Pacific, Climate & Environment Profile Series: Professor Katherine Daniell

10 minutes ago
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As AFRAN celebrates 10 years of strengthening research and innovation partnerships between France, Australia and the Pacific, our Pacific, Climate & Environment Profile Series continues to highlight the people whose vision, leadership and collaboration have shaped our network. Today, we are especially pleased to feature someone who has been part of AFRAN's journey from the very beginning: Professor Katherine Daniell, AFRAN's President since its creation and one of the driving forces behind the association's development over the past decade.

Building a network that connects people

When AFRAN was established ten years ago, the ambition was simple but ambitious: to strengthen research and innovation links between France and Australia. Working alongside the Embassy of France in Australia and organisations already committed to international collaboration, Katherine helped transform that vision into reality. Under her leadership, AFRAN has grown from a small bi-national initiative into a vibrant network spanning Australia, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and metropolitan France, while remaining true to its founding purpose: connecting people to tackle shared challenges.

One of the characteristics Katherine values most is the way AFRAN has evolved over time. Rather than following a fixed model, the association has adapted to new opportunities, encouraging its decentralised hubs to develop initiatives that respond to local priorities while remaining connected through a common vision. As she notes, AFRAN's greatest strength lies in the diversity of its members, disciplines and perspectives.

Understanding complexity

Beyond AFRAN, Katherine is Director of the School of Cybernetics at the Australian National University, where her work focuses on understanding complex environmental, technological and social systems. Her academic journey reflects the interdisciplinary approach that has become a hallmark of her career. With degrees in Civil Engineering, Arts and Governance, and a PhD jointly supervised in France and Australia, she has worked across disciplines and continents on issues including water governance, climate change, science policy and technology. Rather than viewing environmental challenges in isolation, Katherine's research seeks to understand how natural systems, technology, institutions and communities interact—and how better collaboration can help navigate complexity.

Science diplomacy in action

Katherine's long-standing connection with the Pacific has shaped much of her work. Over the years she has collaborated with organisations including IRD in Nouméa and the Pacific Community (SPC) on projects addressing health, climate and agriculture, while also contributing to research on participatory water governance and the role of Indigenous knowledge across Oceania. These experiences have reinforced one of her strongest convictions: that today's interconnected challenges require equally interconnected solutions. For Katherine, science diplomacy is no longer optional—it is essential. Building trust between countries, disciplines and cultures is what allows knowledge to circulate, partnerships to endure and evidence to inform better decisions.

Creating connections that last

Throughout her career, Katherine has consistently championed collaboration that goes beyond institutions. Whether through participatory approaches to environmental governance, interdisciplinary research or international partnerships, she believes that meaningful progress comes from bringing together diverse perspectives and recognising that there is no single model for collaboration in a region as culturally rich and geographically diverse as the Pacific. This philosophy has become deeply embedded within AFRAN itself. As the association enters its second decade, its continued growth reflects not only the strength of its partnerships, but also the community of researchers, educators, innovators and practitioners who continue to build new bridges across France, Australia, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

Looking back over ten years, Katherine's story is also the story of AFRAN: one of connection, adaptability and a shared belief that international collaboration is one of the most powerful tools we have for addressing the complex challenges of our time.

As she puts it:

"Science diplomacy is a necessity in today's world, and researchers are a real asset."

It is a message that has guided AFRAN since its creation—and one that will continue to inspire its next decade.