Nathan Wiltshire

Nathan Wiltshire is a PhD scholar at Australian National University’s Centre for Social Research and Methods, an academic, and empathy activist. His research is inter-disciplinary drawing on the fields of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, and Management Science, to develop theories and applied programs for empathy in diverse cultural settings. Nathan’s interest in cross-cultural understanding was seeded in 2005, when race-riots erupted in his hometown in Australia, a saddening reflection of the community’s cultural prejudices. Eventually, his passion was ignited when encountering empathy at the heart of ‘human-centred’ problem solving during Master of Business Administration studies. This awakening moment led to independent research in India, exploring empathy with academics, public and private sector leaders, and social activists. Evidently, suggesting potential for empathy to promote efficacy, inclusion, peace, and prosperity. In 2014, Nathan founded a non-profit enterprise aimed at fostering empathy in India, Japan, and Australia. Additionally, he has developed empathy-based programs at the University of Technology Sydney, taught to 15,000+ students across Business, Innovation, Health, and International Leadership faculties. Nathan’s hope is that his doctoral research will contribute to efforts aimed at promoting empathy around the globe. The current state of the world points to the importance and complexity of this endeavour.