Dr Michele Ford, Chair, Department of Indonesian Studies, University of Sydney

Dr Ford teaches about social activism and human rights in Asia. Her research focuses on Indonesian trade unions and NGOs and on organised labour's responses to labour migration in East and Southeast Asia. Her recent books include Women and Work in Indonesia (edited with Lyn Parker) and Women and Labour Organizing in Asia: Diversity, Autonomy and Activism (edited with Kaye Broadbent). Her new book, Workers and Intellectuals: NGOs, Unions and the Indonesian Labour Movement, will be out in 2009. In addition to her academic work, Michele has undertaken a number of consultancies with trade unions and migrant labour NGOs in the Asian region.