About Suzi
Suzi Elhafez is an Egyptian-Australian artist, PhD Scholar at the Centre for Ideas, University of Melbourne and consultant in Australian Arab relations. Suzi’s PhD research is interdisciplinary, examining the intersections of art and politics, physics and philosophy. Her research and work in the field focuses on re-orientating socio-political paradigms in Australia the Arab world and directly engages social and political institutions, including government and tertiary institutions in Australia and the Arab world. Suzi has published academic research in international journals and presented her research at international conferences in Australia, Dubai and Italy and Egypt.
Suzi has a tertiary background in Law and Arts; including Political Science and Colonial History. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Curtin University, and subsequently established her private consultancy to engage the arts with social and political platforms. Suzi has exhibited artwork across Australia, Europe and the Middle East and she currently teaches undergraduate subjects across the Humanities at the University of Melbourne.
Suzi is a business consultant across the corporate space in Australia providing strategic advice across knowledge development, management and optimisation to core industries including The Renewable Energy sector and emerging technologies within the virtual space. Suzi engages her PhD research and private consultation with the Australian Government on a State and Federal level. Suzi is also active as an Australian Arab relations consultant, aiming to enrich existing synergies between Australia and the Arab world through effective cultural, economic and political exchange and collaboration. She is also a board member for non-governmental organisations including the Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs.
Suzi has been invited to represent Australia at the World Youth Forum, Egypt in November 2017, where an international delegation of leaders from Arab states converge with Youth from around the world, to create a dialogue surrounding future development for Egypt and the Arab region. Suzi has also been recognised as one of the top 100 Prominent Egyptian-Australians by the Egyptian Embassy in Australia, Canberra. Suzi is consistently active across various non-profit organisations to advocate prominent social issues including the rights and the status of women in Australia and abroad. In her leisure time she enjoys travel, reading, going to the beach and playing with her dog Pepsi.
Notable Professional Achievements
Sept 2017 Met with the President of the Legislative Council of Victorian State Parliament, discussed cooperation with Australian government on state and federal level.
Sept 2017 Nominated to represent Australia in the World Youth Forum, Egypt, 4th – 9th November 2017 organised by the President’s Office and selected by Egyptian Cabinet Ministers.
Aug 2017 Selected to sit on a Sub-Committee of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of the University of Melbourne.
June 2017 Selected to submit artwork in the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art 2018
May 2017 Selected as the Graduate Student Representative for the Victorian College of the Arts Research Committee.
March 2017 Commenced academic teaching at Trinity College, University of Melbourne.
March 2017 Affiliation formed with the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Australia, in Canberra under the leadership and reception of his Excellency, Mr Mohamed Khairat, the Egyptian Ambassador to Australia,
Oct 2016 Nationally selected for the Hall and Wilcox Art Prize and Exhibition, at Rialto Towers, Melbourne CBD, 10 Nov – 10 Dec 2016
Aug 2016 Initiated a Collaboration with Dr Andrew Melatos, Astrophysicist and Professor of Physics at the Department of Physics at the University of Melbourne.
May 2016 Initiated a collaboration with Australian Phenomics Network, Histopathology and Organ
Pathology Services Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience
April 2016 Initiated a collaboration with neuroscientist, Dr Marc Seal, who heads the Developmental Imaging Department at Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital and Murdoch Research Institute.
April 2016 “Demarcations of Timelessness” (limited edition artwork) exhibited at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, University of Western Australia, HERE & NOW 2016 Exhibition, nationally selected as one of eight emerging Australian artists. April – July 2017
March 2016 Appointed as the Director of Operations for the the Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs (AAISA)
Dec 2015 Nationally selected to sit on the board for the Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs (AAISA)
June 2014 Internationally selected for GZ- Basel International Art Fair , one of thirty emerging artists worldwide, Basel, Switzerland, 18-22 June 2014
March 2014 With the Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs (AAISA) actively engaged in hosting the first official visit of the Egyptian Ambassador to Perth
Nov 2013 Artwork Auctioned at White Ribbon Australia Annual Gala Dinner, Pan Pacific Perth, to end violence against women in Australia.
Dec 2013 Nationally Selected as a ‘Prominent Australian-Egyptian’ by the Egyptian Embassy of Australia, featured in a Gallery of One Hundred Prominent Australian-Egyptians held in Canberra.
Sept 2017 Met with the President of the Legislative Council of Victorian State Parliament, discussed cooperation with Australian government on state and federal level.
Sept 2017 Nominated to represent Australia in the World Youth Forum, Egypt, 4th – 9th November 2017 organised by the President’s Office and selected by Egyptian Cabinet Ministers.
Aug 2017 Selected to sit on a Sub-Committee of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of the University of Melbourne.
June 2017 Selected to submit artwork in the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art 2018
May 2017 Selected as the Graduate Student Representative for the Victorian College of the Arts Research Committee.
March 2017 Commenced academic teaching at Trinity College, University of Melbourne.
March 2017 Affiliation formed with the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Australia, in Canberra under the leadership and reception of his Excellency, Mr Mohamed Khairat, the Egyptian Ambassador to Australia,
Oct 2016 Nationally selected for the Hall and Wilcox Art Prize and Exhibition, at Rialto Towers, Melbourne CBD, 10 Nov – 10 Dec 2016
Aug 2016 Initiated a Collaboration with Dr Andrew Melatos, Astrophysicist and Professor of Physics at the Department of Physics at the University of Melbourne.
May 2016 Initiated a collaboration with Australian Phenomics Network, Histopathology and Organ
Pathology Services Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience
April 2016 Initiated a collaboration with neuroscientist, Dr Marc Seal, who heads the Developmental Imaging Department at Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital and Murdoch Research Institute.
April 2016 “Demarcations of Timelessness” (limited edition artwork) exhibited at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, University of Western Australia, HERE & NOW 2016 Exhibition, nationally selected as one of eight emerging Australian artists. April – July 2017
March 2016 Appointed as the Director of Operations for the the Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs (AAISA)
Dec 2015 Nationally selected to sit on the board for the Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs (AAISA)
June 2014 Internationally selected for GZ- Basel International Art Fair , one of thirty emerging artists worldwide, Basel, Switzerland, 18-22 June 2014
March 2014 With the Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs (AAISA) actively engaged in hosting the first official visit of the Egyptian Ambassador to Perth
Nov 2013 Artwork Auctioned at White Ribbon Australia Annual Gala Dinner, Pan Pacific Perth, to end violence against women in Australia.
Dec 2013 Nationally Selected as a ‘Prominent Australian-Egyptian’ by the Egyptian Embassy of Australia, featured in a Gallery of One Hundred Prominent Australian-Egyptians held in Canberra.