Julia Kantek is a Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University (WSU). She coordinates a Core Social Science Applied Social Research subject (CULT3001) and was previously the Academic Program Advisor for students in the Bachelor of Social Sciences program (July 2023- Jan 2026).

Julia has developed research expertise at the intersection of youth sociology, migration studies, and diaspora engagement. Building on her PhD research in diaspora politics, Julia has explored how diaspora engagement strategies are experienced by those they target, with particular attention to how they inform identity and belonging. This focus on mobility, belonging, and identity has now informed her more recent work on how transitions (such as those induced by migration, education, work, and digital technologies) intersect with mobility to shape identities, future-making practices, and wellbeing.

Currently, Julia is co-leading two research projects funded by the Young & Resilient Research Centre and Institute for Culture & Society at Western Sydney University. One investigates the role of Generative Artifical Intelligence (among other technologies) in shaping the resilience, wellbeing, and overall experiences of migrants, while the other, explores how young people from Western Sydney navigate decisions around where and how to pursue work. 

Aligned with these interests, Julia co-convenes The Australian Sociological Association's Sociology of Youth thematic group and is also a member of the Migration, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism thematic group. She is also actively involved in several research groups at Western Sydney University, including the Young & Resilient Research Centre, the Borders & Migration Research Group (Institute of Culture & Society), Critical Pedagogies Research Group and the Western Sydney University World Leisure Centre of Excellence. She has published in several high-quality journals and is also an experienced peer reviewer, for Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education, The Journal of Heritage Tourism, The Australian Journal of Anthropology, Tourism Management, Journal of Participatory Research Methods and The Central and Eastern European Migration Review.

In addition to her research, Julia plays a significant role in teaching and academic leadership. Over the last decade, Julia has contributed to several curriculum development projects across the HASS cluster and Technology-enabled learning division at WSU. Julia's dedication to teaching excellence has been recognised through several awards, including the prestigious Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President Academic Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2022) & WSU School of Social Sciences Excellence in Indigenous Learning and Teaching award (2025). 

Prior to her current role in the School of Social Sciences, Julia was a lecturer in The Academy within the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Engagement & Advancement. In this role, Julia taught and re-designed subjects within the Bachelor of Creative Leadership program, collaborating with the Future Student Engagement team to facilitate the implementation of a pilot student pathway initiative with several high schools across Western Sydney.