Professor James Arvanitakis is the Director of the Forrest Research Foundation which brings together the five Western Australian-based universities to attract world class early career researchers to the state, link with government and industry and confront the world’s grand challenges. He is an award-winning educator, cultural researcher, and media commentator. James is a Fulbright alumnus, having spent 12 months at the University of Wyoming. In 2021, he was appointed the inaugural Patron of Diversity Arts Australia and founded Respectful Disagreements, a brave spaces project.