Course & Industry Advisory Committee

Course & Industry Advisory Committee

Professor Asif Iqbal has over twenty years’ experience as an academic, most of it in academic management roles. Educated across several continents, Professor Iqbal completed his initial commerce degree in Pakistan, followed by a degree in the United Kingdom. He subsequently worked as an academic at Assumption University in Bangkok and as Head of the Marketing Department at the Bradford University Bangkok Campus/Centre.

In Australia, Professor Iqbal lectured at the University of Wollongong, Australian Catholic University, Central Queensland University and the University of Newcastle. He worked at Central Queensland University for six years as a lecturer and Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law. In this role, Professor Iqbal led a team of more than 100 academics across a wide range of disciplines. As Sub-Dean, he also played a key role in establishing the university’s new Sydney campus.

In 2005, Professor Iqbal was instrumental in establishing the Sydney Campus of Curtin University of Technology, where he worked as Academic Director and led a large team of academics until 2009. He managed comprehensive campus audits conducted by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) and served as Chair of the Academic Board at the Sydney Campus of Curtin University of Technology.

Professor Iqbal has been a member of various corporate and academic committees at Central Queensland University, Curtin University of Technology, the University of Wollongong, the University of Newcastle, the Australian Institute of Business and Queensland International Business Academy (QIBA Sydney).

As a member of the CPA Australia Universities Committee, he played a key role in establishing a new membership pathway through the completion of foundation courses.

Following his role at Curtin University and prior to joining Southern Cross School of Business (SCSB), Professor Iqbal established the higher education division of Williams Business College and successfully led it in gaining recognition as a non-self-accrediting higher education institution. The College Governing Council subsequently appointed him Campus Director and Dean of Williams Business College. Professor Iqbal also served as Chair of the Higher Education Executive Management Team and as a member of the Governing Council and Academic Board. He is well known for his expertise in higher education management and is widely consulted in relation to higher education registration, course accreditation and regulatory processes.

Associate Professor Georgia Clarkson is the Chair of the Course & Industry Advisory Committee and serves as a distinguished member of the Academic Board at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). She has a mixed disciplinary background in arts, teaching, and paramedicine. She has a focus on inclusivity in education having completed her PhD around the impact of inclusive educational practice.

Associate Professor Clarkson has worked as an academic since 2008 and has been employed by several higher education providers, where she has worked in leadership roles in shaping programs and projects. Her interdisciplinary experience has guided her leadership of numerous teaching development projects in collaboration with colleagues from a broad range of disciplines. Experience in policy development and governance enhances her higher education leadership experience.

Dr Xin (Cathy) Jin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management at Griffith University, where she also serves as Director of Higher Degree by Research for Griffith Business School. A leading academic in tourism and hospitality, Dr Jin brings extensive expertise in visitor behaviour, destination marketing and event tourism.

She holds a PhD from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and postgraduate qualifications from the University of Westminster and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. She has led and collaborated on numerous government-funded and industry research projects and received the CAUTHE Fellows Commendation Award in 2022 in recognition of her significant contribution to tourism and hospitality research.

Dr Jin is actively engaged in academic publishing, serving as Co-Editor of Tourism and Hospitality Research and Associate Editor of Event Management. She also holds editorial board memberships with several high-impact journals, including Tourism Management, the International Journal of Tourism Research and the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.

A Fellow of the International Association for China Tourism Studies, she is also an experienced doctoral supervisor with a strong record of research leadership and curriculum development across undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Dr Jin contributes her extensive academic, industry and governance experience to the Course and Industry Advisory Committee, supporting the continued enhancement of academic quality and graduate employability in hospitality and tourism programs.

Associate Professor Alison Owens is the Chair of the Academic Board and serves as a distinguished member of the Governing Council, Course & Industry Advisory Committee and Learning & Teaching Committee at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). She is the Academic Lead, Scholarship and Professional Learning at the Centre for Education and Innovation at Australian Catholic University (ACU).

Associate Professor Owens has over twenty-five years’ experience in teaching and research in higher education. She is the recipient of multiple internal and external research grants and publishes widely on higher education topics. Her fields of interest and impact include the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Creative Arts.

Associate Professor Owens completed her Doctorate in Education at the University of Technology Sydney in 2006 and a PhD in Creative Arts at Central Queensland University in 2018. In recognition of her commitment to professional learning for academic staff and PhD supervision, she was awarded the ACU Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Postgraduate Teaching Excellence in 2023.

Dr Indra Seher serves as a distinguished member of the Course & Industry Advisory Committee at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). She has Ph.D. in Computing and Information Technology from Western Sydney University and has over two decades of professional experience. With a diverse work experience in the IT industry as well as academics, she brings extensive experience to teaching, designing, and coordinating tertiary-level courses in Information Systems.

As an active researcher, Dr Seher’s interests span areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, and Natural Language Processing. Her professional journey includes a tenure as a Project Manager at Western Sydney University and significant involvement as a Reviewer, Programme Committee Member, and Technical Committee Member for various international conferences.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr Seher has served as a course advisor for both postgraduate and undergraduate students. She remains dedicated to teaching and innovative research in Computing and IT, embodying a proactive and challenging mindset.

Dr Bikram Chatterjee serves as a distinguished member of the Course & Industry Advisory Committee at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). He has extensive academic experience in Australia and New Zealand and is a member of CPA Australia. He previously worked as an Assessment Consultant with CPA Australia and has published in several highly ranked international journals, including Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Journal of Business Research, Accounting & Finance and Accounting Education.

Dr Chatterjee has also published in Campus Review on innovative business curricula. He has a strong interest in course development and assurance of learning, bringing valuable academic and professional expertise to SCI’s Course & Industry Advisory Committee.

Honorary Professor Elaine Läwurrpa Maypilama is a senior Yolŋu researcher and respected Cultural Authority from the Waramirri clan of Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island. She is a Principal Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University’s Molly Wardaguga Research Centre and the Northern Institute, with more than 20 years of experience in Yolŋu-led research, community engagement and education.

As a founding member of Yalu Marŋgithinyaraw, now Yalu Aboriginal Corporation, Honorary Professor Maypilama has played a pivotal role in developing culturally responsive health and education programs for Yolŋu communities. Her expertise spans maternal and child health, nutrition, chronic disease, hearing loss and early development. Fluent in multiple Yolŋu Matha dialects, she has guided numerous collaborative projects that bridge Yolŋu and Western knowledge systems, championing ethical research practices and improved educational outcomes for Yolŋu people.

Honorary Professor Maypilama is widely recognised for her exceptional ability to work across cultures and for her unwavering commitment to community-led approaches. She has mentored both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, helping to ensure that research undertaken in Yolŋu communities is culturally grounded, respectful and mutually beneficial.

Through her leadership, Honorary Professor Maypilama continues to influence national conversations on Indigenous research methodologies and education while actively supporting the next generation of Yolŋu leaders and scholars.

Dr David Newham is a respected Aboriginal cultural educator with more than 25 years of experience across community engagement, the public and not-for-profit sectors, and Indigenous education and training. A proud Aboriginal man with traditional connections to the Wiradjuri and Ngemba/Wongaibon peoples of New South Wales, he brings deep cultural knowledge, extensive community networks, and expertise in Traditional Aboriginal philosophy and culturally responsive practice.

Dr Newham’s academic work includes significant contributions to Indigenous pedagogies, cultural contexts, and Aboriginal Lore. His Master of Philosophy research developed a Traditional Aboriginal pedagogy grounded in Ancient Aboriginal epistemology and philosophy, informing ongoing action-based research projects co-designed with Aboriginal academics and Elders. He is further progressing this work through his Doctor of Philosophy, with a focus on Traditional Aboriginal philosophy.

As a member of SCI’s Social Work Course Advisory and Development Committee, Dr Newham provides expert guidance on Aboriginal community needs, cultural safety, and Indigenous knowledge systems and practices. His contributions strengthen culturally responsive curriculum design, enhance students’ cultural capability, and support meaningful engagement with Aboriginal communities and organisations.

Through this work, Dr Newham plays an integral role in advancing SCI’s commitment to high-quality, culturally informed, and socially responsible social work education.

Ms Shafaq Jaffery serves as a distinguished member of the Course & Industry Advisory Committee at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). She brings extensive experience in community leadership, media, stakeholder engagement and cross-cultural community support. Ms Jaffery is the founder and President of the AusPak Women Association and the founder and CEO of Pehchan TV.

Ms Jaffery has supported the Pakistani and wider multicultural communities in Australia for more than fourteen years. She is a journalist, social advocate and strong supporter of women’s empowerment and assistance for people affected by family and domestic violence. She also serves as a Director of Australian Humanity Support Limited.

Through her contribution to the Committee, Ms Jaffery brings valuable insights into multicultural engagement, community needs, social inclusion, media and stakeholder relations. Her experience supports SCI in strengthening the industry and community relevance of its courses and enhancing outcomes for students from diverse cultural backgrounds.