About Zozan

I genuinely believe the world can become kinder, fairer and more colourful than it is today. This might sound overly optimistic for a social scientist, seeing as my work takes me to difficult places of exclusion, inequality and systemic injustice.

But for me, documenting what is wrong is only half the job. More important is understanding what becomes possible once we see how inequality is produced, and using that knowledge to change things. Sometimes that means tackling policy, institutions and systems, but meaningful change does not always have to be grand and complicated to have an impact. Just as often, change begins in the 'right now', with the person in front of you.

I am a scholar and sociolinguist by training, and I have always been interested in using research for hands-on, tangible social change. That is why much of my work focuses on communities, policy, the arts, social impact and education, turning evidence into better practice, stronger institutions and more inclusive cultures.

My work has been published globally and received recognition, but what I'm most excited about is how my expertise is used: governments have implemented my work, universities teach from my books, national media seek my commentary, and organisations invite me to work with boards, leaders and teams through workshops and advisory engagements.

Over the past 15 years, I have taught, researched and collaborated with institutions including the University of Technology Sydney, University of Liverpool, University of Sydney, UNSW, UCL and the University of Durham, while also contributing to policy, training and social-impact work with national arts organisations, government and parliamentary policy processes, businesses and community partners.