Professor the Honourable Stephen Smith
Professor Stephen Smith has been a Professor of Public International Law at the University of Western Australia since 2014. He is currently the Chairman of Sapien Cyber, Chair of the Advisory Board of the UWA Public Policy Institute, Chair of the UWA Defence and Security Institute, and a member of the Board of the Perth USAsia Centre.
Professor Smith was Federal Member for Perth for the Australian Labor Party from March 1993 until September 2013. In a distinguished career spanning 20 years in the Australian Federal Parliament, Professor Smith served as the Minister for Defence, and prior to that, as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade.
Since 2014 Professor Smith has served on a number of Commonwealth advisory committees. He was a member of the Reference Group to the (Thodey) Independent Review of the Australian Public Service, the Resources 2030 Taskforce, and the Cyber Security Industry Advisory Committee.
Professor Smith completed his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Western Australia, and has practised as a Barrister and Solicitor in Perth. He completed a Master of Laws in Public International Law at London University, and subsequently lectured and tutored in Law in London.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d) was awarded the Knight of the Order of Australia in January 2015 for extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit in service to Australia, through distinguished service in the Australian Defence Force, continued commitment to serve the nation in leadership roles, particularly the national responses to the MH370 and MH17 disasters, and in a variety of roles in the community.
Sir Angus was Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2005-2011. He was served as Chief of the Australian Air Force from 2001-2005. He retired from the military in 2011 after 41 years of service.
Currently Sir Angus holds several roles which include as Chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority; Chancellor for the University of the Sunshine Coast and Chair of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra.
He is a Board Member of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, the Sunshine Coast Mind and Neuroscience Thompson Institute, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, GreaterGood Canberra, and the Victorian Police Executive Command. He is also a visiting fellow of the Australian National University National Security College.
In addition to his many board roles, he is the Ambassador/Patron of numerous charitable organisations including several mental health organisations.
In July 2014, Sir Angus was appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to lead Australia’s efforts to help recover, identify and repatriate Australians killed in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 disaster. Sir Angus also led the Joint Agency Coordination Centre coordinating the Australian Government’s support for the search into missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in 2014.
In 2012 Sir Angus led the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers.
Sir Angus was Chair of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board from July 2011 until March 2014. He was also Chair of Air Services Australia from 2012-2018.
In 2011, he was named the Australian Father of the Year and in 2012, the ACT Australian of the Year.
Sir Angus was awarded the Degree of Doctor of the University of South Australia in August 2017, Degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from ANU in December 2016, Degree of Doctor of the University, honoris causa from UNSW in November 2015, and Degree of Doctor of the University from Griffith University in December 2013.
Sir Angus is married to Liz and they have three sons and three grandchildren.