Professor James Arvanitakis

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Engagement and Advancement,
Office of the PVC, Engagement & Advancement

Adjunct Professor,
Institute for Culture and Society

Professor,
Humanities (Arts)

Biography
Contact
Publications
Projects

Biography

Professor James Arvanitakis is currently on a 12-month Fulbright Fellowship as the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor – University of Wyoming.

His substantial position remains as the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Graduate Studies) at Western Sydney University. He is also a lecturer in Humanities and a member of the University’s Institute for Culture and Society. James was also the founding Head of The Academy at Western Sydney University that received an Australian Financial Review higher education excellence award (2016) and the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue Excellence in Education Award (2017).

James is internationally recognised for his innovative teaching style and was the recipient of the Prime Minister’s University Teacher of the Year Award in 2012 and an Eminent Researcher Award from the Australia India Education Council in 2015. In 2017 he was appointed a Research Fellow of the Australian India Institute and sits on the Australian Indian Education Working Party.

A former economist and free market advocate, James changed his position after witnessing child and indentured labour. After 9 years of working in finance, he has since worked with a cross-section of organisations across Australia, Asia, Pacific and Europe including Oxfam Hong Kong, Aid/Watch and Friends of the Earth (France).

His research areas include citizenship, resilience, piracy and the future of universities. His books include Sociologic (a first-year sociology textbook with Oxford University Press), Citizen Scholar and the future of universities (Palgrave), and From Despair to Hope (Penguin). His latest book is Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in India and Australia (2019), edited by James Arvanitakis, Sudhanshu Bhushan, Nayantara Pothen and Aarti Srivastava

James is currently writing about his experiences in Wyoming during the USA Presidential cycle for Open Forum: his work can be found here...

James is a regular media commentator appearing on ABCNews24. He blogs at www.jamesarvanitakis.net and tweets at @jarvanitakis.

This information has been contributed by Professor Arvanitakis.

Qualifications

PhD University of New South Wales

Professional Memberships

The Australian Sociological Association (2014 - 2024)

Interests

Citizenship
Education
Hope
Piracy
Trust
Young people

Organisational Unit (School / Division)

Office of the PVC, Engagement & Advancement
Institute for Culture and Society
Humanities (Arts)

Contact

Email:	J.Arvanitakis@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone:
Mobile:	0438 454 127
Location:	EB.2.52 Parramatta

PLEASE NOTE: obtaining information from this Directory must be for the legitimate purposes of doing business with and within Western Sydney University, and must not be used for unsolicited bulk e-mailing (spamming) or similar purposes.

Publications

Books

Arvanitakis, J., Bhushan, S., Pothen, N. and Srivastava, A. (2020), 'Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in India and Australia', : Routledge 9781138318076.
Arvanitakis, J. (2016), 'From Despair to Hope', : Penguin 9780143782513.
Arvanitakis, J. (2008), 'Contemporary Society', : Oxford University Press 9780195568103.
Arvanitakis, J. (2007), 'The Cultural Commons of Hope: The Attempt to Commodify the Final Frontier of the Human Experience', : Verlag 9783836429740.

Chapters in Books

Arvanitakis, J. and Hornsby, D. (2022), 'Trust, critical hope and the contemporary university', Transformation of the University: Hopeful futures for Higher Education, Routledge 9780367558109.
Arvanitakis, J. (2021), 'Black Lives Matter (Garza, Cullors and Tometi, 2013-Present) : digital activism', Transmedia Cultures: A Companion, Peter Lang 9781789971798.
Arvanitakis, J. and Pothen, N. (2020), 'Introduction : higher education confronting distruption', Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in India and Australia, Routledge 9781138318076.
Arvanitakis, J. (2019), 'Intercultural mirrors and cultural humility : my journey as an educator', Intercultural Mirrors: Dynamic Reconstruction of Identity, Brill 9789004396364.
Arvanitakis, J. and Fredriksson, M. (2018), 'Commons, piracy and property : crisis, conflict and resistance', Property, Place and Piracy, Routledge 9781138745131.
Arvanitakis, J. and Boydell, S. (2018), 'The real Gruen Transfer : enclosing the right to the city', Property, Place and Piracy, Routledge 9781138745131.
Arvanitakis, J. and Hornsby, D. (2018), 'Citizenship and the thinking university : toward the citizen scholar', The Thinking University: A Philosophical Examination of Thought and Higher Education, Springer 9783319776668.
Hornsby, D. and Arvanitakis, J. (2018), 'The citizen scholar in developing global perspectives', The Globalisation of Higher Education: Developing Internationalised Education Research and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan 9783319745787.
Arvanitakis, J. and Hornsby, D. (2016), 'Are universities redundant?', Universities, the Citizen Scholar and the Future of Higher Education, Palgrave 9781137538680.
Kourtis, A. and Arvanitakis, J. (2016), 'The citizen scholar : the Academy at the University of Western Sydney', Universities, the Citizen Scholar and the Future of Higher Education, Palgrave 9781137538680.
Matthews, I. and Arvanitakis, J. (2015), 'Academic boycott, divestment, sanctions : implications for Australia-Israel relations', Australia and Israel: A Diasporic, Cultural and Political Relationship, Sussex Academic Press 9781845196882.
Arvanitakis, J. (2015), '#100happydays', On Happiness: New Ideas for the Twenty-First Century, UWA Publishing 9781742586076.
Arvanitakis, J. (2015), 'Responding to the challenges of the contemporary university', Defaire/refaire l'universite Essai de Tout Dire, University of Ottawa Press .
Arvanitakis, J. and Fredriksson, M. (2014), 'On piracy', Piracy: Leakages from Modernity, Litwin Books 9781936117598.
Arvanitakis, J. and Hodge, B. (2013), 'Engagement and citizenship : universities in the contemporary world', The Citizen in the 21st Century, Inter-Disciplinary Press 9781848882386.
Arvanitakis, J. and Brown, P. (2013), 'Scarce water and the Australian progress trap : a commentary', Remapping the Future: History, Culture and Environment in Australia and India, Cambridge Scholars Publishing 9781443850612.
Arvanitakis, J. (2013), 'Authentic community & the arts : building a sense of desire & community', Critical Animalia: A Decade Between Disciplines, Critical Animals 9780992309800.
Arvanitakis, J. (2012), 'Trans-racial adoption : the fantasy of the global family', On Whiteness, Inter-Disciplinary Press 9781848881051.
Arvanitakis, J. (2012), 'Colonialism and the emergence of hope : the use of creative non-fiction to reflect on a society in transformation', Emergent Writing Methodologies in Feminist Studies, Routledge 9786613459244.
Arvanitakis, J. (2012), 'Forgiveness and hope : re-building fractured communities', Mapping Forgiveness, Inter-Disciplinary Press 9781848881525.
Arvanitakis, J. and Sidoti, E. (2011), 'The Politics of Change - Where to for Young People and Politics', In Their Own Hands: Can Young People Change Australia?, Australian Council for Educational Research 9781742860114.
Arvanitakis, J. (2010), 'Verbatim Theatre and Community', Verbatim: Staging Memory and Community, Currency Press 9780868198798.
Arvanitakis, J. (2010), 'On Forgiveness, Hope and Community: Or the Fine Line Step between Authentic and Fractured Communities', A Journey through Forgiveness, Inter-Disciplinary Press 9781848880481.
Arvanitakis, J. (2008), 'I pirati erano pieni di risorse, come ninja, e impararono a usare il loro ambiente', Universita Globale: Il Nuovo Mercato Del Sapere, Manifestolibri 9788872855614.
Arvanitakis, J. (2001), 'The role of the World Bank in East Timor's agricultural reconstruction', East Timor: Making amends? : analysing Australia's role in reconstructing East Timor, Otford Press 9781876928001.

Journal Articles

O'Connor, M., Denejkina, A. and Arvanitakis, J. (2023), 'Preparing doctoral candidates for employment : delivering research and employability skills training in the PhD via work-integrated learning', International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, vol 24, no 1 , pp 19 - 42.
McConnell, J. and Arvanitakis, J. (2021), 'What is the harm in misinformation? : shadows of COVID-19 in public discourse online', Global Media Journal: Australian Edition, vol 15, no 1 .
Heggart, K., Arvanitakis, J. and Matthews, I. (2019), 'Civics and citizenship education : what have we learned and what does it mean for the future of Australian democracy?', Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, vol 14, no 2 , pp 101 - 117.
Arvanitakis, J., Judd, M., Kinash, S., de st Jorre, T. and McCluskey, T. (2019), 'Research into the diversification of university careers in learning and teaching and intentionally closing-the-loop on graduate employability', Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, vol 10, no 1 , pp 195 - 212.
Meese, J., Jagasia, P. and Arvanitakis, J. (2019), 'Citizen or consumer? : contrasting Australia and Europe's data protection policies', Internet Policy Review, vol 8, no 2 .
Matthews, I. and Arvanitakis, J. (2019), 'Whose island home? : art and Australian refugee law', Court of Conscience, vol 13 , pp 19 - 26.
Heggart, K., Flowers, R., Burridge, N. and Arvanitakis, J. (2018), 'Refreshing critical pedagogy and citizenship education through the lens of justice and complexity pedagogy', Global Studies of Childhood, vol 8, no 4 , pp 355 - 367.
Arvanitakis, J., Fredriksson, M. and Schillings, S. (2017), 'Bellamy's rage and Beer's conscience : pirate methodologies and the contemporary university', Culture Unbound, vol 9, no 3 , pp 260 - 276.
Arvanitakis, J. and Fredriksson, M. (2016), 'Commons, piracy, and the crisis of property', TripleC, vol 14, no 1 , pp 132 - 144.
Fredriksson, M. and Arvanitakis, J. (2015), 'Piracy, property and the crisis of democracy', JeDEM: eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government, vol 7, no 1 , pp 134 - 150.
Arvanitakis, J. (2014), 'Massification and the large lecture theatre : from panic to excitement', Higher Education, .
Arvanitakis, J. and Matthews, I. (2014), 'Bridging the divides : an interdisciplinary perspective on the teaching-research nexus and community engagement', Adelaide Law Review, vol 35, no 1 , pp 35 - 54.
Arvanitakis, J. (2014), 'Cultures of resilience : citizenship-focused approach to confronting 'natural' disasters', Social Space, vol 7 , pp 66 - 75.
Wilson, M. and Arvanitakis, J. (2013), 'The resilience complex', M/C Journal, vol 16, no 5 .
Arvanitakis, J. (2013), 'Progress and societies', Culture Scope, vol 101 , pp 19 - 21.
Arvanitakis, J. (2013), 'Beyond engagement : universities within their community', DEMESCI: International Journal of Deliberative Mechanisms in Science, vol 2, no 1 , pp 15 - 32.
Hubinette, T. and Arvanitakis, J. (2012), 'Transracial adoption, white cosmopolitanism and the fantasy of the global family', Third Text, vol 26, no 6 , pp 691 - 703.
Boydell, S. and Arvanitakis, J. (2012), 'Five questions on the Republic', Altitude, vol 10, no 1 .
Arvanitakis, J. and Hodge, R. (2012), 'Forms of engagement and the heterogenous citizen : towards a reflexive model for youth workshops', Gateways : International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, vol 5, no 1 , pp 56 - 75.
Arvanitakis, J. (2011), 'Redefining the political moment : or the way politics hollows out politics and how we should respond', Cosmopolitan Civil Societies, vol 3, no 2 , pp 72 - 89.
Arvanitakis, J. and Boydall, S. (2010), 'The miner and the activist : an Australian parable for our carbon constrained world', Journal of Political Ecology, vol 17, no 1 , pp 58 - 67.
Arvanitakis, J. (2010), 'The changing nature of citizenship in Australia : implications for foreign policy', Journal of Polity and Society, vol 3, no 2 , pp 9 - 19.
Arvanitakis, J. (2009), 'Solidarity, community and the political economy of hurt', Cosmopolitan Civil Societies Journal, vol 1, no 2 , pp 86 - 95.
Arvanitakis, J. (2009), 'Surviving Neo-Liberalism: NGOs Under the Howard Years', Nebula, vol 6, no 3 , pp 53 - 69.
Arvanitakis, J. (2009), 'Staging Maralinga and desiring community: (Or why there is no such thing as a 'natural' community)', Community Development Journal, vol 44, no 4 , pp 448 - 459.
Arvanitakis, J. (2008), 'Staging Maralinga and desiring community: (Or why there is no such thing as a 'natural' community)', Community Development Journal, vol 44, no 4 , pp 213 - 223.
Arvanitakis, J. (2008), 'Staging Maralinga and looking for community (Or why we must desire community before we can find it)', Research in Drama Education, vol 13, no 3 , pp 295 - 306.
Arvanitakis, J. (2008), 'The heterogenous citizen : how many of us care about Don Bradman's average?', M/C Journal, vol 11, no 1 .
Arvanitakis, J. and Wadiwal, D. (2008), 'Racists like us...', Darkmatter: In the Ruins of Imperial Culture, vol 2 .
Arvanitakis, J. (2007), 'The Commodification and Re-Claiming of Trust: `Does anyone Care about anything but the Price of Oil', International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, vol 2, no 3 , pp 41 - 50.
Arvanitakis, J. (2006), 'The commons: opening and enclosing non-commodified space', Portal: journal of multidisciplinary international studies, vol 3, no 1 .
Arvanitakis, J. (2004), ''I have a patent lawyer on my payroll' - the conflict between intellect and intellectual property', Pacific Journalism Review, vol 10, no 1 , pp 76 - 88.
Arvanitakis, J. and Healy, S. (2001), 'The third wave of environmentalism', Ecopolitics: Thought and Action, vol 1, no 1 .

Conference Papers

Arvanitakis, J. (2006), 'Border protection between Australia and Un-Australia: (Or why I am an internally displaced person)', CSAA Conference Canberra, Canberra.
Arvanitakis, J. (2003), 'Another (niche) marketing opportunity?: The counter-globalisation movement and the cultural', Creating Spaces Conference, .

Other Publications

2019, 'Consumer Rights to Personal Data: Data Access in the Communications Sector', Report
2019, 'Shifting the Balance: Cultural Diversity in Leadership Within the Australian Arts, Screen and Creative Sectors', Report
2017, 'Young People in Greater Western Sydney: Beyond Stereotypes', Report
2014, 'To witness : the artist's looking glass : a Short Essay on the Works of Luke Cornish (ELK)', Published Work
2014, 'Future Forum', Recorded Work
2013, 'Flying with birds', Published Work
2013, 'Before Afghanistan', Published Work
2013, 'The complexity of living together', Published Work
2012, 'Complex emotions', Published Work
2009, 'Putting the Politics Back into Politics: Young People and Democracy in Australia: Discussion Paper', Report

Data Ethics

We are living in ‘the age of the algorithm’ – where every aspect of our contemporary world produces data that drives decision-making – from AI to decisions about health premiums. This project focuses on the ethics of such processes – understanding that these advances are a double-edged sword: offering great potential as well as substantial risks. See the following link for an example of the research: https://theconversation.com/what-are-tech-companies-doing-about-ethical-use-of-data-not-much-104845

Future of Universities and Higher Education

Working with partner universities across Australia, South Africa and Canada, this projects is researching the future of higher education in a time of disruption and attempts to answer the question: how can we best prepare our students for opportunities and challenges that do not yet exist? See the following link for an example of the research: https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-and-Learning-in-Higher-Education-in-India-and-Australia/Arvanitakis-Bhushan-Pothen-Srivastava/p/book/9780367275228

Promoting young people's citizenship in a complex world

An Australian Research Council funded project looking at the changing nature of citizenship and how civics education can be promoted to marginalised and disengaged communities. Current work includes researching young people’s attitudes and priorities during the 2016 federal election and is being undertaken in partnership with Youth Action. See the following link for an example of the research: https://www.academia.edu/34050382/YOUNG_PEOPLE_IN_GREATER_WESTERN_SYDNEY_BEYOND_STEREOTYPES

Piracy Lab

With a partner in Sweden, we have a book contract and currently finalizing an ‘anthology of piracy’ – and edited collection of works from scholars around the world. The project is receiving seed funding from the University of Western Sydney. See the following link for an example of the research: https://litwinbooks.com/books/piracy/

Understanding the political divide: Living in a Deep Red State in the Time of Trump:

As part of my Fulbright Fellowship, I am researching the political divide in US Politics - and see what insights we can gain for Australia going forward. See the following link for an example of the research: https://www.openforum.com.au/author/james-arvanitakis/