National Symposium 2025
There has never been a national effort to systematically assess Australia’s science capability against its future need – until now.
Over the past 18 months, the Australian Academy of Science has embarked on one of the most ambitious policy efforts in our history – Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035.
At the 2025 National Symposium, the Academy will share the findings and implications of our assessment of Australia’s science capability.
We are in the midst of unprecedented global change. Geopolitical uncertainty has become the norm, while technology is accelerating at a pace not seen since the Industrial Revolution, leading to both opportunities and vulnerabilities.
Productivity is slowing, the population is ageing, science and maths participation in schools is declining, and our economy lacks diversity, relying on too few industries to be resilient to shocks. Australians require a science and technology uplift to prosper in this future – both in terms of skills and capability.
Do we have the national science capability we need to rise to this challenge?
The Australian Academy of Science 2025 National Symposium will unpack this question.
Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of capability gaps, workforce trends and strategic dependencies, the event will present a national picture of where we stand, and what we must do to strengthen science for the decades ahead. This event will explore the findings of this study, including gaps in our science capabilities, and the reform required to put Australia on track to meet our national ambitions.
Event details
Date: Thursday 4 September 2025
Time: 9.00am – 4.30pm AEST
Venue: The Shine Dome, Canberra
MORE INFORMATION AND EVENT PROGRAM – https://aas.eventsair.com/science-at-the-shine-dome-2025/program#symposium-program
SPEAKERS AND PANEL MEMBERS
Professor Ian Chubb AC FAA FTSE, Convenor of Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035
Tony Cook PSM, Secretary, Department of Education
Professor Kate Darian-Smith FASSA, President, Academy of Social Sciences in Australia
Robyn Denholm, Chair, Strategic Examination of Research and Development
Professor Susan Dodds FAHA, Deputy Chair, Australian Research Council
Professor Mark Ferguson, Chair, European Innovation Council, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland
Professor Stephen Garton AM FAHA FASSA, President, Australian Academy of the Humanities
Professor Barney Glover AO FTSE, Commissioner, Jobs and Skills Australia
Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM, Lead, National Health and Medical Research Strategy
Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FRS FREng FTSE, President, Australian Academy of Science
Joseph Mitchell, Assistant Secretary, Australia Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)
Meghan Quinn PSM, Secretary, Department of Industry, Science and Resources
Adjunct Professor Peter Rossdeutscher AM, Chair, Industry Innovation and Science Australia
Professor Lynette Russell AM, Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University
Professor Margaret Sheil AO FAA FTSE, Vice Chancellor, QUT and Secretary Policy, Australian Academy of Science
Professor Peter Shergold AC FASSA, Chair, Australian Research Council
Dr Hayley Teasdale, Head Science Policy and Advice, Australian Academy of Science
Martijn Wilder AM, Chair, National Reconstruction Fund
This National Symposium is essential for industry leaders looking for in-depth analysis to inform their future directions, for science and policy leaders tasked with shaping the Australian science, education and immigration landscapes, and for philanthropists needing to make nation building investment decisions.
SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME
This National Symposium is part of Science at the Shine Dome 2025, the Academy’s flagship event where Australia’s most distinguished scientists gather at the Shine Dome in Canberra to celebrate science and to honour outstanding achievements in science.
