Talking 'bout my generation: Young people dealing with uncertainty

Addison
Born
Joy
Guo
Special Counsel
Justin
Di Lollo
Dr
Grace
Chung
Ian
Thorpe
Prof
Chris
Mowles
Dr
Sophie
Wong
28.08.2026
9:00 am
Australia/Sydney

Live

Sydney

About the event

What do we owe the next generation? Young people on uncertainty, ethics, and what they ask of their elders.

If there is one defining factor facing this particular generation it is the enormous burden of uncertainty they carry. The planet faces environmental collapse, there is unprecedented social and political division, and technological advances threaten to erode entry-level jobs and reshape the structure of work. So why get educated, why plan for the future, why worry about others? Why not everyone for themselves? But every crisis also contains the seeds of renewal and regeneration, and we hope to reflect on emerging possibilities while acknowledging reality.

This next ComplexitySalon is devoted to young people speaking for themselves about their experience of the uncertainties and ethical choices they face: what they are doing about them, what they hope for, and what they would like from their elders.

🌏 How do you plan a life when the future feels unreliable?

⚖️ What ethical choices does this generation face that their elders did not?

💼 What happens to getting started in work when the first rungs of the ladder are being removed?

🤝 What do young people want from those who currently hold the power to act?

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If you are a parent or guardian, an employer, or a politician, come and hear what they have to say.

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The currency of the day will be young people's experience, reflection, and conversation. As usual there will be a voluntary experiential group at the end of the day.

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Future generational leaders:

Addison Born - medical science and genomics, University of Sydney

‍Joy Guo - biomedical engineering and commerce, University of Sydney

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Responding:

Justin Di Lollo, Special Counsel, Anacta Strategies.

Grace Chung, Head of Research and Engineering Director, Google Australia.
Ian Thorpe, Board Member and Patron, ReachOut.

Speakers / Respondents
Addison
Born
Addison is studying a double degree in Medical Science and Genetics and Genomics at the University of Sydney. Her interest in complex systems spans the academic, the philosophical, and the personal, with a particular stake in what the future holds for her generation. As a collaborator, Addison helps design and support Complexity Salon events, bringing a young person's perspective to the themes explored.
Joy
Guo
Professional Clerk at Smith Hancock - Chartered Accountants || Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering and Commerce (finance) at USYD
Special Counsel
Justin
Di Lollo
Dr
Grace
Chung
In her 16+ years at Google, Dr. Chung (BE/BSc UNSW; Ph.D. Elec. Eng. Comp Sci. MIT) has spearheaded major advancements in core products including ChromeOS, Chrome, and Search. Since 2022, she has been a founding member and Engineering Director of Google Research Australia, leading a brilliant team advancing Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning. Her expertise prior to Google includes foundational research in Speech Recognition, Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning. ‍
Ian
Thorpe
Prof
Chris
Mowles
Chris is Professor of Complexity and Management at the University of Hertfordshire Business School, and has directed the Doctor of Management programme (DMan) for more than 15 years. He is an Associate Member of the Institute of Group Analysis and teaches at Copenhagen Business School. Chris is interested in the complexity of trying to get things done with one another. Through his consultancy, he has led projects for the UN, EU, and British government across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and China, as well as the UK’s public, private, and voluntary sectors. 
Dr
Sophie
Wong
Sophie holds a Doctor of Management in complexity and organisational dynamics, and a Master of Brain and Mind Sciences from the University of Sydney. An experienced fund-raiser and a psychotherapist in private-practice, Sophie has volunteered as a social worker and counsellor at homeless shelters across Sydney. She served as a trustee at Neuroscience Research Australia Foundation Board. Extracts from her doctoral thesis were published as a chapter examining power relationships among high-net-worth donors, research institutes, and cross-cultural identities in practice-based research.
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Francesca
Oru
Chloé
Li
Elaine
Tan
Natania Joy
Stubbs
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Naing
Khaing
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Acknowledgement of Country
We meet from many places, each with its own deep histories of belonging and custodianship. In the spirit of reflexive practice, we acknowledge that the lands we occupy carry obligations we are still learning to understand. In Australia, this begins with recognising the Traditional Custodians of unceded Country and paying respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
© ComplexitySalon 2026