La Trobe University > Centre for Human Security and Social Change > About us

About us

The Centre for Human Security and Social Change (CHSSC) is a research centre in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University.

The CHSSC's mission is to better understand, support and enable the practice of positive social change. We see ourselves as intermediaries or ‘brokers’ between the worlds of research and practice. We aim to bring the latest thinking in international and community development to bear on the practice of social change. We also aim to learn from practice and share that learning in Australia and internationally.

We deliver on our mission through research and evaluation, professional development and teaching and outreach. We partner with a wide range of individuals, organisations and networks that are involved in social change with a particular focus on Indigenous Australia, the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

We support our partners by designing and managing research, developing and implementing processes to support monitoring, evaluation and learning; undertaking political economy analysis; and providing training and advice on thinking and working politically; adaptive programming and coalition building.

Rather than provide one-off services, we strive to build long term relationships with our partners on the  basis of equity, mutual respect and solidarity. We aim to be a trusted and critical friend to our partners, providing space for dialogue and debate and generating two-way learning.

We take a developmental approach to our work which promotes partner ownership and control, amplifies the voices of people projects are designed to benefit and builds partner and participant capacity. Directly addressing cultural and gender diversity, race and power dynamics is central to our way of working.

If you are interested in working with us, please contact Chris Adams.

Our vision is that locally led and participatory processes of social change are contributing to more just, equitable and inclusive societies.

Our mission is to understand, directly support and enable the practice of positive social change in Indigenous Australia, the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Our goals are to:

  • Better understand the front-line practice of social change agents and the institutional arrangements which help or hinder their practice at individual, organisational  and system levels.
  • Directly support social change agents - individuals, organisations and broader alliances - that are working for positive social change in Indigenous Australia, the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
  • Help create enabling capacities and institutional arrangements for the practice of social change.

The CHSSC receives advice and support from an Advisory Committee. The current members of the Advisory Commitee are:

  • Conny Lenneberg, (Chair), Consultant and Non-Executive Director, Gardiner Dairy Foundation and Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand.
  • Anna Naupa,  PhD candidate at the Australian National University, social and political researcher and senior development practitioner.
  • David Poulton, Senior Consultant with Alinea International and President of the Association of First Nations Australians in Development.
  • Bec Strating, Director La Trobe Asia and Professor of International Relations.
  • Andrea Carson, Associate Dean, Research and Industry Engagement and Professor of Political Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University
  • Lisa Denney, Associate Professor and Director Centre for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University
  • Elisabeth Jackson, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University

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Previous

The Institute for Human Security was established by Professor Dennis Altman in 2010.

It was renamed the Institute for Human Security and Social Change in 2013 under its second Director Professor Chris Roche. 

Over the next decade, the Institute developed a strong reputation for working closely with key industry partners on complex challenges faced by development practitioners. One of our key programs during this time was the Developmental Leadership Program (DLP), a research collaboration with the University of Birmingham funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. DLP’s research on leadership and coalitions has played an important role in shaping how the Institute understands social change.

In December 2023, in line with La Trobe University naming conventions, the Institute changed its name to the Centre for Human Security and Social Change. In mid-2024, Professor Chris Roche stepped down from the Director position and Principal Research Fellow, Dr Lisa Denney, assumed the role of Acting Director for six months before being appointed as the Director at end January 2025. Today the CHSSC continues to work with both domestic and international partners as well as with La Trobe academics across relevant disciplines.