News from the College of Business, Government & Law

We acknowledge the traditional owners, both past and present, of the various locations Flinders University operates on, and recognise their continued relationship and responsibility to these lands and waters. We recognise that Flinders was established on the lands of the Kaurna nation, with the main Flinders campus located near Warriparinga

Welcome to the September edition of the College newsletter for 2025.  

Last week, we hosted the Peer Review Team (PRT) for AACSB (Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business). I want to thank everyone in the College – our amazing Business and Professional staff – who contributed to this important step in our accreditation journey.

We obtained commendations from the PRT around our Collegiate Culture and Societal Impact but did not get the green light for accreditation this year. Having said this, we have 12 months to get up to speed and address the relevant issues. I am very confident that we will meet this timeline.

The outcome is disappointing, but it is also part of our continuous improvement, which is the reason we embarked on the journey in the first place. We will become stronger as a result.

Our feature image this month captures an onsite student visit to Adelaide Container Terminal. Our feature story reports on a campus activation event on Design Thinking and AI. There are also tales on Sports Management from Alicia Mitton, reflections on collaboration from Kris Wilson, revelations on playing the saxophone from Nikki Neill, and another (almost) $1M in new research income.

Happy reading!

Professor Michael Gilding 

Vice-President and Executive Dean

Feature Story

Design Thinking Meets AI

This month, our city campus was buzzed with creativity during “Design Thinking meets AI: Solve Real Problems. Create Bold Ideas” event. This event was part of the campus activation fund initiatives, drew a full house and marked a highlight for both students and staff. 

Tales from BGL

Tales from inside BGL: Sports Management by Alicia Mitton

From cricket bats signed by national teams to placements with leading clubs, Sports Management at Flinders is thriving. With growing student success, strong industry partnerships, and even a major international conference on the horizon, the future of sport at BGL has never looked brighter.

September Spotlights

Research

Top Research Publications 
Top 10%/ A*/A/Q1

*Based on notification emailed to CBGL.research@flinders.edu.au from 26 June - 30 July 2025. Current BGL staff in bold.

Bordeleau, J. N. (2025). Pre-election voter information interventions led by electoral management bodies can improve voter confidence. Policy Studies. Advance online publication (Scimago: Q1 (19.94%) in Political Science and International Relations) 

Woodyatt, L., de Vel-Palumbo, M., Barron, A., Harous, C., Wenzel, M., de Silva, S. (2025). What makes self-forgiveness so difficult (for some)? Understanding the lived experience of those stuck in self-condemnation. Self and Identity. Advance online publication (Scimago: Q1 (18.30%) in Psychology (miscellaneous)) 

Pourazad, N., Simmonds, L., Bellman, S. (2025). Promotional Strategies for Standalone Apps: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda. Australasian Marketing Journal. Advance online publication (Scimago: Q1 (15.69%) in Economics and Econometrics) 

McLachlan, K. J. (2025). Using Trauma Theory to Explain the Victim-Offender Overlap and Examining Its Relevance in Sentencing. Victims and Offenders, 20(5-6), 1187-1207 (Scimago: Q1 (11.01%) in Law) 

Wali Ullah, G. M., Bonsu, C. O., Abdullah, M., Dey, S. K. (2025). Customer Concentration and the Readability of 10-K Reports. The British Accounting Review, Article 101635. Advance online publication (ABDC Ranking: A* Ranked) 

Rahim, N. F., Sulong, Z., Abdullah, M., Wali Ullah, G. M. (2025). Geopolitical risk and firm climate change risk. Finance Research Letters, 85(Part D), Article 108212 (Scimago: Q1 (10.61%) in Economics, Econometrics and Finance) 

New Research Income

Pham, T., Doerr, V. & Lanyon, K., Development of Good Practice Guidance for Inclusive Nature-based Solutions, Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ($6,200)  

Wheeler, S., Carmody, E., Moggridge, B., Grant, M. & Smith, G., Support to the revision of the SIWA Act and Catchment Areas Regulation, Australian Water Partnership, ($19,840) 

Zuo, A., Quantifying the economic and social impacts of drought in rural Australia, Australian Research Council ($727,044) 

Zuo, A. & Wheeler, S., Impacts of changing water ownership and reforms on Australian water markets, Australian Research Council, ($218,715) 

Research Centres 

Centre for Social Impact

In this month’s update from CSI Flinders, we’re delighted to celebrate the success of Dr Diana Eyers-White, whose PhD research is helping to reshape the way food assistance is designed and delivered in high-income countries.

Congratulations to Dr Diana Eyers-White!

Diana’s research focuses on rethinking food assistance in high-income countries, where demand for support continues to rise but many services remain trapped in short-term, charitable relief. Her PhD, titled "How can food assistance models operate more effectively to facilitate clients’ pathways towards food security?" investigated how food assistance can be redesigned to better support pathways out of food insecurity, drawing on interviews with 50 practitioners across 17 countries.

The research reconceptualises food assistance as business models shaped by resource dependencies, rather than temporary acts of charity. By developing the first typology of food assistance models and applying Resource Dependence and Social Innovation theories, her work highlights how dignity, choice, and co-located community supports are central to effective, sustainable service design. Diana’s findings provide practical tools for policymakers, funders, and service providers to transform food assistance from emergency handouts into integrated, socially-driven models that empower individuals and communities while addressing the structural causes of food insecurity. Her broader research interests include poverty, inequality, and innovative approaches to social policy and community wellbeing.

Diana’s PhD was supervised by Svetlana Bogomolova, Tahna Pettman, Ian Goodwin-Smith, John Coveney and Jon Buckley (UniSA).

Jeff Bleich Centre

The Jeff Bleich Centre continues to foster democratic engagement and thought leadership through high-impact research that connect communities and global leaders. The JBC also hosted an exclusive Democracy Dinner at the Parliament of South Australia as part of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue, bringing together senior political figures and international experts for a timely discussion on the future of democracy.

What's been happening in BGL 🎈

Updates to BGL course webpages

From 2026, Business, Government and Law courses at Flinders will look a little different. Course pages are being updated to reflect new simplified structures, with clearer pathways, more study options, and streamlined information for future students. Explore the updated pages to see what’s changed.

Industry Visit - Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal

Recently, as part of the Import-Export Theory and Practice topic, Dr. Mohammed Akhib led a group of students on an industry visit to the Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal. This visit served as a bridge between classroom learning and real-world logistics. Dr. Akhib explained essential concepts, such as the difference between a container terminal and a container port, and the significance of private ownership of terminal facilities in today's international business environment.

During the visit, Trent Kolbig, General Manager of the terminal, guided the students through the terminal and warehouse facilities. He also participated in a Q&A session, where he discussed the critical role of South Australia's only container port in the state's international trade.

Meet our newest Adelaide City Councillor

The Electoral Commission of South Australia has provisionally declared three new members will join the Adelaide City Council, including graduate Alfredo Cabada (BBus(Mgmt) ’19). Alfredo is also a mentor for our MBA Leadership program and a buyer’s agent who sits on the advisory board of the council subsidiary, Adelaide Economic Development Agency.

What's on 📢

Flinders University Active Challenge

The Flinders University Active Challenge will run from 22^nd September to 17^th October.

We encourage teams of up to 10 people to compete in the 10,000 Steps tournament. If you have more than 10 people, consider multiple teams to create some healthy competition. Participants can use an activity tracker, smart phone app, or a pedometer to count their steps and other physical activity, with the aim being to get as many steps in as possible and help your team win the challenge.

Go to the 10,000 Steps website www.10000steps.org.au and sign up if you are new or login if you are already a member.

Teams need to be set up before the start date so they can start the challenge on Monday 22^nd September.

Your team will require a captain and a team name, then you can start assembling your team. Captains will be required to add their team members to the team once they have signed up to 10,000 Steps.

If you would like to participate but don’t have a team, the Challenge Coordinator can allocate you into one.

To count your steps and record other physical activities, you can:

• Sync your steps by connecting your Fitbit, Google Fit, Apple Health app or Garmin activity tracking account to the 10000 Steps app.
• Use a free app available for smart phones.
• Request a free pedometer from the Challenge Coordinator and manually enter your steps into the app or through a web browser. There are a limited number of pedometers available – so it’s first in, first served!
• Record other moderate or vigorous intensity activities in the Step Log.

For more information, please contact healthandwellbeing@flinders.edu.au

Changes to FLO for Non Semester 2 and Semester 2 2025 Topic Sites

Due to student and staff feedback, Student Administration Services and the OLT team have made some changes to the Fail or Holding Grade assignment in FLO for Non Semester 2, Semester 2, 2025 and future topics.

Upcoming Changes:

• The Fail or Holding Grade assignment has been renamed to “Grade Administration”
• The assignment group has been renamed to “Administration”

And the assignment will remain published on the FLO site with a grade posting policy of Manual, which will keep any interim grades or fail grades hidden from students.

The functionality of the assignment in the gradebook, including its drop-down menu and grade notation (F, FCP, I, IDA, IDE, SA, SE) selection, will remain unchanged. The only modification will be the title and the posting policy.

These changes aim to reduce unnecessary notifications being sent to students when entries are being made in the assignment and when grades are processed at the end of each semester.

These changes have been implemented for all Non Semester 2 and Semester 2 2025 topics.

If you have questions regarding these changes, please reach out to your Student Administration Services team via BGLenquiries@flinders.edu.au. If you require more information please visit the Staff Flo Support site.

R U OK? Day: Mentally Healthy Workplaces

This September, be part of our special R U OK? Day mini wellbeing conference, dedicated to building and sustaining mentally healthy workplaces.

Hear from our inspiring panel – Taimi Allen, Mental Health Commissioner of South Australia, John Mannion, Chief Executive Officer, Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation, and Dr Annabelle Neale, Senior Lecturer, Mental Health and Wellbeing (Workplace and Communities) and Director, Flinders Workplace Wellbeing Lab – as they share practical strategies for care and connection at work. Gain insights into UniSuper’s mental health support services with Simone Dudij, and finish the day by recharging in an optional interactive art therapy session. The session will also be available via livestream.

New Resource: Access Global Newsbank

The Library has added Access Global NewsBank to our online collection! This database offers full-text access to news from local, national, and international sources - perfect for research, teaching, and staying informed.  

Highlights:

• 800+ Australian and global news sources

• Current and historical coverage

• Multiple formats: text, PDFs, video, audio, transcripts

Learn more and register for the Library’s live demo session here.  

Share Your News!

We know you have stories to share, and we want to hear from you. It could be important milestones coming up, staff achievements, exciting new research, innovative developments, people and culture updates, and more.

The newsletter is complemented by the staff-only blog - College of Business, Government and Law News - which is great for longer form content.

More info including timelines is here. 

Important University Dates 📅

We embrace innovative knowledge and practice to tackle the challenges of our time, with a strategic focus on technology, health and social impact. 
-Our Mission- 

College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University