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Dr

Russell Kennedy

Associate Head of School (International and Partnerships)

Faculty of Arts and Education/School of Communication and Creative Arts

Orcid identifier0000-0002-4085-1542
  • Associate Head of School (International and Partnerships)
    Faculty of Arts and Education/School of Communication and Creative Arts
  • +61 3 924 46834 (Work)
  • Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125

BIO

Russell Kennedy (PhD) is an academic and practitioner of both communication design and filmmaking. He is a Senior Lecturer and Academic Head of Screen and Design at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Kennedy is also the Co-Director of Design Mind, Deakin University’s International Design and Innovation Platform. In 2015 Kennedy was awarded a PhD from Swinburne University and in 2000 received his Master of Arts from Monash University. His research is positioned in the fields of communication design and design thinking, with a particular focus on design driven national identities and the representation of Indigenous culture in professional design practice. His PhD (2015) titled, ‘Designing with Indigenous Knowledge Protocols for Respectful and Authentic Cross-cultural Representation in Communication Design Practice’ led to co authorship of the award winning Australian and International Indigenous Design Charters.

Before joining Deakin University in 2014, Kennedy was a Research Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology and prior to that a Senior Lecturer at Monash University 1994-2010. Kennedy is a Fellow the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), Deakin Motion Lab (DML) and the London based Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA).

Kennedy was a board member of ico-D, the International Council of Design from 2003 to 2013 and served as President between 2009 and 2011. Kennedy was a member of the international advisory board to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (2009-2011). He was a Regional Ambassador to INDEX: ‘Design to Improve life’ (2007-2013), the Danish Government’s International Award program.

In 2009 he was a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Government advisory board for the Seoul Design Olympics and the advisory board of the World Design Capital Seoul 2010. Russell was also an advisor to Design Victoria and Arts Queensland and has worked closely with the Victorian and Queensland Governments during his tenure with ico-D. In 2008 Kennedy was recognised as a ‘Club Melbourne Ambassador’ by the Premier of Victoria, the Hon. John Brumby, MP for his ongoing efforts in promoting Victoria’s design capabilities internationally as well as Melbourne as a convention and events destination.

He was a committee member of Geelong’s successful UNESCO City of Design application in 2017 which he initiated. In in 2018 he also consulted to the City of Bendigo on their successful UNESCO Creative City Network application as a City of Gastronomy. In 2018 Kennedy was appointed Co-Director of Design Mind by former Deakin University Vice Chancellor, Jane Den Hollander. Design Mind, Deakin Universities International Design and Innovation Platform has been established to provide a segue between all Deakin’s, design related research activities and the City of Greater Geelong’s UNESCO design designation objectives.

DEAKIN UNIVERSITY CURRENT APPOINTMENT

  • Associate Head of School (International and Partnerships)
    Deakin University, School of Communication and Creative Arts

DEGREES

  • Doctor of Philosophy
    Swinburne Univ. of Technology, Australia
  • Master of Arts by Research
    Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

FIELDS OF RESEARCH (2020)

  • Design
  • Communication and media studies
  • Cultural studies
  • Architecture

AVAILABILITY FOR SUPERVISION

  • Masters by Research and PhD supervision

AREA/FACULTY

  • Faculty of Arts and Education

DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL/INSTITUTE

  • School of Communication and Creative Arts