Education Conference Speakers

Prof. Annette Bos is an interdisciplinary academic and educational entrepreneur committed to understanding and influencing sustainability transitions. Her work centers on how transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning—both within society and formal education—can drive transformative, systemic change toward sustainable and just futures.

Her professional experience spans the strategic development and management of sustainable development education and applied graduate research programs. She has played a leading role in building key organizational capabilities in these areas. She envisions, designs, and delivers educational programs for a wide range of audiences, from senior executives to postgraduate students, while also conducting research and supervising PhD candidates. In all her roles, she collaborates with and leads multidisciplinary teams to achieve ambitious, real-world outcomes.

As a skilled facilitator, she creates environments that support meaningful engagement with complex challenges, enabling individuals and groups to co-create solutions and catalyze lasting impact. At the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI), she established and continues to lead the Education Portfolio, which includes higher education, professional development, and co-curricular programs across topics such as climate change, sustainable development, healthcare sustainability, water management, leadership, and systems change. Together with her team of innovative educators, she fosters curiosity, encourages critical thinking, shifts mindsets, and supports the development of practical, forward-thinking solutions.

In her role as an MSDI Executive member, she contributes to governance and strategic development, leads international initiatives, and represents the institute in various forums to build partnerships and pursue new opportunities both within and beyond Monash University.

Before transitioning to academia and becoming a social scientist, she worked as a water engineer, consultant, and trainer with international organizations and NGOs across Europe and Africa. She continues to collaborate with corporations, government agencies, and research institutions, and also serves as a non-executive director and certified organizational coach.

Her publication portfolio includes work on sustainability transitions, social learning, transdisciplinary approaches, sustainable water management, knowledge translation, and sustainability education, as well as numerous commissioned reports for government and industry stakeholders in Australia, Indonesia and internationally. She recently represented MSDI at the launch of Monash University Indonesia’s Master of Sustainability, speaking on a panel at the 2025 Sustainability Forum.