Professor Sandra Harding

Professor Harding is the Vice Chancellor and President of James Cook University, Australia. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring clear and effective leadership and management of the university across all operating sites, including campuses in Cairns, Singapore and Townsville. Professor Harding has extensive academic and academic leadership experience. An economic sociologist by training, her areas of enduring academic interest include work, organisation and markets and how they work. She also has a keen interest in public policy in two key areas: education policy and related areas; and; the global Tropics, northern Australia and economic development. Professor Harding has undertaken a wide variety of external roles within the business community and the higher education sector. Current roles include: Project Convener, State of the Tropics project; Director, Australian American Education Leadership Foundation; Director, Westpac Bicentennial Foundation Board; Councillor, Queensland Futures Institute; Member, Tourism Trade and Investment Policy Advisory Committee; Co-Vice Chair, the New Colombo Plan Reference Group; Council Member, the Australian Institute of Marine Science; Director, North Queensland Cowboys NRL club; Director of Townsville Enterprise and of Advance Cairns (regional economic development bodies); and; a Governor of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA).