Overview
Platform 4 Change (P4C) is an online mentoring and skills development program funded by the Australian Government for women in innovative and knowledge-intensive industries. The program aims to:
- Provide early-career entrepreneurs, innovators, and researchers with opportunities to build bilateral business opportunities
- Develop research collaborations
- Advance long-term Australia-Vietnam economic engagement
- Address long-standing gender inequalities, exacerbated by COVID-19
Program introduction
Watch this welcome video to hear more about Platform 4 Change from your Program Leader Associate Professor Naomi Birdthistle.
Learning outcomes
The outcomes we aim to achieve by you participating in this program are as follows:
- Develop key business skills such as leadership skills, communication skills, digital literacy and critical thinking
- Have awareness and knowledge of opportunities and expertise that benefits economic growth
- Create networks with national and international women within knowledge-intensive industries
Workshop schedule
Here you can download a copy of the full schedule and zoom meeting links.
Workshop times
15:00 - 18:00 ICT (Vietnam)
18:00 - 21:00 AEST (Australia)
Learning materials
Program orientation
Welcome to the program and general housekeeping
Topic 1
High growth Australia-Vietnam innovation industries: exploring current and future growth.
Topic 2
Gender in high innovative and knowledge-intensive industries: navigating challenges, understanding opportunities.
Topic 3
Leadership Skills Development and community capacity-building: curating Australia-Vietnam economic engagement networks.
Topic 4
Developing digital skills and competencies to support women’s access and reach in high-value, digital economies and knowledge-intensive economies.
Topic 5
Developing your personal brand.
Topic 6
Developing international opportunities: building networks, exploring trade and commercial exchange, and forming collaborations.
Participant resources
Access to all reading material, video content and podcasts across all topics.
Video Case Studies
Please watch the following interviews with Australian indigenous women entrepreneurs.
Ocher Bee
Riley Callie Resources
Dreamtime Artistry
Crackerjack Education
My Dilly Bag
Meet the team
Associate Professor Naomi Birdthistle (Program Leader)
Naomi is Deputy Head of Department, Department of Business Strategy and Innovation, Griffith Business School. Naomi has entrepreneurship in her blood having started her first business when she was in primary school and went on to work in her family business for over 20 years. She ran her own business for 10 years – Mind Your Own Business Ltd – which was a family business consulting firm. Naomi has studied in Scotland (Stirling University - BA Hons) Ireland (University of Limerick – Masters by Research and PhD) and America (Babson College [1-year undergraduate program and an Executive Education program] and Harvard University [Summer school and an Executive Education program]). Her passion for entrepreneurship is evident by her research outputs. She has published 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, three books; 17 book chapters, 59 conference papers and an abundance of national and European reports.
Associate Professor Naomi Birdthistle's Griffith Experts profile
Professor Caitlin Byrne
Caitlin is Director of Griffith Asia Institute. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute for International Affairs (AIIA) and Faculty Fellow of the University of Southern California's Centre for Public Diplomacy (CPD). Caitlin's research is focused on Australian diplomacy with a special interest in Australia's engagement in the Asia-Pacific region. Caitlin brings expertise in executive education and currently delivers training on Soft Power and Public Diplomacy, and International Policy and Tradecraft through Australia's Diplomatic Academy in Canberra. She consults to government in the areas of strategic foreign policy and diplomatic practice. Prior to joining academia, Caitlin had established a professional career spanning strategic management, legal, foreign and social policy roles in government, business and community sectors.
Professor Susan Harris Rimmer
As the Director of the Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub, Susan leads the gateway for government, industry and community knowledge partnerships. The Hub provides insights and analysis that help to shape the future of Queensland, Australia and the Asia-Pacific, collaborating with industry partners such as The Electoral Commission Queensland, CSIA and WOW Australia. With Professor Sara Davies, Susan is co-convenor of the Griffith Gender Equality Research Network. Susan also leads the Climate Justice theme of the Griffith Climate Action Beacon and is a member of the C20, Think20 and W20 since the 2012 Los Cabos Summit. She is a non-resident Research Associate in the Gender and Growth Initiative at Chatham House UK on G20 matters. In 2018, she was named one of Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy, globally, and one of 20 Queensland Voices Female Leaders in 2019.
Associate Professor Helen Massa
Helen is an anatomist/physiologist in the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith Health. Helen led the establishment of the School of Anatomy, performing key roles in legislative approval, technical and learning environment design and collaboratively contributed to anatomy and physiology curricula development. Helen's expertise in successful anatomy learning by large first year cohorts was recognised at the national level through an Office for Learning and Teaching Citation (2013) and a range of teaching awards within Griffith University and she actively contributes to peer evaluation and professional development of colleagues course design and teaching expertise.
Dr Elise Stephenson
Elise is an award-winning researcher, strategist and entrepreneur whose expertise is sought in the fields of foreign policy and public diplomacy; women's leadership; LGBTI inclusion; social enterprise; Asia Pacific enterprise; human rights campaigns; youth inclusion and strategies; and defence and national security. Elise has led major programs for Australia's largest public diplomacy initiative, Australia Now, and flagship youth leadership program, A2ELP, working in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, plus embassies and high commissions across the region. Elise is the co-founder of Australian feminist strategic design agency, the Social Good Outpost. Currently Elise is a Research Fellow at the Research for the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, ANU and Griffith Asia Institute Adjunct Fellow.
Dr Bradley McConachie
Dr Bradley McConachie is an Early Career Researcher and Griffith Asia Institute Adjunct Fellow. Brad’s expertise is in Australian public diplomacy in the Asian region through the promotion of industry partnerships and people-to-people links as a way of boosting Australia’s capabilities in the region. He has worked for the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in China; private sector companies in Thailand and now resides in Ho Chi Minh City where he manages international research projects for RMIT Vietnam. Awards include an Australian Postgraduate Award and an Endeavour Scholarship to conduct his research at the prestigious Peking University; a Research Excellence Award and Chancellor’s Medal for his contribution to higher education and public diplomacy research.
Dr Luke Houghton
Dr Luke Houghton is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Business Strategy and Innovation . Presently he has a role as the Co-Director of the Digital Transformation Research Cluster, and Discipline Adviser for Business Analytics for the Bachelor of Business Program as well Deputy Academic Chair of the Student Appeals Committee. His research focuses on the role technology and human problem-solving play in the advancing and supporting the development of society.
Program contact
Helen-Louise McDonald, Project Coordinator, International Development Unit