Born in Afghanistan, Dr Bilquis Ghani is a distinguished academic, cultural theorist, and social justice practitioner whose work bridges the worlds of arts, research, and community advocacy. She currently serves as a Lecturer in Arts at the University of Canberra, where her teaching and research focus on cultural theory, decolonial studies, and the role of art in contexts of conflict and social rupture.
Bilquis brings extensive experience from leading roles in major Australian cultural institutions. Prior to joining the University of Canberra, she served as Head of Inclusion at the Sydney Opera House, where she led the organisation’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging strategy—work that positioned the Opera House as a more accessible and culturally responsive institution. She also contributed to social impact programs at the University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, applying arts‑based approaches to community engagement and equity initiatives.
A committed social justice advocate, Bilquis’s work extends far beyond formal institutions. She is the co‑founder and lead of Hunar Symposia, a collective of artists and academics dedicated to creating decolonised spaces for critical discourse, collaboration, and artistic practice centred on conflict, crisis, and colonisation. Through Hunar, she works at the intersections of theory and creative praxis, amplifying culturally grounded perspectives within the arts.
Her PhD, completed at the University of Technology Sydney, employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to examine how cultural products can reconceptualise gender and identity in conflict zones—specifically in Kabul, Afghanistan. This research contributes important insights into how artistic expression becomes a form of public pedagogy and resistance during moments of political and social upheaval.
Bilquis is also engaged in national leadership for cultural equity. She was recently appointed to the Board of Diversity Arts Australia, where she supports sector-wide advocacy for racial and cultural equity across Australia’s creative industries.
With her combined expertise in arts research, community engagement, inclusion leadership, and Afghan cultural studies, Dr Bilquis Ghani brings profound insight and lived experience to the HADIA Foundation. Her work strengthens the organisation’s understanding of cultural identity, community empowerment, and the transformative potential of art and storytelling within humanitarian contexts.
