Rate My Professor Rae Cooper

Professor Rae Cooper AO, FASSA, is Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney Business School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from UNSW Sydney and a PhD in Industrial Relations from the University of Sydney, completed in 2003. As the founding Director of the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at Work (ACGEIW), she leads multidisciplinary research programs focused on gender equality, workplace inclusion, and evidence-based policy solutions. Previously, she served as Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Undergraduate) within the Business School, building a distinguished career at the University since the early 2000s.

Cooper's research specializations encompass employment relations, the gendered dimensions of work, flexible work arrangements, women's careers, and strategies for achieving workplace equity. She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, accumulating more than 3,000 citations on Google Scholar. Her work has been supported by funding from the Australian Research Council, where she held a Future Fellowship, and collaborative projects with organizations such as the Australian Human Rights Commission, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Institute of Company Directors, and Law Society of NSW. Internationally recognized, she advises multilateral bodies including the OECD and International Labour Organization, and holds board positions as a non-executive director. Cooper is President of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association (ILERA). Her impact on higher education, workplace policy, and practice was honored with appointment as Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019 and election as Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA).