Humanitarian and human rights advocate Louise Allen has been named a QUT Outstanding Community Impact Alumnus for 2025, recognising her two decades of global advocacy for refugees and marginalised communities.
The honour was announced last night at the annual QUT Outstanding Alumni Awards at the university’s Gardens Point campus in Brisbane.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said the Outstanding Community Impact Alumnus award celebrated Ms Allen as a fearless advocate for those whose voices are too often silenced.
“Her global leadership in human rights and humanitarian policy is driving real change, ensuring that displaced, marginalised and conflict-affected communities are not only seen, but heard at the highest levels of decision-making,” Professor Sheil said.
Ms Allen graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2004 and is now Head of Global Advocacy for the Danish Refugee Council, Denmark’s largest NGO and one of the few international organisations specialising in forced displacement.
With 8000 employees across 40 countries, the Danish Refugee Council protects, advocates and builds sustainable futures for refugees and displacement-affected communities.
“My job and my team's job is really to do two things, and that's to influence the political and the financial responses of governments and of multilateral institutions to conflicts and crises that drive displacement,” Ms Allen said
Ms Allen said her QUT experience laid the foundation for her international career.
“There was definitely no question about doing it at QUT, because of the really practical elements of the degree,” she said.
“There was that ability to be so hands on I couldn't find anywhere else.”
Since graduating, Ms Allen has worked alongside conflict-affected populations, including women, youth, refugees, internally displaced people and marginalised communities, to influence global, regional and domestic policy-making spaces.
She has published extensively on human rights and held senior roles in leading humanitarian organisations.
Prior to joining the Danish Refugee Council in 2024, Ms Allen was the Head of Policy, Advocacy and Communications for Plan International’s Ukraine Crisis Response, covering Ukraine, Moldova, Poland and Romania and working alongside women, girls and young people impacted by the war in Ukraine.
She previously served as Executive Director of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security in New York, where she facilitated the first Rohingya and Indigenous human rights defenders to brief the UN Security Council.
Her advocacy has reached the highest levels of global diplomacy. She has briefed US Congress, met French President Emmanuel Macron during the UN General Assembly, and spoke at a NATO conference in Brussels.
In Australia, Ms Allen started her career after journalism degree as a Media Liaison Officer for the Queensland Police Service, then worked in corporate government relations and the led the advocacy team at Amnesty International Australia.
As a consultant, she has advised the UN Office on Genocide Prevention, UN Peacebuilding Commission, World Bank, NATO, and other multilateral bodies on preventing conflict, radicalisation and atrocity crimes.
“Who inspires me? The people that I work with,” Ms Allen said.
“I’ve had a huge privilege over my past 20 years of working with incredibly strong and brave and fierce and unapologetically courageous activists and advocates and peace builders and frontline humanitarian workers who are working to make their countries or communities more equal and safer.”
Ms Allen warns that global norms are under threat.
“At the moment, it’s not a question of what’s left to do, but safeguarding what we’ve achieved,” she said.
“We’re seeing increased violations of international humanitarian law, deliberate targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers, and the erosion of human rights globally.”
Ms Allen has a key message.
“The most important thing is for everyone to stay engaged,” Ms Allen said.
“At this time, when it feels as if the world is on fire, we need everyone paying attention to it because it’s a lot easier for the world to be on fire if everyone’s got their backs turned to it.”
Ms Allen encourages graduates to demonstrate passion through action.
“It’s not enough to say you’re passionate about something, you need to be able to demonstrate that.”
She also has a key piece of advice for the next generation of QUT graduates.
“Diversify your CV, because the learnings you take from different sectors aren’t comparable to if you’ve only worked in one,” Ms Allen said.
Learn more about the 2025 QUT Outstanding Alumni Awards winners here.
Information on studying journalism at QUT can be found here.
Media contact:
Rod Chester
QUT Media
07 3138 2361 / 0407 585 901 (After Hours)
