ARCHIE ROACH AM - KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Archie Roach AM, a Gunditjmara and Bundjalung man, was born in Victoria in 1956. Taken at the age of two from parents he never saw again, he was placed into foster care. He started writing songs after meeting his soulmate Ruby Hunter when they were both homeless teenagers. His heartbreaking signature song, ‘Took the Children Away’, from his 1990 ARIA award-winning debut album Charcoal Lane, has become an anthem for the Stolen Generations. The song was the first to win an Australian Human Rights Award and the album, won two ARIA awards and went gold in Australia. Archie’s recording history includes twelve albums, soundtracks, film and theatrical scores and his books include the award-winning memoir Tell Me Why, accompanied by a companion album. A constant voice for the awareness and rights of first nation Australians – The Australian Council for Educational Leaders are proud to welcome Archie Roach AM for a special keynote address and performance at this year’s Global Conference.

PROF YONG ZHAO - KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Recognised as one of the most influential educational scholars Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas and a professor in Educational Leadership at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in Australia. Former Presidential Chair, Associate Dean, and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. Prior to Oregon, Yong Zhao was University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence.

PROF DAVID HOPKINS - KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Professor David Hopkins is currently Chair of Educational Leadership at the University of Bolton, as well as Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Education, University College London and the University of Nottingham. David is passionately committed to improving the quality of education for all and has worked at the intersection of policy, research and practice for over forty years. Among a range of educational roles, he has been Chief Adviser to three Secretary of States on School Standards in the UK, Dean of Education at the University of Nottingham, a secondary school teacher, Outward Bound Instructor and consults internationally on school and system reform. He was recently ranked as the 16th most influential educator in the world by the American-based Global Gurus organisation.

DR LYN SHARRATT - KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Dr. Lyn Sharratt is a highly-accomplished practitioner, researcher, author, and presenter. Lyn has a BA in Social Work from The University of Waterloo, Canada; a B. Ed in Teaching, K-10, from The University of Western Ontario, Canada; an M. Ed. In Educational Administration from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Canada; and an Ed. D. in Theory and Policy Studies from University of Toronto, Canada.

PROF JOHN HATTIE - KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Professor John Hattie is currently the Director of Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, a position he has held since March 2011. He is also Honorary Professor of Education at the University of Auckland. John is the Senior Advisor for Visible LearningPlus, a division of Cognition Education Limited. John is one of New Zealand’s most internationally acclaimed academics. He has been both Professor and Chair of Educational Research Methodology at the University of North Carolina. Professor Hattie regularly advises governments in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. He has authored or co-authored 17 books and more than 500 papers.

AASHA MURTHY - INTRODUCTION & KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Aasha is currently CEO of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL). A New Zealander based in Sydney, Aasha has lived and worked in many countries including the USA, Europe, England, and the Middle East. Her recently released book (co-authored with Vikram Murthy), “Being! Five Ways of Leading Authentically in an iConnected World,” is an international best seller. It has been hailed as “a leadership book of our times,” by Professor David Hopkins and provides leaders in diverse contexts the concepts and practices of leadership to navigate uncertain times.

STEVE GNIEL - PRESIDENT'S WELCOME & ADDRESS