Contact details

Professor Graham Durant AM

Director
Questacon The National Science and Technology Centre
PO Bo !"##$ %ingston ACT #&'($ Australia
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/ graham0durant12uestacon0edu0au
Graham Durant is the Director of Questacon$ Australia3s National Science and
Technology Centre0 4e is an e5erienced museum and science centre leader
6ith a distinguished academic 7ac8ground0 Originally trained as a geologist at
the 9ni:ersity of ;ales$ Graham s5ent #! years at the 9ni:ersity of Glasgo6
in a 5ost at the 9ni:ersity<s 4unterian Museum and Art Gallery 6here he had
res5onsi7ility for geology collections management$ ehi7itions$ lecturing and
research0 4e 5rogressi:ely 7ecame more interested in science communication
and his lecturing focus mo:ed from marine science and 5etrology to science
communication0 4e 6as a6arded a 5ersonal 5rofessorshi5 in science
inter5retation and communication in #''*0
On secondment from the 9ni:ersity$ Graham 5layed a ma=or role in the
esta7lishment of the Glasgo6 Science Centre 6hich o5ened in #''*$ initially
ser:ing as a mem7er of the team that secured the funding and then acting as
Director of Science$ /hi7its and Programs until the time of o5ening0 Graham
ser:ed as a mem7er of the Scottish Science Ad:isory Committee ad:ising the
Scottish /ecuti:e on science education and science and society matters as
6ell as 6or8ing on 7ehalf of the 9% Particle Physics and Astronomy >esearch
Council and the ;ellcome Trust0 4e =oined Questacon as Director in #''"0 (
www.questacon.edu.au )
*
Graham Durant AM
Director Questacon The National Science and Technology
Centre
Di:isional 4ead$ De5artment of ?ndustry
@isiting -ello6$ The Australian National 9ni:ersity
?n addition to his role as Director of Questacon$ Graham is a @isiting -ello6 at
the Centre for the Pu7lic A6areness of Science at the Australian National
9ni:ersity and has 7een a55ointed to se:eral 7oards including the Board of
Directors of the 9SA7ased Association of Science and Technology Centres
BASTCC$ the Asia PaciDc Net6or8 of Science Centres BASPACC and the Australian
Science -esti:al BAS-C0 Graham re5resents Questacon on the Council for
Australasian Museum Directors and the Coordinating Committee for
?nno:ation0 4e ser:ed as the Chairman of the /ducation Ad:isory Grou5 for
the AustraliaANe6 Eealand S2uare %ilometre Array Pro=ect0
Graham is a mem7er of the Australian Go:ernment3s Senior /ecuti:e Ser:ice
and as Director of Questacon$ he is a Di:isional 4ead in the Australian
Go:ernment De5artment of ?ndustry0 4e is currently leading the Inspiring
Australia initiati:e to de:elo5 a national science communication strategy for
Australia and this res5onsi7ility includes the Prime Minister<s PriFes for
Science$ National Science ;ee8 and a com5etiti:e grants round for science
a6areness initiati:es0
Graham has a demonstra7le commitment to informal learning in science o:er
many years and has 5resented a signiDcant num7er of lectures$ tal8s and
science sho6s0 4e is fre2uently in:ited to s5ea8 at national and international
science centre sector conferences0 4e 6as one of the lead authors for the
Toronto and Ca5e To6n Declarations issued at the !
th
and &
th
Science Centres
;orld Congresses in #'', and #'**0 4e is one of the 5rinci5al ad:ocates for
the glo7al coo5erati:e 6or8 of the science centre sector eamining 6ays that
science educational acti:ities can contri7ute to the fostering of understanding
across geogra5hical$ economic$ religious and 5olitical 7oundaries0
Graham 6as a6arded an AM BMem7er of the Order of AustraliaC in the #'*#
Queen<s Birthday 4onours list0
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