Robyn Keast

Biography

Robyn Keast is a Professor at SCU's Business School. Her research spans governance, public policy, police corruption, negotiation, and asset management. Internationally recognised for her work on collaborative networks, she has published widely and developed practical tools, including a Collaboration Decision Support Tool and fact sheets for building collaborative capacity, recently adapted for the agricultural sector.

Robyn's work contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals

Research

Her current work draws from these academic/industry experiences and focuses intra-organisational and cross-sectoral research collaboration, including required expertise and skills, collaborative sustainability, the cost of collaboration, the role of emotions in collaborative research and policy issues.

Community engagement

Robyn has extensive experience working with government, industry, and community groups, leading research in social services integration and infrastructure. She chaired the Collaborative Research Network for Regional Sustainability and held leadership roles in major projects, including the Strategic HR Program (CRC for Integrated Engineering Asset Management), CRC for Construction Innovation, and the ARC-funded Airport Metropolis Project involving multiple universities, airports, and government partners.

Other

Before entering academia, Robyn spent over 30 years in the Queensland government and not-for-profit sectors, both in Australia and internationally. She remains active through her role as Social Policy Whisperer for the Power to Persuade Movement, mentoring community organisations and contributing regularly to policy and practice.