People

Tim Soutphommasane

Chief Diversity Officer, Professor of Practice in Human Rights and Political Theory
Professor of Practice in Human Rights and Political Theory
Senior Research Fellow
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Balliol College
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Tim Soutphommasane is Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Oxford and Professor of Practice in Human Rights and Political Theory. He is Senior Research Fellow at Balliol College and also holds a professorial appointment at the University of Sydney.

Tim’s research focuses on questions of patriotism, multiculturalism, race, human rights and leadership. He is the author of five books: On Hate (Hachette, 2019), I’m Not Racist But … 40 Years of the Racial Discrimination Act (New South, 2015), Don’t Go Back To Where You Came From: Why Multiculturalism Works (New South, 2012), The Virtuous Citizen: Patriotism in a Multicultural Society (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and Reclaiming Patriotism: Nation-Building for Australian Progressives (Cambridge University Press, 2009). He is currently working on an Australian Research Council funded project investigating the ideologies and practices of anti-racism in Australia.

He was previously Director of Culture Strategy at the University of Sydney (2019-2022) and Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner (2013-2018). As Commissioner, he led Australia’s national efforts in combatting racial discrimination during a period of extensive debate about race, human rights and freedom of speech. His work and commentary have featured in outlets including the New York Times, CNN, BBC, Financial Times, The Guardian, New Statesman, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He has supported numerous international organisations with culture change relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Publications

Books

Soutphommasane, T. (2019). On Hate. Sydney: Hachette.

Soutphommasane, T. (2015). I'm Not Racist But ... 40 Years of the Racial Discrimination Act. Sydney: NewSouth Books. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2012). Don't go back to where you came from: Why Multiculturalism Works. Sydney: NewSouth Books.

Soutphommasane, T. (2012). The Virtuous Citizen: Patriotism in a Multicultural Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2009). Reclaiming Patriotism: Nation-Building for Australian Progressives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Edited books

Dyrenfurth, N., Soutphommasane, T. (2010). All That's Left: What Labor Should Stand For. Sydney: NewSouth Books.

Book chapters

Soutphommasane, T. (2023) Imperiled Multiculturalism? COVID-19, Racism and Nation-Building in Australia. In Y. Abu-Laban, A. Gagnon & A. Tremblay (Eds.), Assessing Multiculturalism in Global Comparative Perspective: A New Politics of Diversity for the 21st Century?, (pp. 276-291). New York: Routledge.

Soutphommasane. T., Wood, S. (2022) Building a university culture fit for purpose. In J. Horne & M. A. M. Thomas (Eds.), Australian Universities: A Conversation about Public Good (pp. 215-228). Sydney: Sydney University Press.

Soutphommasane, T. (2021). Racial discrimination and the law. In M. Castan & P. Gerber (Eds.), Critical Perspectives on Human Rights Law in Australia. Sydney: Thompson Reuters.

Soutphommasane, T. (2020). Liberal patriotism. In M. Sardoc (Eds.), Handbook of Patriotism, (pp. 105-126). New York: Springer. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2020). Multiculturalism is a strength. In Tanya Plibersek (Eds.), Upturn: A better normal after COVID-19, (pp. 165-173). Sydney: NewSouth Publishing. 

Osland, J., Mendenhall, M., Reiche, B., Szkudlarek, B., Bolden, R., Courtice, P., Vaiman, V., Vaiman, M., Lyndgaard, D., Nielsen, K., Soutphommasane, T., et al (2020). Perspectives on Global Leadership and the COVID-19 Crisis. In J.S. Osland, B. Szkudlarek, M.E. Mendenhall, B.S. Reiche (Eds.), Advances in Global Leadership (Advances in Global Leadership, Vol. 13), (pp. 3-56). Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2013). Multiculturalism as national dialogue. In S. Guerard de Latour & P. Balint (Eds.), Liberal multiculturalism and the fair terms of integration, (pp. 54-72). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2013). The Return of Multiculturalism. In Gwenda Tavan (Eds.), State of the Nation: Essays for Robert Manne, (pp. 167-175). Melbourne: Black Inc.

Soutphommasane, T. (2012). Social inequality in Australia and New Zealand. In Peter Beilharz and Trevor Hogan (Eds.), Sociology: Place, Time and Division. USA: Oxford University Press.

Soutphommasane, T. (2010). Introduction. In Nick Dyrenfurth & Tim Soutphommasane (Eds.), All That's Left: What Labor Should Stand For. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales (UNSW) Press.

Dyrenfurth, N., Soutphommasane, T. (2010). Introduction. In Nick Dyrenfurth & Tim Soutphommasane (Eds.), All That's Left: What Labor Should Stand For, (pp. 1-14). Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales (UNSW) Press.

Soutphommasane, T., Dyrenfurth, N. (2010). Postscript: What Labor Should Stand For. In Nick Dyrenfurth & Tim Soutphommasane (Eds.), All That's Left: What Labor Should Stand For. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales (UNSW) Press.

Soutphommasane, T. (2010). Social justice and the good society. In Nick Dyrenfurth & Tim Soutphommasane (Eds.), All That's Left: What Labor Should Stand For. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales (UNSW) Press.

Soutphommasane, T. (2007). The Politics of Recognition and an Ideology of Multiculturalism. In J. Connolly, M. Leach & L. Walsh (Eds.), Recognition in Politics: Theory, Policy and Practice. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press.

Journal articles

Soutphommasane, T., Stears, M. (2022). Fear, freedom and political culture during COVID-19. Monash Bioethics Review, 40(1), 110-119. 

Worthy, B., Cottle, S., Farnsworth, S., Jaramillo, D., Kunda, L., Lagerwey, J., Nygaard, T., Sirdah, C., Soutphommasane, T. (2021). Intermedial #MAGA: The Trump Presidency on Screen. Australasian Journal of American Studies (AJAS), 40(1), 65-100. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2018). Race and representation: the myth of the mainstream. Griffith Review, 61, 43-50. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2017). Cultural Diversity in Leadership: What Does It Say About Australian Multiculturalism? Journal of Australian Studies, 41(3), 287-295. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2015). Forty years of the Racial Discrimination Act. Alternative Law Journal, 40(3).

Soutphommasane, T. (2015). The Racial Discrimination Act at 40. Australian Law Journal, 89(5), 303-305.

Soutphommasane, T. (2014). Free thinking? Index on Censorship, 43(3), 70-74. 

Soutphommasane, T. (2014). Racial vilification law unites Australians. Alternative Law Journal, 39(3). 

Soutphommasane, T. (2007). Surrendering Nationalism. Griffith Review, 16.

Soutphommasane, T. (2006). The Ethics of Identity. Thesis Eleven, 85.

Soutphommasane, T. (2005). Grounding Multicultural Citizenship: From Minority Rights to Civic Pluralism. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 26(4).