Julian Knowles is an academic leader and researcher specialising in the creative applications of new and emerging technologies. His academic career began in 1994 when was appointed on the foundation staff to establish a new music degree at the University of Western Sydney. Within a period of 8 years he was appointed to the position of Head of the School of Contemporary Arts. This began a period of service in senior academic leadership positions that has spanned 20 years, including Head of the School of Music and Drama at the University of Wollongong; and Head of School/Portfolio Director - Art and Design, Music, Dance at QUT, where has was also an integral member of the leadership team (Interim CEO) for the $40m CRC in Arts and Entertainment Futures bid. From 2015, he served as Associate Dean (International) in the Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University and as Discipline Chair, Media & Communications. Julian was appointed to the role of Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra in 2024.From 2007-2013, Julian was Chair of Q Music, the peak body for the music industry in Queensland. As part of that role, he provided expert advice to, and participated in, a range of music export initiatives for the Queensland Government. From 2003-2007, Julian was appointed by the Minister for the Arts to the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. Significant past directorships include the Sydney Olympic Park Arts Development Advisory Panel and the Australian Network for Art and Technology. Since 2013, Julian has been Chair of MusicNSW, the peak body for the music industry in NSW, where he has worked to grow organisational capacity and reach. In this role he has provided expert commentary for NSW government inquiries in the arts and music sector.Julian is a frequent keynote speaker and panel chair on issues relating to innovation in sound, music and media art. In recent years, including Sydney Festival; Liquid Architecture; the Music. Sound. Design Symposium; ‘On-Air’, Vital Signs: Creative Practice and New Media Now Conference, and the ANU Centre for New Media Arts Public Lecture Series, at the National Museum of Australia. In 2020, Julian's work 'The Billion' was presented as part of the major international retrospective "Audiosphere: sound experimentation 1980-2020" at the Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia in Spain. In 2023, he premioered Solar Halo: a new work for solo music performer and custom live weather data driven music system at Experimental Intermedia in NYC.