 April 1992.
* "World Quality Day” with presentations from the nine project teams in the Departmental Excellence in University Education (DEUE) Program and from the seven project teams in the Action Learning Program for Senior Academic and Administrative Staff, 12 November 1992.
* Residential Staff Development Program for the Queensland University Action Learning (QUAL) Programs, Pan Pacific Hotel, Gold Coast, 7–9 July 1993, 80 participants.
* Residential Staff Development Program on Postgraduate Research and Supervision (for male and female representatives from all seven universities in Queensland), Pan Pacific Hotel, Gold Coast, 20–22 September 1993, 126 participants.
* Symposium on "Emancipatory Action Research", Third World Congress on Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management, University of Bath, 6–9 July 1994.
* Three-day Staff Development Program for Supervisors of Postgraduate Students, City University of Hong Kong, 16-18 January 1995, about 30 participants (jointly organised with Dr Ken Stafford)
* Residential Staff Development Program on Postgraduate Research and Supervision (for supervisors in all post-1989 university campuses in Queensland), Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast, 27-29 September 1995, 80 participants.
* Follow-up conference for participants in the Twin Waters, Pan Pacific and Hyatt Regency conferences, SCU Brisbane Office, Toowong, 24 June, 1996, about 25 participants.
* Staff Development Program on Postgraduate Supervision of Non-English Speaking Background Students, Ballina Beach Resort, 29 June - 3 July, 1996, 80 participants.
* Follow-up Evaluation Conference with the Reference Group, Seaworld Nara Resort, Gold Coast, 28 February - 1 March 1997, 15 participants.
* Residential Staff Development Program for Directors of Graduate Studies from all universities in Austria, Vienna, September 1997, 25 participants.
* WoRLD Seminar on “The Future of Workplace Research, Learning and Development”, Sydney, 25 June 1998, 23 participants.
* WoRLD Seminar on “Alternatives to Downsizing”, 13 November 1998, 56 participants.
* Symposium on “Reworking Leadership”, Fifth World Congress on Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management (ALARPM), University of Ballarat, September 2000.
* Convenor of a two-year Leadership Development Program for academic women in six historically disadvantaged Technikons in Gauteng (South Africa), funded by the Australian Government (AusAID), 2000-2002.
* Advocate and member of the Executive Organising Committee of the World Congress on “Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management“ (ALARPM), 21-24 September 2003, Pretoria, South Africa, as well as in Melbourne, 2010 and Pretoria, 2015.
Community Services and Consultancy
* Member of the Editorial Board of the international refereed journals Quality Assurance in Education, The Learning Organisation, Journal of Workplace Learning, and the new Action Research Journal.
* Member of the Editorial Board of a Series of Guides on Postgraduate Supervision, edited by Pat Cryer and published by the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), UK.
* Referee for the journals Higher Education Research and Development, Journal of Teacher Education, Studies in Higher Education, Educational Action Research and assessor for the Australian Research Council.
* Member of the Executive and Management Committee of the international 'Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management Association' (ALARPM) 1990-2003.
* Member of the Council and Academic Board of the International Management Centre, Pacific Region 1989-1997.
* Executive member of HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) for four years; member of the HERDSA Publications Committee for two years; and on the HERDSA Conference Committee in 1983.
* Member of the Commonwealth Department of Education Inspection Panel for ELICOS Accreditation in 1987.
* Consultant to the Queensland Lands Department on Professional and Organisational Development in 1997.
* Consultant to the Queensland Main Roads Department as a process manager in the IMC Action Learning Program with engineers producing a Quality Manual, 1989.
* Process Consultant to groups of faculty staff of the Brisbane College of Advanced Education, Carseldine Campus, in 1989 (1) to review and improve the work of the Committee on Student Learning; and (2) to review the academic activities of the Faculty of Teacher Education in an action learning program consisting of a two-day residential workshop entitled "Let's Go into the 90's".
* Consultant to the Board of Secondary School Studies on interpreting German, Austrian and Swiss degrees, diplomas and certificates in the 1970s and 1980s.
* Interviews to "Radio Deutsche Welle" through the ABC (Scott McKinley).
* Organiser of cultural evenings for the Goethe Society (Queensland Branch), the Modern Language Teachers Association and individual high schools in Brisbane and convenor of the Goethe Society Verse-Speaking Competition for high schools in Brisbane from 1972-1974.
Guest Lectures, Seminars and Workshops​
The following are examples of institutions (and contact persons in brackets) that invited Ortrun:
* University of Giessen, Germany (Professor Graves, Commonwealth Literature)
* University of Frankfurt, Germany (Professor D. Riemenschneider, Commonwealth Literature, and Professor D. Schlosser, Professional Development)
* University of Mannheim, Germany (Professor N. Platz, Commonwealth Literature)
* University of Technology, Aachen, Germany (Dr. D. Brandt, Higher Education)
* Military University of Hamburg, Germany (Dr. D. von Queis, Higher Education)
* Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium (Professor L. Engels, Applied Linguistics)
* University of Surrey, United Kingdom (Professor L. Elton, Higher Education)
* CVCP Universities' Staff Development and Training Unit, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom (Dr Pat Partington, Higher Education)
* National Board of Universities and Colleges, Stockholm, and University of Stockholm, Sweden (Dr M. Bauer, Higher Education)
* University of Uppsala, Sweden (Professor U. Dahllöff, Education)
* University of Göteborg, Sweden (Professor F. Marton, Education)
* University of Innsbruck, Austria (Professor Herbert Altrichter, Higher Education, and Professor Stephan Laske, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences)
* University of Klagenfurt, Austria (Professor Peter Posch)
* Interdisziplinäres Institut für Forschung und Fortbildung, Vienna (IFF, Professor Roland Fischer, Higher Education Research and Development; and Professor Ada Pellert, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Graz, Austria)
* University of Stellenbosch, South Africa (Professor Chris Kapp, Higher Education)
* University of Cape Town, South Africa (Professor Tom Ryan)
* Business School Netherlands, Cape Town, South Africa (Dr Dick Gerdzen)
* Technikon Pretoria, Bureau for Staff Development (Dr Tessie Herbst)
* Vaal Triangle Technikon, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa (Gail Janse van Rensburg)
* University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa (Prof Mabel Erasmus and Prof Annette Wilkinson)
* Technikon Northern Gauteng, Pretoria North, South Africa (Prof Ansu Erasmus)
* City Polytechnic of Hong Kong (Dr Ken Stafford and Brad Imrie, Higher Education)
* University of Auckland (Professor John Jones, Higher Education)
* Auckland Institute of Technology, UNITEC Institute of Technology, Northland Polytechnic, and Makau Polytechnic (Interpolytechnic Visiting Experts Program: Prof Eileen Piggot-Irvine)
* University of Waikato, Waikato Business School (Tony Richardson, Associate Director, Executive Education)
* The International Management Centres Association, Buckingham, UK (Dr Joanna Kozubska)
* Flinders University, Adelaide (Dr Vic Beasley, Head, Language and Learning Unit)
* University of South Australia, Adelaide (Professor Tricia Vilkinas, Management)
* Australian National University (Dr Margot Pearson, Higher Education)
* University of Canberra (Dr John Harris, Faculty of Applied Science)
* Australian Catholic University (Dr Denis McLaughlin)
* University of Tasmania (Dr Anne Mikhelson, Higher Education)
* University of Central Queensland, Rockhampton (Doug Shepherd, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business; and Jeanne McConachie, Staff Development)
* University of Technology Sydney (Professor Ingrid Moses, Higher Education)
* University of Ballarat (Professor Denis Shanahan and Neil McAdam, Management)
* Murdoch University (Professor Andrew Glenn, PVC Research and Dr John Hooper, Chair, Research Degrees)
* Southern Cross University (Professor Zbys Klich, Dean of Education, Work and Training)
* Edith Cowan University, Perth (Dr Val Roche and Dr Susan Hall, Academic Staff Development; Dr Mark Hackling, Director of Research)
* University of Western Australia (Sarah Mann, HERDSA Conference Convenor 1996)
* Queensland University of Technology (Dr Helen Stacey, Faculty of Law)
* Curtin, Murdoch and Edith Cowan Universities, Perth (Dr Susan Hall), etc.
* Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management (ALARPM) Association –
World Congress 1990, 2000, 2003 and 2010 Keynote speaker
* Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) –
Conference 1992 Keynote speaker
* New Zealand Action Research Network – Conference 2003 Keynote speaker (Dr Eileen Piggot- Irvine)
[1] CALT Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching
[2] IMC International Management Centre
[3] DEET Department of Employment, Education and Training (Federal Government of Australia)
[4] TAFE Technical and Further Education (Federal Government of Australia)