Emeritus Professor Christina Slade

about

ACADEMIC FORMATION AND EARLY CAREER

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Emeritus Professor Christina Slade represents one of Australia's most accomplished academic leaders, with a career spanning four decades across multiple continents. Her intellectual foundation was established at the Australian National University, where she completed both her undergraduate BA and doctoral studies, earning her PhD in Philosophy in 1982. Her early research concentrated on logic and the philosophy of language, establishing a rigorous analytical framework that would inform her later interdisciplinary work in media theory and communication studies.

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Slade's linguistic capabilities have enriched her international career, with qualifications in Spanish, French, and Arabic, complemented by a Diploma of Education from the University of New England. This multilingual proficiency has enabled her to work effectively across diverse cultural and academic contexts throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America, and South Asia.

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BUILDING ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP: AUSTRALIA AND BEYOND

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Slade's ascent through academic leadership began in Australia, where between 2001 and 2003 she served as Head of School for Creative Communication at the University of Canberra. This role positioned her at the intersection of traditional humanities scholarship and emerging digital communication paradigms, a theme that would characterise much of her subsequent career.

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Her appointment as Dean of Humanities at Macquarie University, a position she held until 2009, marked a significant milestone in her trajectory. At Macquarie, she oversaw one of Australia's major humanities faculties during a period of significant transformation in higher education, managing complex academic portfolios while maintaining her research profile.

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EUROPEAN SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

​A pivotal chapter in Slade’s career unfolded at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, where she served as Professor of Media Theory from 2005 to 2008. During this tenure, she led a groundbreaking €1.25 million EU-funded research project titled “Media and Citizenship,” which examined transnational television cultures and their role in shaping civic engagement across European borders. This major research initiative demonstrated her capacity to secure competitive international funding and lead multinational research teams, while advancing scholarly understanding of how media shapes contemporary citizenship in an increasingly interconnected world.

Her research output during this period established her reputation as a leading thinker on the intersection of philosophy and modern media. Her scholarly publications include:

• The Real Thing: Doing Philosophy with Media (2002) — applying rigorous philosophical analysis to contemporary media phenomena.

• Watching Arabic Television in Europe – From Diaspora to Hybrid Citizen, Palgrave Pivot, London (2014), examining the role of Arabic-language television in shaping diasporic identity and hybrid citizenship across European contexts.

• From Migrant to Citizen: Testing Language, Testing Culture (co-edited, 2010) — contributing to critical debates about integration, identity, and civic participation in multicultural societies.
   

LEADERSHIP AT CITY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

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Prior to her most prominent leadership role, Slade served as Dean of the Schools of Arts and Social Sciences at City, University of London. This position placed her at one of the UK's leading institutions for journalism, arts, and social sciences, located in the heart of London's media and cultural district. At City, she managed substantial academic portfolios encompassing diverse disciplines from creative writing and journalism to sociology and politics, further developing her expertise in complex institutional leadership.

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VICE-CHANCELLORSHIP: BATH SPA UNIVERSITY

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In January 2012, Slade was appointed Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Bath Spa University, one of the UK's premier institutions for creative arts and education. Her tenure, which extended until August 2017, proved transformational for the institution. She led the university through a period of significant capital development, most notably overseeing the £40 million redevelopment of the university's historic Newton Park campus, enhancing facilities for students across arts, humanities, education, and sciences.

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As Vice-Chancellor, Slade represented Bath Spa University—and often the broader university sector—in policy discussions in Westminster and Brussels. This role required a sophisticated understanding of UK and European higher education policy, funding mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks. She navigated the complex landscape of British higher education during a challenging period marked by funding constraints, increased competition, and regulatory scrutiny.

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Her leadership style emphasised academic excellence, student experience, and institutional sustainability. She stepped down from the role in August 2017 and was subsequently honoured as Emeritus Professor, a title recognising her distinguished service to the institution. 

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RETURN TO AUSTRALIA AND CONTINUED SERVICE

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Following her UK vice-chancellorship, Slade returned to Australia, where she has continued to make significant contributions to higher education and scholarly life. In 2019, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales, one of Australia's oldest and most prestigious learned societies, founded in 1821. Her engagement with the Society has been substantial: she joined its Council in 2020 as Chair of the Events Committee, during which time the number of advertised events tripled annually.

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Demonstrating characteristic adaptability, Slade led the Society's successful transition to online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership and in collaboration with Webmaster Lindsay Botten, the Society's YouTube channel has exceeded 160,000 individual views, reaching a significant international audience and democratizing access to scholarly discourse. In 2021, she established the Society's Western Branch at Charles Sturt University, extending the Society's reach beyond metropolitan Sydney.

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Slade's commitment to public intellectual life is evident in her leadership of the 2024 Government House Forum on 'Threats to Democracy,' addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing liberal democracies globally. She has also proposed a partnership with the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA London), linking Australian and British traditions of public intellectual engagement. As an executive member, she has been engaged in the Society's Master Plan development, leading the 'Activities with Impact' stream, and she is currently President of the Royal Society of New South Wales.

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CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA

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Slade joined the Council of Charles Sturt University in 2019, bringing her extensive governance expertise to one of Australia's major regional university networks. In an extraordinary demonstration of trust and capability, she was seconded to serve as Rector of the University for the entire 2021, providing senior leadership during a challenging period for Australian higher education.

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Currently, Professor Slade chairs the Board of Polytechnic Institute Australia (PIA), a higher education institution focused on vocational and professional education. This role reflects her longstanding commitment to diverse pathways in tertiary education and recognition that university-sector education represents only one dimension of a healthy higher education ecosystem.

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BOARD LEADERSHIP AND CULTURAL SECTOR ENGAGEMENT

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Throughout her career, Slade has maintained an impressive portfolio of board appointments spanning education, cultural institutions, and international organisations. She serves on the Board of the National Art School in Sydney, one of Australia's preeminent specialist art institutions, and on the Advisory Board of QS World University Rankings, the UK-based organisation that produces influential global university league tables.

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She is also involved with the Adelaide-based Media Centre for Education Research (MCERA), continuing her longstanding interest in the intersection of media, education, and research. Her board work extends to the Council and now presidency of the Royal Society of NSW, where she has been instrumental in strategic planning and organisational development.

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During her UK tenure, her board appointments included serving as a Trustee and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, representing higher education institutions across 50+ Commonwealth nations. She chaired the Academic Board of the University of Gibraltar, served as Trustee of The Royal High School Bath and the Holburne Museum (a distinguished art museum), and held the position of Director and Chair of the Education, Heritage and Culture Sector Table with the Iraq Britain Business Council, facilitating educational and cultural partnerships in post-conflict reconstruction.

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INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY

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Slade's scholarly work is distinguished by its interdisciplinary breadth, combining philosophical rigour with engaged analysis of contemporary media and culture. Her research explores fundamental questions about how modern media shapes human understanding, communication, and citizenship. Her philosophical training in logic and language provides analytical precision to her examination of media phenomena, avoiding both technological determinism and cultural pessimism.

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Her authored works and numerous articles reflect sustained engagement with questions of media ethics, democratic communication, cultural citizenship, and the role of universities in knowledge societies. She has provided policy advice to governments and institutions in Westminster and Brussels, translating scholarly insights into practical recommendations for policymakers.

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LEGACY AND CONTINUING INFLUENCE

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Professor Emerita Christina Slade exemplifies a particular model of academic leadership, one that combines scholarly excellence with institutional stewardship, international perspective with local engagement, and philosophical depth with practical wisdom. Her career demonstrates that effective university leadership requires more than managerial competence; it demands intellectual credibility, cultural sophistication, and genuine commitment to the academy's core missions of teaching, research, and public service.

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Her trajectory from philosophy of logic to media theory to university leadership illustrates the value of humanities education in developing leaders capable of navigating complexity, understanding diverse perspectives, and articulating compelling visions for institutions and communities. Her continuing engagement through board service, scholarly societies, and public forums demonstrates that intellectual leadership extends beyond formal appointments, contributing to ongoing conversations about education, culture, democracy, and the public good.

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As she continues to shape higher education policy and practice through her various governance roles, Slade remains a significant figure in Australian and international academic life, a scholar-leader whose contributions span continents and disciplines, and whose influence continues to be felt in institutions, policies, and intellectual conversations across the sector she has served with such distinction.

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