The Legacy of Emerita Professor Samina Yasmeen AM

by Dr Renée Ralph, Co-Founder, The Brilliant Foundation

Emerita Professor Samina Yasmeen AM Photo credit: WA Museum

From PAKISTAN to Australia - In the heart of Western Australia, within the hallways of The University of Western Australia (UWA), generations of students have walked into lecture theatres uncertain about the complexities of world politics and international relations, have graduated inspired by a woman whose voice blended scholarship with humanity. That individual is Emerita Professor Samina Yasmeen AM—a Pakistan-born Australian academic, teacher, and nationally respected public intellectual whose career has reshaped the study of political science and the understanding of Islam in Australia.

Samina’s story begins in Pakistan, where she was born and nurtured in a society steeped in tradition, was experiencing its own transitions in politics and identity. From her early years, she absorbed the tensions and intersections of culture, religion, and governance. Her life experiences planted the seeds of curiosity: how do societies organise themselves when multiple cultures, beliefs, and political systems collide or co-exist? When she moved to Australia, these questions did not remain theoretical—they became central to her life’s work.

Arrival in Australia: A New World 

When Samina first stepped off the plane in Australia in February 1979 to study at the Australian National University, she encountered a world vastly different from her own. She recalls with a touch of humour and wide-eyed memory:

“I arrived in Australia in February 1979... my very first memory is that there was no one to receive me at the airport... So I went to someone at the counter and said, I need to go to ANU… he said, ‘INU?’ I said:“No, I need to go to ANU.” He shouted to his colleague: “This Sheila needs to go to INU?”... and I’m thinking, I’m not Sheila.” Source: Western Australian Museum

That moment where communication was lost in translation, set the tone for a career marked by adaptability, empathy and determination to make sense of a complex, multicultural world.

A Teacher Who Transformed Classrooms 

Upon joining UWA in 1988, Samina Yasmeen specialised in strategic and political developments in South Asia, the role of Islam in world politics, and citizenship among immigrant women. In her teachings, she encouraged students to consider political systems not just as abstract forces, but as lived realities shaped by identity and belief Source: UWA AlumniResearch Week.

For young women of migrant backgrounds, the late 1980s was not an era when leadership in academia came easily. Samina charted her own path and her classes became spaces where students examined international relations not just through the familiar frameworks of realism or liberalism, but through the lens of identity, faith, and culture. She pioneered the study of religious influences and ethno-cultural diversity in international relations, long before these ideas became mainstream in political science.

For nearly four decades, Samina inspired her students to see beyond binaries of “East and West” or “Islam and the West.” She emphasised nuances and semantics, showing how interpretations of Islam varied across regions and how these interpretations shaped political ideas and policies. Her teaching was not just about transmitting knowledge; it was about fostering critical thinking, empathy, and a sense of global responsibility.

I remember sitting in her lectures and tutorials when Professor Samina Yasmeen taught us the concept of sovereignty amongst nations, the visionary work and establishment of the United Nations and how it could help the global international relations community.

We delved into the philosophical and political theories of Jean Bodin, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke and John Austin from 16^th century to 20^th century. Even if the evolving concepts of sovereignty and social contracts exists in ideology, as a global community we can help each other along, supporting each other and treating each other with respect.

We also admired the traditional saris that she wore with her accessories and how beautiful she looked in them. In her time, Professor Samina Yasmeen is the original Shonda Rhimes, producing her own “Bridgerton” space to engage us, students, telling her stories and learnings in our lively class discussions.

It has been over 20 years since I have been taught by her and I can still remember the impact and the key takeaway messages in her lectures and tutorials - we are unique, our differences, our cultures and our heritage are to be respected and celebrated. Always find the harmonious and peaceful way to get along and to achieve an outcome that is positive for each other.

Professor Yasmeen is a softspoken lecturer, gentle in her ways imparting key concepts in politics that was thought provoking and lifechanging. Thought-provoking because it asks us, students to think critically, not focussing on just one perspective or in one dimension, but to broaden our minds, to read widely and gain multi-perspectives. We can then reflect from our readings to bridge that gap in goodness.

Lifechanging because as a lecturer and teacher, she is warm, approachable and kind – even in her knowledge of expertise, Professor Yasmeen is receptive to conversations that are difficult and encourages her students who are in need and support. Her way of being is to live in peace and kindness.

Building Bridges: The Centre for Muslim States and Societies

Her vision took institutional form in 2005, when she founded the Centre for Muslim States and Societies at UWA. The Centre became a hub for interdisciplinary research, attracting scholars and practitioners interested in how Islam and regional identities influence political developments. For Samina, it was a way of bringing together voices from across disciplines to enrich public debate in Australia and internationally.

Professor Samina’s influence extended far beyond academia. She became a nationally respected public intellectual, regularly engaging with the public on issues of Islam, human rights, migration, and social cohesion. At a time when conversations about Islam in Australia were often polarised, she offered a calm, evidence-based, and empathetic voice. She reminded Australians that Islam, like all religions, was not monolithic. She highlighted the lived experiences of Muslim communities in Australia—diverse, dynamic, and integral to the nation’s social fabric.

Samina’s voice extended far beyond academia—into public forums, media, and corridors of power. In addressing Islamic issues and multiculturalism, she consistently values inclusion over fear. Speaking at the Monash University’s Castan Centre in 2011, she offered a lucid vision of multiculturalism:

“My understanding of multiculturalism is one which brings people from different backgrounds together in an environment in which they can learn about each other, and learn to find a way to live comfortably together.” Source Right Now

In a 2023 reflection on Ramadan and Eid traditions, Samina shared: “Remembering my mother’s advice to appreciate Allah's blessings, my husband James and I hold Eid dinner for friends, both Muslim and others. After all, happiness needs to be shared.” Source SBS

Through these traditions, she demonstrated how cultural practices can foster connection and understanding across communities.

A Voice for Inclusion - Role Model, Mentor, Legacy

Her insights made her a sought-after advisor on policy. For more than two decades, she served on Ministerial Councils for international security, immigration, and multiculturalism, shaping the ways Australia responded to global and domestic challenges. Her contributions were not confined to the pages of academic journals; they were embedded in the very policies that guided Australia’s engagement with diversity, migration, and global security.

Professor Samina’s public service was matched by her role as a mentor and role model. For countless young women, she embodied the possibility of succeeding in spaces where their voices had historically been marginalised. She demonstrated that academic excellence, public service, and cultural identity could coexist—and that by embracing all parts of one’s identity, one could contribute meaningfully to society.

Impact, Policy Influence and National Honors

Over the years, she received some of the nation’s highest honours. In 2011, she was named Western Australia’s Citizen of the Year, recognising her contributions to education and public life. In 2012, she was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame and elected a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, reflecting her stature both nationally and internationally. In 2014, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), one of the country’s most prestigious honours, for her services to education, community, and multiculturalism.

Her national influence was further affirmed in 2022, when she was appointed to the Council for the Order of Australia. Reflecting on the moment she received the call from the Prime Minister, she said:“I assumed it must be a prank... When he explained why he was calling I was thrilled and honoured... It is wonderful to think that I’m able to help make other people as happy as I was when I received my AM.” Source :he University of Western Australia

Living Authentically

Behind these accolades lies a deeper story: the perseverance of a woman navigating multiple identities—Pakistani, Australian, Muslim, academic, and public intellectual. Rather than seeing these as competing, she wove them into a coherent narrative of contribution and leadership. Her life is a reminder that the intersections of cultures and faiths can be sources of richness.

Her story speaks to the evolution of Australia itself. When Samina began her academic career in the late 1980s, Australia’s engagement with multiculturalism was still developing. Over the years, through voices like hers, the national conversation shifted. Today, discussions of migration, cohesion, and inclusion are richer for the intellectual frameworks and lived experiences she has contributed consistently.

As she transitioned to Emerita Professor in 2024, Samina has a legacy of students, policies, and institutions that bear her influence. Her journey from Pakistan to the University of Western Australia reflects the story of migration, adaptation, and participation that has defined Australia’s multicultural society.

It reflects the story of a woman who chose to dedicate her intellect and her voice to the service of knowledge, justice, and inclusion. It is her story of networks, communities, and dialogues. It is her story of a scholar who never lost sight of the human dimensions of politics.  It is her story of a public intellectual who proved that the academy and society are not separate worlds, but interdependent realms that can be bridged by those willing to engage with courage and compassion.

As Australia continues to navigate its place in a complex global landscape, Samina Yasmeen stands as a guiding post like ships navigating in the starry night looking towards the lighthouse to anchor safely. She has shown that rigorous scholarship can inform public debate, that diversity can strengthen societies, and voices of women are indispensable to shaping national futures.

Today, her legacy lives on in the countless students she inspired, the policies she helped shape, and the conversations she elevated. Emerita Professor Samina Yasmeen AM is not just a figure in Australian academia; she is a storyteller of cultures, a builder of bridges, and a guardian of inclusion. Her story is one that will continue to resonate for generations to come.

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