Ms Carolyn Irving is a consultant providing services in training design and delivery, applied social research and digital media. She is a subject matter specialist in virtual diplomacy and trade negotiations.
In recent years she has undertaken research projects for Australia’s Defence Department and Army on topics such as military culture and history, gender and diversity, intercultural skills and diplomacy. She teaches and tutors migrants learning English under the Australian Migrant English Program in Hobart, Tasmania.
Carolyn formerly had a diplomatic career with Australia’s Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), including three overseas postings (Paris, Brasilia and Brussels). She managed small teams in bilateral, regional and multilateral areas, including as the trade and economic counsellor in Brussels, Deputy Head of Mission in Brasilia and as a director in the FTA Division and Office of Trade Negotiations. She was Australia’s deputy Agriculture negotiator during the WTO Doha Round negotiations. She co-chaired FTA chapters in the China, Japan and Korea FTA negotiations and represented Australia at UNESCO, CBD, UNNY, WTO and the Food Aid Convention.
Carolyn has a BA (hons) from the Australian National University and a MA (linguistics) from the University of New England. She has vocational qualifications (Certificate IVs) in Training and Assessing (2023) and Screen and Media (2022) from TasTAFE. She is currently finalising a second MA with UNE in applied linguistics (TESOL) with a dissertation on the topic of intercultural competence. Carolyn has French and Portuguese language skills.