Excelsia University College and Indiana Wesleyan University

Faith and Sustainability for a World in Polycrisis

Lumen Research Institute Conference addresses the theme of ‘Faith and Sustainability for a World in Polycrisis’. Critical issues and questions are:
• What is a polycrisis? https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/03/polycrisis-adam-tooze-historianexplains/
• What is the role of faith in responding to polycrises? How can faith based, and non-governmental organisations respond to crises and build resilience in communities?
• How have the UNSDGs defined the sustainability challenges and developed solutions to these challenges?
• How can educational and training organisations develop curriculum, learning programs and resilience strategies to enable individuals and communities to grow through the polycrises?

Lumen Research Institute 2025 Conference

has concluded successfully

Excelsia University College
1 City View Road, Pennant Hills

This is a complimentary event hosted by Excelsia University College and Indiana Wesleyan University,

offered as part of our commitment to fostering global dialogue on faith and sustainability. Registration is essential due to limited seating.

Conference Program

CONFERENCE DAY 1

Wednesday 17 September (AEST)

Time	Activity	Location
8.30am – 9.00am	Registrations	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
9.00am – 10.30am	Session 1: Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address Chair: Professor Ian Eddie Welcome to Country – Professor Ian Eddie, Director of Research Partnerships and Industry Engagement Opening Prayer – Director of Mission, Matthew Holt Welcome to the Lumen Conference – Associate Professor Andrew Levula, Director Lumen Research Institute Opening Address – Provost, Professor Jane Fernandez The Lumen Research Institute: Research Addressing the Polycrisis – Professor Ian Eddie	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
10.30am – 11.00am	Morning Tea	Level 8 Kitchen
11.00am – 12.30pm	Session 2: Student Panel Session Chair and Facilitator: Professor Jane Fernandez Student Inter-faith Panel on Faith and Sustainability	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
12.30pm – 1.30pm	Lunch	Level 8 Kitchen
1:30pm – 3:00pm	Session 3: Keynote Addresses Chair: Professor Ian Eddie Tertiary Education for the Marginalised as a Global Social Mission Associate Professor Sagar Athota – The University of Notre Dame Australia When Rock becomes Fire Professor Carolyn Rickett – Avondale University Polyphony & Polycrisis – What lessons and models can we learn from the performance of ancient many-voiced sacred music to guide us in a century of unprecedented change and challenge? Antony Pitts – William Byrd Fellow & Excelsia University College	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
3.00pm – 3.30pm	Afternoon Tea	Level 8 Kitchen
3.30pm – 5.00pm	Session 4: Research Presentations Chair: Associate Professor Andrew Levula Political Governance Amidst a Multiplicity of Crises Dr Daisy William Managing the Affordable Housing Crisis in Australia Peter Rundle Financial Inclusion Action Plan: Banking and Financial Institution Implementation Strategies Dr Sathyapriya Govindarajulu Financial Literacy and Capacity Building to Manage Crises Associate Professor Mariya Pionka	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03

END OF CONFERENCE DAY 1

CONFERENCE DAY 2

Thursday 18 September (AEST)

Time	Activity	Location
8.30am – 9.00am	Registrations	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
9.00am – 10.30am	Session 5: Keynote Addresses Chair: Professor Ian Eddie Ancient tools for a contemporary polycrisis Truth, justice and the wisdom of yindyamarra Professor Peter Sherlock Associate Director, Yindyamarra Nguluway, Charles Sturt University The UNSDGs as a framework for responding to the Polycrisis Professor Geoff Scott – Emeritus Professor of Higher Education and Sustainability, Western Sydney University	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
10.30am – 11.00am	Morning Tea	Level 8 Kitchen
11.00am – 12.30pm	Session 6: Research and Practice Presentations Chair: Associate Professor Shanti Clements Implementing the UNSDG’s – Office of the UNDRR Small Island Developing States: Assessing Fiji’s Disaster Resilience Scorecard Professor Jeremy Novak, Global Development College Professor Ian Eddie, Excelsia University College Associate Professor Andrew Levula, Excelsia University College Litiana Turner, Excelsia University College Connecting the Community to respond to the Polycrisis – Disaster Response Rick George – CEO of Samaritan’s Purse	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
12.30pm – 1.30pm	Lunch	Level 8 Kitchen
1:30pm – 3:30pm	Session 7: Research Presentations Chair: Associate Professor Andrew Levula Transferable Knowledge (and Knowing): Exploring the intersection between embodied and conceptual domains. Dr Christine Carroll Green Finance in the world of polycrisis. Dr Isaac Akomea-Frimpong Process of conceptualizing ambivalent leadership: Making the impossible possible. Dr Fu Dai Skills-First Transformation as Open Strategy: How Leader’s Cognitive Flexibility Shapes Success Dr Safoora Pitsi Faith Diversity and Workplace Outcomes in Australian Higher Education: Examining Job Satisfaction and Employee Retention Beatrice Lorquet	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
3.30pm – 4.00pm	Afternoon Tea	Level 8 Kitchen
4.00pm – 5.00pm	Session 8: Closing Ceremony Chair and Facilitator: Professor Jane Fernandez Review and Reflection on Lumen Research Institute Response to the Polycrisis Panel Members: Professor Ian Eddie Professor Lisa Hodge Associate Professor Daniel Johnston Associate Professor Andrew Levula Associate Professor Sarah Eyaa Dr Natalie Brand	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHORAL CELEBRATION

Friday 19 September (AEST)

Time	Activity	Location
11.00am – 11.20am	ICCC Opening Chair and Facilitator: Antony Pitts, William Byrd Fellow & Ambassador, Excelsia University College Welcome & Recap from Excelsia’s 2024 Symposium on Church Music & Worship	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
11.20am – 1.00pm	ICCC Session 1: Listening Panel Chair and Facilitator: Antony Pitts, William Byrd Fellow & Ambassador Listening Panel Members: Ross Cobb, Director of Music, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney & National President, Royal School of Church Music Titus Grenyer, City Organist at Sydney Town Hall, Director of Music at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Church, Chatswood, and the Manager of the University Organ and Carillon at the University of Sydney Sonya Holowell, Dharawal/Inuk vocalist, composer, writer, and educator Andrew Psarommatis, Byzantine chanter, protopsaltis at St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, Burwood	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
1.00pm – 1:30pm	Break
1.30pm – 3.15pm	ICCC Session 2: Listening Panel	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
3.15pm – 4.00pm	ICCC Studio Discussion: Listening Panel only	Excelsia Radio Studio and Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03
4.00pm	Announcement of the 2025 William Byrd Prize	Main room Level 8 Room 08.06/08.03

Lumen Research Institute Directors

Excelsia University College

Professor Jane Fernandez

Professor Ian Eddie

Associate Professor Andrew Levula

Indiana Wesleyan University

Professor Jerry Pattengale

Professor Todd Ream

EXCELSIA RESEARCH

Lumen Conference