UNSW Intelligent Systems for State & Societal Resilience
We engage with vulnerable states and communities to cocreate resilient futures through trusted partnerships and state-of-the-art intelligent technologies.
Our vision
In a world defined by geopolitical competition, rapid change, and complex interconnected challenges, the ability of nations and communities to adapt and build resilience has never been more essential.
The UNSW Intelligent Systems for State & Societal Resilience (IS4SSR) hub was established to engage in highly vulnerable and high-risk states, to partner with local leaders and reformers, and leverage world leading technology to build resilience from within.
We believe that contributing to resilience and local transformation is best enabled when local leaders and communities are equipped to overcome the severe collective action challenges to respond to adversity and shape their own futures.
Done right, we'll trigger a global paradigm shift in the way international aid is delivered.
Our approach
Resilience and transformation cannot be imposed, they must be grown from within. Our work is grounded in local agency, genuine partnership and collective action. We believe the most enduring solutions emerge when they are co-created with the people and institutions who live the realities of fragility and disruption every day.
We embed ourselves within local coalitions, reformers and change agents, building trust and co-designing solutions that are contextually relevant and durable.
Harnessing the power of AI, machine learning, digital twinning and advanced analytics, we create intelligent systems that enable direct financing, better decision-making, foster social cohesion, and support economic and institutional renewal.
Recent leaps in AI appear to many as a sudden advancement, however recent breakthroughs stand atop decades of AI research. We bring together experienced AI researchers and industry experts to leverage the best of both worlds.
Our approach is grounded in genuine collaboration, across borders, sectors and disciplines, amplifying local voices and privileging local agency.
With an initial emphasis on the Indo-Pacific, including Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, we address some of the unique challenges of fragile states: insecurity, corruption, gender-based violence, digital authoritarianism, gender inequality, climate change and chronic underdevelopment.
Learn more about us
Delivering impact: From vision to action
Progress is measured by outcomes, not intentions. The IS4SSR is delivering tangible results, demonstrating the power of partnership and innovation to transform lives and institutions.
Current initiatives: Transforming vision into reality
Digital solutions to strengthen societies facing insecurity, inequality and climate stress.
Our team
Integrating academic expertise, technical innovation, executive leadership and on-the-ground community partnership, our multidisciplinary team works with local changemakers to create intelligent systems that enhance resilience in vulnerable states and communities.
Contact us
Get in touch
E: isssr.cbr@unsw.edu.au
P: 02 5114 5474
c/o School of Systems and Computing
PO Box 7916
Canberra BC 2610, Australia