Professor Daniel Robinson
BSc Hons, G.Dip Env Law, PhD
Dr Daniel Robinson has a background in human geography, environmental science and environmental law. Daniel's research focuses on the regulation of nature and knowledge. His papers and books cover themes including 'biopiracy', access and benefit-sharing relating to biological resources, appropriation and regulation of Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous/customary laws and biocultural protocols, ethical biotrade, political ecology, environmental policy and management. Daniel also has an interes...
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Daniel is currently the Pacific Regional Manager of the Access and Benefit-Sharing Capacity Development Initiative, which has a 5 year project implementing the Nagoya Protocol in the Pacific from 2017 to 2021. See: http://www.abs-initiative.info/
Daniel is Chief Investigator with Dr Margaret Raven on the 5 year Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project (DP180100507): Indigenous knowledge futures: protecting and promoting indigenous knowledge (2018-2022).
Daniel is the Academic Co-Lead for the Pacific, for the UNSW Institute for Global Development, a university-wide strategic initiative. See: http://www.international.unsw.edu.au/institute_global_development
Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) Dean's Award winner for Research Excellence (2023) - Indigenous Knowledge Futures with Dr Miri Raven
Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) Dean's Award winner for Teaching Excellence (2023) - Indigenous knowledges and Caring for Country course with several collaborators.
Arts and Social Sciences Dean's Award winner for Research - Social Impact (2016)
Research Fellow, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva (2014 - 2018)
Daniel is Chief Investigator with Dr Margaret Raven on the 5 year Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project(DP180100507): Indigenous knowledge futures: protecting and promoting indigenous knowledge (2018-2022, extended to 2025).
Daniel was recently the Pacific Regional Manager of the Access and Benefit-Sharing Capacity Development Initiative, which had a 5 year project implementing the Nagoya Protocol in the Pacific from 2017 to 2022. See: http://www.abs-initiative.info/
Daniel is the Academic Lead for the Pacific, for the UNSW Institute for Global Development, a university-wide strategic initiative. See: http://www.international.unsw.edu.au/institute_global_development
- Visiting Research Fellow, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University, New York (short term, late 2018)
- Research Fellow, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva
- Pacific Regional Project Manager, ABS Capacity Development Initiative, Pacific
- Member, Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture (ACIPA)
- Research Associate at the NGO Natural Justice: Lawyers for Communities and the Environment
- Former Co-convenor, Legal Geography Study Group, Institute of Australian Geographers (IAG)
- Centre member, Center for Ecosystem Sciences (CES), UNSW
Reviews, Reports, Discussion Papers & Media
- Robinson, D.F. and Raven, M. (2019) 'Ethical Trade in Natural Products based on Traditional Knowledge' Trade For Development News, EIF, WTO, Geneva, https://trade4devnews.enhancedif.org/en/news/ethical-trade-natural-products-based-traditional-knowledge, 24 October 2019.
- Robinson, D.F. (2018) 'What Next to Protect and Promote Indigenous Knowledge' Opinion at ICTSD, Geneva https://www.ictsd.org/opinion/what-next-to-protect-and-promote-indigenous-knowledge, 19 July 2018.
- Robinson,D.F. Book Review: 'TRIPS and Developing Countries: Towards a new IP World Order?' by Ghidini et al. (eds) (2014) Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, in Geographical Research, 2015, Vol 53(1): 111-113.
- Robinson, D. ‘Towards Access and Benefit-Sharing Best Practice: Pacific Case Studies.’ DSEWPAC, Canberra and GIZ, Eschborn, Germany (2012).
- http://www.abs-initiative.info/uploads/media/ABS_Best_Practice_Pacific_Case_Studies_Final_01.pdf
- Robinson, D. And Defrene, E. (2011) ‘Argan: A Case study on ABS?, opens in a new window’ Union for Ethical Biotrade, presented at the Beauty of Sourcing with Respect conference in Paris, 6 May 2011.
- Robinson, D. (2010) ‘Traditional Knowledge and Biological Product Derivative Patents: Benefit-Sharing and Patent Issues Relating to Camu Camu, Kakadu Plum and Açaí Plant Extracts – a discussion paper, opens in a new window’, United Nations University Traditional Knowledge Inititative (UNU-TKI).
- Robinson, D. (Oct. 2009) ‘Biopiracy Concerns Heat Up over Chilli Pepper, opens in a new window’ Bridges Trade BioRes Review.
- Savita Mullapudi and Robinson, D. (ed) (2009) Towards a Balanced Sui Generis Plant Variety Protection System for Developing Countries. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New York. 33pp URL:http://www.undp.org/poverty/topics7_intellectual_property.shtml
- Robinson, D. (March 2007) Exploring Components and Elements of Sui Generis Systems for Plant Varieties Protection and Traditional Knowledge in Asia. ICTSD-UNCTAD and IDRC, Geneva. 60pp. At:http://www.iprsonline.org
- Dozens of journalistic contributions to ICTSD Bridges and BioRes over more than 10 years: http://www.ictsd.org/bridges-news/biores/overview
- Additional extensive media relating to Kakadu Plum and bush foods and medicines, for example on ABC radio national, ABC TV Landline, as well as ABC Radio Local/Regional, SBS Radio World News, SBS TV The Feed, Print media such as SMH, le monde diplomatique, Deutche Welle and others.
My Research Supervision
- Denise True (MRes ongoing) - TEK and Environmental Impact Assessment
- Kayla Lochner (PhD, ongoing) - Just transitions in the Pacific (tentative title).
Past students:
- Sanjay Kalpage (PhD Conferred, now working for International Fund for Agricultural Development - IFAD, South Africa) - Landscape-base conservation approaches in the developing world: The case for managed elephant ranges in Sri Lanka.
- Rebecca Cross (PhD Conferred, now lecturing at Sydney University) - Conversations with Farmers: Agri-cultural practice change and the farming ‘innovator’
- Nahid Sultana (PhD Conferred, Working for UNSW) - Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts and Coastal Zone Management in Bangladesh
- Thanh Pham (PhD Conferred, Working for the Government of Viet Nam) - Catchment management in Vietnam
- Shafaq Masud (PhD Conferred, now working for Swiss International Development Agency) - Participatory monitoring for water resource management: planning for climate change in Western Sydney
- Pratistha Tamrakar (MPhil Conferred) - Community forests and water quality in Lamatar district of Nepal
- Carla Guedes (MRes Conferred) - Cultural competence in Indigenous Astronomy.
- Nerida Godfrey (PhD Conferred) - Becoming-with movement: Life course mobilities and alternative cartographies of independent contemporary dancers
- Caitlin Buckle (PhD Conferred, now working as a lecturer at UNSW) - Mapping mobile lives: Explorations of migrants' lived experiences through narrative, visual imagery and virtual visitation
- Hai-Yuean Tualima (Scientia PhD) - Traditional Knowledge in Samoa.
- Bob Fuller (PhD conferred, now a research fellow at UWS) - Songlines of the Eastern Saltwater Aboriginal Peoples.
- Vanessa Conrad (MPhil) - Ethical and sustainable hemp value chains in Nepal.
My Teaching
Dr Robinson contributes teaching into the Masters of Environmental Management (MEM), and was formerly the MEM Coordinator (2010-2018)
Guest lectures in:
- IEST5003: Addressing Environmental Issues
- IEST5007: Political Ecology: Sustainable Development and Justice
- IEST7600: Indigenous Knowledges and Caring for Country