Our Speaker
former Australian human rights commissioner
Edward Santow
Director of Policy & Governance - Human Technology Institute
Industry Professor of Responsible Technology - University of Technology Sydney
Human Rights Commissioner (2016-2021)
Join us for an insightful event featuring Edward Santow, a distinguished expert in human rights law with a specialized focus on the intersection of AI and human rights. Ed is the Director of Policy & Governance at the Human Technology Institute and Industry Professor of Responsible Technology at the University of Technology Sydney. A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, he co-founded the Human Technology Institute and leads with a vision of promoting human rights in the development and regulation of new technologies.
Ed's expertise spans digital government, AI regulation, facial recognition technology, and digital identity. His extensive contributions include serving on the Australian Government's AI Expert Group, Government Service Delivery Advisory Board, and the National Quantum Advisory Committee, as well as numerous state government advisory bodies and non-profit boards.
From 2016 to 2021, Ed was Australia's Human Rights Commissioner, leading initiatives on AI, technology, and human rights, as well as issues related to refugees, migration, LGBTQI+ rights, and national security. Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and recipient of an Australian Leadership Award, Ed's commitment to public law and social justice is unparalleled.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the leading voices in responsible technology and human rights!
This Year’s Event
This year's event will be held at 330 Ann Street and will include a seminar from our speaker, together with an opportunity for questions and discussion. A small selection of canapes will be available.
Tickets for Members are $20, and tickets for non-members $25. We are also offering 1 year of indvidual membership plus attendance for $30.
As part of our commitment to accessibility this event will also be live-streamed at no cost for those unable to attend in person.
If you wish to attend the live-stream, please register your interest by selecting an ‘online only’ ticket and a link will be sent to you. We encourage those who are able to donate to help us cover the cost of maintaining the live-stream.
About the Annual Derek Fielding Memorial Lecture
Fred Derek Osmond Fielding AM (14 August 1929 – 25 June 2014) was an Australian librarian and author. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Fielding emigrated to New Zealand in 1958. In 1961, he took up the position of Librarian at the James Forsyth University Library at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, where, under his stewardship, the collection grew from 360,000 books to 1.5 million volumes.
He oversaw the building of three new library buildings in 1974, 1976 and 1990 as well as the establishment of the clinical library at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. A strong believer in civil liberties and social issues from his youth, he was committed to ensuring that the censorship of libraries, both academic and public, was discouraged. These efforts took on particular significance during the Premiership of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen when library funding in Queensland paled in comparison to other Australian States and Territories. He chaired the Library Association of Australia's Freedom to Read Committee from 1969-1974 and was President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties. His diplomatic efforts led to the University of Queensland permitting student protests on campus, including the all night sit-in in the Walter Harrison Law Library. He was also an observer for the QCCL during the 1971 Springboks Rugby Tour during apartheid protests. In 1996, he was made a member of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to higher education and librarianship, in particular through the University of Queensland and the Australian Advisory Council on Binliographical Services.
Since 2015, the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties has hosted an annual lecture in Derek’s honour.