Plenary Address by Professor Catherine Gomes: Creating Spaces and Empowering Migrant Voices

Understanding Caste Discrimination in Diaspora: Building Dialogues and Allyship

3 November 2025 | Deakin Downtown, Melbourne

Organised by the Digital Heritage Centre and Institute of Asia and Pacific Studies (IAPS), University of Nottingham Ningbo China

The plenary address will be delivered by Professor Catherine Gomes, a leading academic in migration and communication studies. Her presentation, “Creating Spaces: Why Empowerment of Migrant People Matters in Research,” examines the growing hostility toward migrants and its consequences for those who continue to experience prejudice based on identity and background.

About the Speaker

Professor Catherine Gomes is based in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University. She is the founding editor of Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration (Intellect) and the series editor of Media, Culture and Communication in Migrant Societies (Routledge). Her forthcoming co-edited book, Understanding Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Migrants (CALD): Practical Approaches and Effective Research Methodologies (Springer), will be published in early 2026.

Professor Gomes’s academic and editorial work has strengthened global understanding of migration, transnational identities, and cultural participation. Her commitment to creating ethical and inclusive research spaces continues to inform cross-disciplinary conversations on migration and representation.