Narayan Gopalkrishnan

Narayan Gopalkrishnan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Cairns Institute. He has over thirty years of experience in Australia and overseas, working in universities, NGOs and the private sector. This has included major development projects and large corporate entities in India and work in the not-for-profit sector and academia. Narayan brings extensive experience in international development in Asia and has managed significant research projects in rural development. Narayan has expertise in Participatory Methodologies and has used these in studies at village and district levels in Asia.

In Australia, Narayan has held senior leading roles in research and sector development. Narayan has worked across Queensland in developing social enterprise networks and entrepreneurs. He is the Chair of the Social Enterprise Network for the Tropics (sentfnq.com.au) as well as a Director with the Queensland Social Enterprise Council, the peak body for SE in Queensland. He is also Chair of one of the themes at the Social Enterprise World Forum (academic) in Brisbane in 2022. He was the Founding Director of the Centre for Multicultural and Community Development, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, unique in Australia in bringing together the dual focus on cultural diversity and community development and undertaking groundbreaking work in research, development and training. Narayan has also coordinated and taught in courses in community development, mental health, counselling, health, globalisation, social disadvantage, human rights and social justice, communication and thought, and social policy. He has been a visiting scholar in different universities around the world including Africa and Asia.

Narayan is recognised nationally and internationally and is called upon to give keynote presentations at conferences and events. He has extensive publications in scholarly journals relating to his research interests including publications for bodies such as UNESCO and UNU. Narayan is an engaged scholar. He has worked in different settings in Australia such as the Australian Red Cross and other NGOs as well as in academia. He has been one of the founding members of a major NGO, the Multicultural Development Association, the primary provider of settlement services in Brisbane and Toowoomba. He was a member of the Multicultural Community Ministerial Advisory Committee to the Minister of Disability Services and Multiculturalism, Queensland. He has written industry peer reviewed documents such as guides for community development workers on structural change and how government can better engage with citizens.

Narayan has a deep passion for social justice and integrated and holistic approaches to human development and participation.