Meet the members who represent your views
Every graduate has a unique and important perspective on the student experience, the future of the University and the role the University plays in enriching the lives of alumni. We strive to have an alumni leadership team that collectively represents the diverse views of the community through the Alumni Council. Learn more about the elected Council members that are providing alumni governance.
About the Alumni Council
The Alumni Council is comprised of up to 18 members, including six elected alumni representing different faculty groups, up to 10 members recommended by the Vice-Chancellor and appointed by the University Council, and two non-voting University representatives.
The Alumni Council seeks to:
- Represent the interests of the University and alumni around the world
- Guide alumni programming and promote events and activities globally
- Be an informed voice to help guide services and activities for students
- Contribute to planning and policy in relation to alumni and their role in the University of Melbourne community
Alumni Council members
Learn more about the compassionate and dedicated alumni who are helping to shape the future of the University.
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Hyder Gulam
Alumni Council President
Hyder was born in Singapore and educated in Melbourne. Hyder has been a registered nurse, a qualified lawyer, an accredited mediator as well as a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in Australia. He has received several accolades recognising his interdisciplinary, humanitarian-focused career. -
Mallika Bajaj
Mallika is an entrepreneur who established her own company Little Yellow Beetle Media Pvt Ltd (LYB) at 23 and was named as one of India's Top Ten Women in Innovation. Mallika is known for coining the notion of ‘Creating Kinder Content’ and aims to reengineer our digital future towards more meaningful narratives for future generations.
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Liam Byrne
Liam is a researcher of history and political economies and is currently working at the Australian Council of Trade. His role is focused on policy relating to Artificial Intelligence and how it is shaping the world of work. Since graduating, Liam has been an engaged member of the alumni community as a mentor in the Welcome to Melbourne program.
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Haida Hazri
Haida is a board member of two Malaysian-listed entities, Velesto Energy Berhad and Privasia Technology Berhad. She has been CEO of several oil and gas companies in Malaysia. She now undertakes oil and gas advisory work through her own set up, Putih Advisors Asia Sdn Bhd.
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Geoffrey Lawler
Recently retired, Geoff has been an executive, strategist and advisor with a strong public sector policy background. Geoff built a local and international profile as an innovator in cities policy, which was recognised through the award of the Public Service Medal on Australia Day 2016.
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Yun-Han Lee
Yun-Han is a Director in Deloitte Consulting with 15 years of experience in human capital consulting, helping businesses and governments in Southeast Asia. His specialisations are organisation transformation, leadership development, and strategic change management.
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Andrew J. Nash
Andrew is an active alum and currently supports First-in-Family scholarships for the Faculty of Business & Economics, mentors students and has been the lead mentor for the TRAM Air program for the past six years while living in the United States. He recently relocated to Melbourne is actively connecting alumni to the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre.
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Miranda Ryall
Miranda is a dedicated physiotherapist and a passionate advocate for health equity. She founded a community neurological physiotherapy practice and has worked tirelessly to bridge gaps in healthcare access – delivering innovative, client-centered solutions to improve outcomes for individuals with chronic disabilities. Miranda looks forward to further shaping the future of the health industry.
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Hendro Widjaya
Hendro serves as Superintendent of Bina Bangsa Schools – overseeing six campuses across Indonesia. He is also President of the Association of National & Private Schools in Indonesia. Hendro was President of the Indonesian Alumni Association from 2017–2021, leading events that connected alumni, fostering professional growth and stronger ties to the University.
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Andi Xu
When Andi came to Melbourne in 2019 for her studies, she struggled with creating a network, but student clubs and events helped her find her way. Now Andi gives back as a City of Melbourne Student Ambassador, helping those without Permanent Residency find meaningful employment. Andi works as a Cadet Quantity Surveyor at Rider Levett Bucknall.
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Deborah Zhang
Deborah is a secondary school teacher and a youth advocate. In addition to her role as an educator, Deborah has served as the National President of the Australia-China Youth Association and currently works at CHASE (Community Health Advancement and Student Engagement) empowering students through health literacy.
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Seven Zhu
Seven is a Senior Data Engineer at Origin Energy and is preparing to join the TouchBase Peer Support Group at the company – a program that provides mental health support to colleagues. With her background in data and technology, along with five years of mentoring STEM students, Seven has developed a unique set of skills to foster collaboration and support alumni.
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Tim Brabazon
Staff member
Tim holds the position of Director, Student Success at the University, and is responsible for the leadership, direction and delivery of a range of university-wide advisory and enabling services to the University’s 60,000 students. His portfolio also includes the Murrup Barak Melbourne Institute, the University’s institute for Indigenous development. -
Billy Lee
Staff member
Billy leads the University’s efforts to engage and enrich the lives of the University’s 500,000+ alumni around the world as Director, Alumni Relations at the University. He has over fifteen years of experience in marketing and communications across the higher education sector and has returned to Melbourne after having spent time living in the USA, Vietnam and Sydney.
Alumni Council member FAQs
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The Alumni Council meets between four and six times a year. Current planned meeting dates for 2025 (note that these may change):
- Monday 24 February
- Monday 28 April
- Monday 23 June
- Monday 25 August
- Monday 27 October
- Monday 8 December
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The Council must determine its areas of focus and reports against these annually to the alumni body and the University Council.
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As alumni ambassadors, it is expected Council members will make time to attend a number of events each year.
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No. There is no obligation for Council members to donate financially to the University.
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We have a number of channels available for Council members to get involved, but members off-site generally link in via Zoom, a free, easy to use video conferencing platform.
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Alumni Council meetings are held online however travel to events and other meetings may be requested from time to time. Travel costs will be at members' expense.
Connect and find help
Read stories from your community and discover exhibition openings, public speaking events and more.
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Find an event
From public lectures to alumni events that keep your community connected across the globe, see what’s on at the University of Melbourne.
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Alumni news and stories
Read more stories of how alumni are excelling in their fields, contributing to a better future and building community in Melbourne and beyond.
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Get support
Access a range of alumni resources for career growth, connection, and managing your profile. Update your communication preferences through the alumni portal to stay in touch with what’s happening or get help from our services support team.
How can we help?
FAQs and contact details
Find helpful answers to common questions or contact the alumni office.
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