Professor James Bennett is UTS's Dean of the Faculty of Design and Society. A strategic and inclusive leader, James has an outstanding record of leading large multidisciplinary teams, building higher education–industry partnerships, and generating significant new income streams through research, development and collaboration.
The Dean's key responsibilities are:
- Strategies for School of Design, School of Architecture and School of Built Environment
- Curriculum
- Faculty management
- UTS Creative Disciplines leadership
James joined UTS in January 2026. Prior to joining the university, he was Director of the CoSTAR National R&D Lab for Creative Technologies, the UK's largest-ever infrastructure investment in the creative industries. CoSTAR was led through Royal Holloway, University of London, where James also served as Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Creative Industries) and Director of StoryFutures.
As Director of the StoryFutures Creative Cluster and StoryFutures Academy: The National Centre for Immersive Storytelling, James led StoryTrails, the UK's largest immersive storytelling experience, engaging more than 100,000 live audiences across the nations. Through his leadership of CoSTAR and StoryFutures, James has built successful industry partnerships focused on the inclusive and creative application of emerging technologies.
James is passionate about cultivating organisational cultures that value diversity of approach, identity and experience, and that foster collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Through this approach, he has developed, won and led more than $150 million in R&D funding and collaborative partnerships, delivering impact at scale across education, industry and the creative practice.
James' research spans creative practice and critical inquiry, with a focus on immersive technologies, cultures of innovation and the adoption of emerging technologies within the creative industries.
Contact
Melissa Bradbrook
Executive Assistant